January 6, 2013

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Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Read more about the Epiphany.

Lectionary: 20

Reading 1 from the Holy Book of Isaiah
Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

This is a prophecy of the coming of our Lord.  Jesus Christ is the glory of the Lord which shines upon the world.

See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.

Jesus Christ is born and the light shines in the darkness.

Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

All the world, Jew and Gentile, has seen God's glory and follow His light.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD. 

This is a veiled reference to heaven.  Where all will be who follow the light of Christ.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.

R. (cf. 11) 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.

Another prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.  He has saved the poor, those who recognize that they are nothing before God and humbly seek His salvation.

Second Reading from the epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians
Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,

The Stewardship of God's grace is the priesthood.  He is a priest of God with the authority to give God's grace through the Sacraments.

namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.

Christ revealed His Faith to St. Paul in a vision.

It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

God had not previously revealed that all believers, Jew or Gentile, would be united as one in the Body of Christ, the Church. 

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

The Magi were pagans or gentiles and not Jews.   And they came from the other nations to fulfill the prophecy of Scripture that all the world would see the glory of God.

We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.

King Herod, was, of course concerned that his power would be taken from him and his family.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

So he called together all the chief priests of Jerusalem to find out where the Messiah would be born.

Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”

And he told the Magi to search for Him and report back to Him.

After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

And the Star came to lead the Magi to the Child.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures

and they found the Child and His mother where the Star led them.

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

And they worshipped the Child and then returned home by a different way as they had been warned about Herod in a dream.

Sincerely,

De Maria