The Epiphany of the Lord
8th January 2023 (Sunday) Readings and Reflection
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: ISAIAH 60. 1-6
1.Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2.For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3.And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4.Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. 5.Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6.A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.
PSALM 72: 1-2. 7-8. 10-11. 12-13 (R.11)
Response: All nations of the earth shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord
Second Reading: EPHESIANS 3. 2-3a
2.assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3.how the mystery was made known to me by revelation,5.which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6.This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Gospel : MATTHEW 2. 1-12
1.Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2.saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3.When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4.and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5.They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6.“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7.Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8.And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9.After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10.When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11.And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12.And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: God reveals!
Indicative: God revealed Himself in many different ways in course of history. But when the fullness of time had come, He had revealed Himself in and through His own Son, Jesus Christ{alertSuccess}
1. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Epiphany comes from the Greek word that means “to reveal”. It is the day of God’s revelation. In fact, on the day of Christmas itself, God reveals Himself in His Incarnate Son as the Saviour. But Epiphany marks a special and unique day of God’s revelation. It is on that day the three kings or magi or wise men from the East come and pay homage to him. Thus, God reveals and manifests His divine glory to the whole universe symbolised by the three magi.
2. Epiphany as God’s revelation indicates that God’s salvation through the Incarnation of His Son is open to all. It does not exclude or discriminate against anyone. Though He is born in a particular place and at a particular time, His grace is not limited or conditioned, or restricted.
3. In this sense, Epiphany is a strong caution against all the exclusive, discriminatory and sectarian tendencies and attempts to promote and perpetuate divisions and discriminations, hatred, and hostility, in the name of God and religion. God is not a “private property” of anyone. His grace is for all. His revelation and manifestation cannot be “domesticated” or “barricaded”. Religion is not a prohibited territory where God is safely protected or bound!
4. Thus, Epiphany is a clarion call against all senseless religious fanaticism, and communal violence. It is absurd that some frenzy and highly inflated people claim themselves to be “religious” and act irreligiously. They degenerate into inhuman cruelty inflicting untold violence on others. They install themselves as self-appointed and self-proclaimed ‘saviours’ and ‘protectors’ of God Himself. Who makes them petty “gods” over God Himself?
5. In fact, God’s revelation has not yet reached and touched these people. In the name of disclosing God to others, they are only closing God’s grace. These are exactly like king Herod in the gospel. When he hears about the birth of the Messiah, he is disturbed and agitated. He regards the newborn king of hearts as a threat to his throne. He plots evil to terminate the incarnate God.
6. In contrast, today this celebration of Epiphany invites us to think and act like the three magi. They were truly wise. They see in him the Saviour and Liberator of the world. They long to encounter him personally. They use human resources like intelligence, knowledge, scriptures, astronomy, et cetera to discern and discover his presence.
7. Their spirit of yearning, search, and determination is such that they undertake a challenging journey. They are also docile to accept God’s “special assistance” in the form of a star. God’s ways are so caring that the star guides them to the incarnate Saviour. Commendable is their humility and surrender that they kneel before the Lord and pay homage to him.
8. Their human effort was richly rewarded. They could encounter the Saviour of the world. It was a rare grace and privilege that was not granted to many around him itself.
Imperative: Like the three wise men, we are also called to constantly journey toward God in a spirit of search and surrender. Only such a spirit would lead us to a personal encounter and loyalty to God{alertSuccess}