“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?”

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – Year C

Collect

May the splendour of your majesty, O Lord, we pray, shed its light upon our hearts, that we may pass through the shadows of this world and reach the brightness of our eternal home. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord, we celebrate Jesus’ manifestation as the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the World.  Matthew introduces us to the Magi who had travelled from the East to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” (v. 2).  The Magi were wise men, who searched and humbly inquired, motivated and determined to find the truth.  They were gazing towards the heavens for some sign when they saw the star that lit their way to the Lord Jesus.  The journey they undertook led them to recognise the infant Jesus as King.  “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy” (v. 10), the joy they experienced was that of one who had received a ray of light from the Lord, the joy of him who had discovered what he was searching for after a long journey.  The Magi “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage…they offered him gifts” (v. 11).

“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” (v. 2).  Upon hearing this question, Herod was frightened because he was dominated by the god of power and pride.  Herod also asks a question, with the intention of discovering the “exact time” (v. 7) so that he may, in some way, eliminate anyone who was a threat to his power.  On the other hand, although the chief priests and the scribes knew where the Messiah was to be born, they remained passive without taking any initiative.

The Magi’s journey symbolises a walk of faith.  The Lord has a habit of moving us out of our comfort zones, in which we are entrenched, to draw us out of ourselves and encounter Him.  When we acknowledge Jesus as our King, we must give him control of our lives while we kneel down and adore Him through a life given over to His service and that of our neighbour.  The Magi found Jesus because they were prepared to search for Him.  The answer to their question was found written by the prophet in the Holy Scriptures.  What about you?  Where are you in your faith journey?  You may feel stagnated or satisfied with what you have learnt about Jesus in your childhood, or are you continually searching for Jesus in your life?  Are you prepared to adore him by sharing your life with others? A Christian’s mission is also an epiphany. Our mission is to carry the light of Christ wherever we go. To what extent am I sharing my faith with others and being a witness through my works so that God’s word becomes manifest and accomplished in our world?

Prayer

May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.

 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.

(Psalm 72: 10-13)

 

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