Epiphany of the Lord
1st
Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! For darkness
shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the lord will arise upon you, and his
glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your
dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons
shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms. Then you
shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall
be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover
you, the young camels of Midain and Ephah, all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring
gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. The Word of the Lord!
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
2nd Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
Brothers and sisters: Surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was
given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation. In former
generations this mystery was not made known to humankind as it has now been revealed to his
holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit; that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs,
members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. The
Word of the Lord!
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 2: 2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East
came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we
observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this,
he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and
scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, In
Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the Prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who
is to shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from
them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go
and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may
also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of
them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child
was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the
house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.
Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And
having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another
road. The Gospel of the Lord!
Some Few Lines of reflection: (from: http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/2016/160103.htm)
Today, we are celebrating Epiphany Sunday. This special Feast, normally celebrated on January
6 th, commemorates the revealing of Jesus as the Christ to the Gentiles. In some European
countries, the popularity of this Feast is known as the "Twelfth Night" (after Christmas). The
meaning of the word "epiphany" has its roots in the Greek language. The first part of the word,
"epi," means "upon." The second part, "phainein," means "to show." By combining these two
meanings, "to show upon," we are reminded of the manifestation of the glory of Christ to the
Gentiles. The original purpose of the Feast of Epiphany, which had its beginning in the Eastern
Church during the 3 rd century, was to commemorate how the glory of Christ was revealed to the
Gentiles. Such took place in four ways:
1 In the person of the Magi;
2 in the Baptism of Jesus;
3 in the first miracle at Cana; and
4 When reviewing the early history of this celebration, it comes to our attention that the Birth of
Christ was also included in the Feast of Epiphany.
Of these four, the Baptism of Jesus was predominantly commemorated. Based on the writings of
the early Church Fathers, it has been made known to us that the Birth of Christ and His first
miracle at Cana both took place on January 6th. Now some of you may wonder, if the Birth of
Jesus took place on January 6th, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? This is a very
interesting question! During the early days of the Church, it was the custom of the pagans to
celebrate the birthday of the sun on December 25th. During that celebration, the non-believers lit
lights on account of the feast. As sad as it is to say, some of the members of the Christian
community also participated in this unholy feast. To remedy the situation, after consulting with
one another, the Fathers of the Church determined that it was in the best interest of the Christians
community to move the Feast of the Birth of Jesus to December 25th and to leave the Feast of the
Epiphany on January 6th. During that period of twelve days, the Christians would enjoy the
burning of lights. The burning of the lights was to symbolize the spiritual illumination that comes
from the Sacrament of Baptism
The Good News of this Feast is that Christ is the true light that gives light to the world. He says
it many times in the Gospel of John. The most plausible expression is: “I am the light of the
world” in Jn8:12