The Epiphany of the Lord

The Epiphany of the Lord

         I know that we’re eleven days past Christmas, and today, we finally meet the Magi … the Three Kings … the Three Wise Men … and we hear about their calculations which were based solely upon the stars in the heavens … that their predictions and their decisions to make the journey to Bethlehem were based upon the movement of celestial bodies in the sky. And for those who may be keeping track … if you remember the song … today, January 5th, marks the eleventh day of Christmas … so there is still time to go out and get those eleven pipers piping, and the twelve drummers drumming. Today, our continued celebration of the Nativity of the Lord (that is, Christmas) reaches new heights as Jesus is revealed as a king, the Christ, and a ruler to shepherd the people. The arrival of the Magi follows the same motif of light versus darkness found in the prophecy of Isaiah – that people will come from afar, following the light of a star, bringing their treasures, and finding the greatest treasure of all lying in the manger at Bethlehem.

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At the Vigil Mass:

Entrance Antiphon: Bar 5:5— “Arise, Jerusalem, and look to the East and see your children gathering from the rising to the setting of the sun.”

First Reading: Is 60:1-6 — “The glory of the Lord shines upon you.”

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 — “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 — “Now it has been revealed that the Gentiles are coheirs of the promise.”

Alleluia: Mt 2:2 — “We saw His star at its rising and have come to do Him homage.”

Gospel: Mt 2:1-12 — “We saw His star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Communion Antiphon: Rev 21:23 — “The brightness of God illumined the holy city Jerusalem, and the nations will walk by its light.”

At the Mass during the Day:

At the Mass during the Day, the Liturgy of the Word is the same as at the Vigil Mass. The only exceptions are below:

Entrance Antiphon: Mal 3:1; 1 Chr 29:12—“Behold the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; and kingship is in His grasp, and power and dominion.”

Communion Antiphon: Mt 2:2 — “We saw His star at its rising and have come to do Him homage.”

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         The Scriptures do not name these men, but tradition refers to them as Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. They are not Jews, but Gentiles who come to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews. They come to Jerusalem, attempting to locate this king. Their arrival shows us, as Saint Paul will later write, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. And so, consider this: If it was so important for the wise men ... for these three kings ... to find Him ... today, we need to ask ourselves: Just how important is our relationship with the Christ-Child ... how important is our relationship with Jesus Christ? Do we see it … do we live it every day? Do we treasure this great gift of living faith that Saint Paul describes in his Letter to the Ephesians?

         While the Magi sought the newborn king of the Jews, Herod, on the other hand, believes himself to be king of the Jews. Not Jewish by birth, he paid the Roman Senate to give him this title when he assumed the kingship in this occupied outpost of the Roman Empire. With paranoia, he has preciously guarded this title and the power that comes with it, going so far as to have a brother and a son put to death and sending one of his wives into exile. He will stop at nothing to locate this newborn child and eliminate the threat he poses to Herod’s throne.

         Now, Saint Matthew doesn’t tell us whether the Magi show respect to Herod as a king. We don’t know if they curtsy or bow ... we only know that they have an audience with him and then they depart. This stands in stark contrast to their audience with the Holy Family at Bethlehem, where they lie face down on the dirty floor of the barn, realizing they are in the presence of the Word Made Flesh. They offer their treasures – gold for His kingship and frankincense to honor Jesus’ priesthood. These gifts were exactly as Isaiah foretold. But it is the gift of myrrh that stands out in this scene. It is an ointment for a dead body, suggesting that the crib and the cross are cut from the same piece of wood.

         This encounter in Bethlehem, this epiphany, reveals the Messiah in the flesh, as a Savior for Jew and Gentile alike. Please also note that the Magi do not follow Herod’s instruction to bring him word of Jesus’ location. Instead, they depart for their homeland by a different path, and their lives are forever changed. The encounter with the Christ sets them on a new road, one in which – as tradition holds – they returned to their homes to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s birth.

         The encounter with Jesus is meant to change all of us, and place each of us on a new path – one that will lead us to light and life. As disciples who still seek Him, we follow the light of a star, coming from afar, from every walk of life. We do not have gold and frankincense, but what will we offer the Child Jesus? What is your gift to Jesus?

Gifts are things that are freely given with no strings attached. The Magi offered gifts in pure adoration ... expecting nothing in return. And if we want to be an everlasting gift to God, we need to give Him absolute permission to use us as He wills. Being willing to surrender control takes trust that God wants good for us ... even in the midst of suffering and pain. And giving of ourselves is different from giving a talent or a tithe. It means 100% giving ... literally giving Him your all.

If you think about the gifts you gave (or received) eleven days ago, those gifts were sacrifices of time, or talent, or money, or self ... or perhaps a combination of those things. I think it’s fair to say that the best gifts cost something. The Magi travelled a great distance at great cost to find Jesus. As a gift to God, what meaningful sacrifices can you make?

Give TIME. Visit with a lonely person. Tutor a struggling student. Volunteer to help. Fight for a worthwhile cause … Give TALENT. Sing in the choir. Sew for the school play. Work with one of the ministries of the Church … Give MONEY GENEROUSLY. Donate to a worthwhile charity. Help a struggling relative. Support the Church, your Parish, and her missions … Give of SELF … Like the Magi, each of us has a treasure to offer Christ. We can offer Him devotion and dedication, we can offer Him lives of faith, we can offer Him service to our fellow human beings, and we can even offer Him our faults, failings, and fears. He came for all of it. He came for all of us.

As we celebrate Christ manifesting Himself to the world today, think of what that manifestation has meant to each of you … and to this community ... the Parish of Our Lady of Hope. And then ask yourselves what you can give in return … to God ... and to one another.What are your treasures?We have the example of the Magi. They were the first. They shouldn’t be the last. Christ is the perfect gift to the Father. He is also the perfect gift to us. He comes to us each Eucharist, the gift of Himself to be broken, shared, received, and transforming. The Magi worshipped the infant king and then returned home to tell their world about Him. We are to follow their example do the same. Epiphany means “manifestation” or “showing.” The Christmas season will draw to a close next week. But the season of giving doesn’t and shouldn’t have to end. We, like the Magi, are to take the gift of Christ we receive today … the gift of the Real Presence in the Eucharist … and make Him visible to the world.