The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading I

Is 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
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.

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.

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.

Reading II

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

Alleluia

Mt 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

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?
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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 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.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

Today we continue our celebration of The Birth of Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. The Second Sunday of The Christmas Season brings us to The Solemnity of The Epiphany. It is here where 3 great mysteries of our faith are revealed and meditated on. The first is marked by the Visit of the Magi and is most associated with this day. The second is the Baptism of The Lord. Lastly comes the Wedding Feast of Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. All three of these revelations are important moments in the life of Jesus and should be very important to us. They can lead us to a deeper understanding of Jesus and who He is in relation to us. There is a reason why these events are brought up during The Christmas Season. The Magi did not arrive immediately after Jesus was born and His Baptism, along with the Miracle at Cana, did not occur until Jesus was an adult. All of these events are intricately linked and provide us with Divine Revelation which are central to our faith.

 

The Magi were Medes, a priestly class from Northern Persia who were known to practice astrology. They were Pagans and had different religious practices than The Jews. Even though this was the case, they recognized the importance of the birth of Jesus and The Word becoming flesh. With that, they came bearing gifts to give Jesus homage: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold represents Jesus as a king, frankincense as a prophet, and myrrh to foreshadow His death for our salvation. The first to witness Jesus and to come forward to give Him homage were shepherds in the field. Shepherds were low stature in Jewish Society. The Magi, being foreigners and gentiles, were the same. Yet these two groups of men were called to come glorify Jesus. We are the shepherds, and we are the Magi. Jesus Christ came into this world for the salvation of everyone. It is from our brokenness and wounds that He calls us to love Him. It is then through Him that we are healed and are eventually led to perfection. Some are wounded more, while others are wounded less. That doesn’t mean Jesus loves others more or less. We are all the same in the eyes of God: we all are His children. Every person within God’s creation is on their own personal journey towards Christ and will find Him in their own time. It is then that they will ultimately accept Him or reject Him. The shepherds were called, and they answered. The Magi were called, and they answered. We have been called. Will we answer?

 

The Baptism of the Lord reveals The Holy Trinity in its totality to the world. Jesus, being baptized by John, rose from the water. At that moment, The Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him, and God the Father spoke: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” Through this event, no doubt can be left as to who Jesus is and His divinity. It also presents the relationship of The Holy Trinity. Jesus has authority to speak on behalf of the Father and The Love of God flows through Him. As The Apostle John proclaimed: “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.” These words as well as the events at Jesus’ baptism presents us with a clear picture of The Trinity and the relationship that we are invited to participate in. We are part of this relationship because we are God’s children and have been invited to love Him. To love Him is to know Him and to know Him is to enter into relationship with Him. At Cana, Jesus turned water into wine. This marked the beginning of His public ministry. It was also the first miracle He publicly performed. The water and wine gain deeper meaning especially during The Last Supper and when water and blood flowed from Jesus’ side when He was pierced by a lance: The Blood of the New Covenant, first represented at Cana then the Last Supper, is then brought to full revelation through The Crucifixion.

 

These three events have been absorbed into our faith and our practices. We as Christians are defined by having received the invitation to love God and responding to it. Our baptism makes us members of The Church and receivers of Sanctifying Grace. We then receive The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and are sealed with The Gift of the Holy Spirit through Confirmation. Spiritually we live the mysteries of The Epiphany daily through the practice of our faith. When we worship, the Epiphany comes alive as we come forward broken to recognize our sins, beg for forgiveness, and recognize that we have been forgiven. We are then fed through The Living Word and then through The Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, all the while joyfully praying and giving praise to our God. Today we are invited to live The Epiphany always. Receive these mysteries as gifts and cherish them as much as gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Use these gifts and live these gifts as we are encouraged to do. When we do this then we can more fully realize just how awesome the event of the child Jesus coming into the world is.

 

Deacon Tom

 

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
Lectionary: 17

Reading 1 Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children;
a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons.
Whoever honors his father atones for sins,
and preserves himself from them.
When he prays, he is heard;
he stores up riches who reveres his mother.
Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children,
and, when he prays, is heard.
Whoever reveres his father will live a long life;
he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;
grieve him not as long as he lives.
Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him;
revile him not all the days of his life;
kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
firmly planted against the debt of your sins
—a house raised in justice to you.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5.

