We saw the rising of his star, and we have come to pay him homage

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord – Year A 

Collect 

O God, who on this day revealed your Only Begotten Son to the nations by the guidance of a star, grant in your mercy that we, who know you already by faith, may be brought to behold the beauty of your sublime glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

First Reading
Is 60:1-6

The glory of the Lord shines upon you.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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.

The Word 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.

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians

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.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Mt 2:2

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 2:1-12

We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

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.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Lectio on the Gospel of the Epiphany (Year A), with questions and reflections 

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star, and we have come to pay him homage.” On hearing about their inquiry, King Herod was greatly troubled, as was true of the whole of Jerusalem.  

A description of the effect of the Good News when it is proclaimed in a society full of greed, idolatry and pride.  

The word ‘troubled’ (tarasso in Greek) means turmoil and confusion, fear and terror, anxiety and doubt—it could be described as an interior earthquake. The fact that this not only affected Herod but also the whole of Jerusalem reveals that all the secular and religious leaders were also affected by the news. 

Herod’s decision to find and kill this infant demonstrates how serious and formidable he believed the situation he faced was. 

Epiphany means manifestation or revelation. In Greek, it can refer to the dawn or sunrise, it is also used when the enemy appears during war, but it is especially used when God appears
to those that worships Him. 

On this Solemnity, we celebrate the manifestation, the appearance of God’s Son made man to all people of good will. Yet there are those that react as if they saw their enemy appear who threatens their way of life.

Let us ask ourselves: Does Jesus’ arrival in our life confuse us? Does it shake the foundations of our lives? Does it push us to change to become better people? Does it help us grow closer to God? 

Let us reflect: has this manifestation taken place in my life? Or have I only heard about Jesus? Or maybe I have hidden behind many Christian religious traditions but have rarely or never encountered Him? Yes, this is a good and genuine question. If we believe that Jesus is alive, then we can have a personal encounter with Him! 

Prayer 

Father, I thank you for sending Jesus to show us who YOU are. Thank you for sending Him amongst us, humble, poor, and little. Father, through His merits, give us the grace to encounter you, to search for you with the fervour and energy of the Magi, and, when we find You, to adore you as you deserve. Amen. 

 

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