DAILY- HOMILY

03 January 2016

EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 

Solemnity.    White.    Is 60: 1 - 6.    Eph 3: 2 - 3a, 5 – 6.     Mt 2: 1 - 12.

1st Reading:  Is 60: 1 – 6

Arise, shine, for your light has come.  The Glory of Yahweh rises upon you. Night still covers the earth and gloomy clouds veil the peoples, but Yahweh now rises and over you his glory appears.  Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes round about and see:   they are all gathered and come to you, your sons from afar, your daughters tenderly carried. This sight will make your face radiant, your heart throbbing and full; the riches of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you. A flood of camels will cover you, caravans from Midian and Ephah.  Those from Sheba will come, bringing with them gold and incense, all singing in praise of Yahweh.

2nd Reading: Eph 3: 2 – 3a, 5 – 6

You may have heard of the graces God bestowed on me for your sake.  By a revelation he gave me the knowledge of his mysterious design. . . 

This mystery was not made known to past generations but only now, through revelations given to holy prophets and apostles.  Now the non-Jewish people share the inheritance; in Christ Jesus the  non-Jews are incorporated and are to enjoy the Promise.  This is the Good News.

Gospel  Reading:    Mt 2: 1 – 12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem.  They asked, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We saw the rising of his star in the east and have come to honor him."

When Herod heard this he was greatly disturbed and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high-ranking priests and those who taught the people of God his Law, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  "In the town of Bethlehem in Judea," they told him, "for this is what the prophet wrote: And you. Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a leader, the one who is to shepherd my people Israel.

Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction, "Go and get precise information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go and honor him."

After the meeting with the king, they set out.  The star that they had seen in the east went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.  The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again. They went into the house and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshiped him. They opened their bags and offered him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.

In a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their home country by another way.

Reflection

Today's Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord brings the conclusion of the Christmas season.  It is time for us to take down the Christmas lanterns and lights, trees and other decorations, and the Belen for storage until the next year.  It is also time for us to take note of our resolutions made for the New Year.

Though we may not have received everything we wanted for Christmas, still we are happy with the truth that the most important gift of Christmas is the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, the one sent by the Father to save and redeem us. The most precious gift of Christmas is Emmanuel, God-with-us.  He will never leave us provided we remain faithful to him.

In some cultures, as in Spain, Christmas gifts are given and exchanged today, in recognition of the gifts given by the wise men to the newborn Child.

We should remember that, though he became man as a Jew, Jesus did not come into the world only for the Jewish people.  He came for all peoples, Jew and Gentile:  as Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus,   "Now the non-Jewish people share the inheritance; in Christ Jesus the  non-Jews are incorporated and are to enjoy the Promise.  This is the Good News."  The Epiphany of the Lord is the celebration of the coming and manifestation of Jesus to all the world, to be the Redeemer and king of all nations and peoples.

We thank the Lord for the gift of his Son Jesus and we should learn to share whatever we have and have received with our brothers and sisters. Like the wise men who followed the star to find and pay homage to the newborn Child, the king of the Jews, we too pay homage and worship the Lord every time we gather for Mass, and especially our Sunday Eucharist.  May we be more committed to live our faith each day by sharing Christ with others.

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     Antonio & Lourdes Choa

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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