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Reading 2 Col 3:12-21

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands,
as is proper in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives,
and avoid any bitterness toward them.
Children, obey your parents in everything,
for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children,
so they may not become discouraged.

Alleluia Col 3:15a, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel Lk 2:41-52

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

 

 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

 Our celebration of the Christ Child has only just begun. With the celebration of the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we have entered into the Christmas Season. So important is this event, so impactful to the entire universe, that we now celebrate for twenty days. The Holy Mother Church offers us a calendar to guide us through this period, encouraging us to reflect on particular events and particular people so as to enrich the moments that pass during the season. We had The Fest Day of Saint Stephen, Saint John, and the Holy Innocents. Now we gather during this Sabbath Day to reflect on The Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

 

One of the most serious situations that we as Christians are confronted with in society today is the deterioration of the family unit. The majority of marriages end in divorce, 32% of households with children are headed by single parents, and almost 10 million children per year are witness to some sort of domestic violence. The family is known to be the most important social unit and the one that will have the most impact on the lives of the children and the adults within it yet it is facing a crisis of major proportion that, in many ways, is being encouraged by certain segments within society trying to promote certain agendas and goals which ultimately go against fundamental principles of Christianity. The Christmas Season and the Feast of the Holy Family offer a time to reflect on the status of our families and the importance thereof.

 

Just as Jesus Christ is at the center of our faith and at the center of the Holy Family, our children must always be at the center of our lives. This does not only pertain to fathers and mothers but also to all of those who interact with children not to exclude grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the like. When a child comes into the family, all within the family including extended family have an obligation for that child’s upbringing. Included in these responsibilities are financial support, guidance, mentorship, and emotional encouragement. The immediate responsibility starts with the parents but all within the sphere of influence of the parents are called forward by God to do their part.

 

Mary, at the age of fifteen and with a child in her womb, traveled a great distance to visit her cousin Elizabeth and to care for her when it was time for her to give birth to her son John. It was a great sacrifice what she did for her cousin but was also expected because they were related. We too should not hesitate to do things out of obligation to our families regardless of what kind of impediment these things might be to us. When doing these things there an expectation that will develop that there will be those who will do the same for us when something arises in our lives. Through these actions comes a shared experience that develops into a higher spiritual awareness and understanding. Christ is manifested through these actions and all are strengthen with His presence.

 

Understanding the importance of family interaction and experiencing it makes us want to do it more. The reason for this is simple: The love that we show is a reflection of the love that Jesus Christ has for us. We are doing what God intended for  us to do: To love because we are loved. Just as there is no precondition for the love that God has for us there should be no precondition to the love we show to our family and beyond to our Christian Family. This love has the capability of strengthening the family and to reverse the negative effects society has on it. The family becomes the domain of God and nothing can cause division or strife within it when this is realized. Even those families that have become victims of separation and divorce can be reconciled to some degree through acting on the presence of God’s Love. God’s Love can defeat anything and make every situation better.

 

Each member of a family should take their responsibilities seriously and put them before any other considerations. Not to do so would be considered both selfish and a detriment to the family’s survival. Fathers should be the protector, provider, mentor, disciplinarian, and guide in faith-matters. Mothers should be the nurturer, encourager, counsel, the one who espouses the virtues of the Virgin Mary. Children should obey, love, and honor their parents. Above all, they should listen to them and heed their advice. When other family members present them for support these too should be honored and respected. All animosity and strife within a family should be immediately dealt with and dismissed in favor of the Love of God.

 

Some of these aforementioned responsibilities may appear to be demanding but it must be remembered that being a Christian and acting like a Christian is difficult in itself. Doing the right and proper thing is always difficult. That is why society has so many problems to begin with: the easier way is taken too often even though it is the wrong thing to do and leads to disastrous results either in the short term or at some point in the far future. A house built on a foundation of sand will always eventually fall. The Holy Family provides us with a model, vision, and blueprint that may be difficult to achieve but, when followed, will be worthwhile.

 

Deacon Tom