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THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
They saw the Child with Mary his mother.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
The Lord and ruler is coming; kingship is his, and government and power.
PENITENTIAL RITE
In today’s feast God manifests himself as the Saviour of the entire human family. The feast of the Epiphany reveals the universality of salvation and the catholicity of the people of God. Are we universal in outlook and what is our contribution to take the message of salvation to the ends of the world? (Pause.)
I confess...
Glory to God in the highest,/and peace to his people on earth./Lord God, heavenly King,/almighty God and Father,/we worship you,/we give you thanks,/we praise you for your glory./Lord Jesus Christ,/only Son of the Father,/Lord God, Lamb of God,/you take away the sin of the world:/have mercy on us;/you are seated at the right hand of the Father,/receive our prayer./For you alone are the Holy One,/you alone are the Lord,/you alone are the Most High,/Jesus Christ,/with the Holy Spirit,/in the glory of God the Father./Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray. Father, you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this…
FIRST READING
(In a long procession and with presents, kings and their subjects shall come to the new Jerusalem.)
A reading from the book of Isaiah (60:1-6)
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 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. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 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 proclaim the praise of the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (71)
Response: All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in justice and your poor in right judgement. R.
In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails. He shall rule from sea to sea, from the Great River to earth’s bounds. R.
The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts shall pay him tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring him gifts. Before him all kings shall fall prostrate, all nations shall serve him. R.
For he shall save the poor when they cry and the needy who are helpless. He will have pity on the weak and save the lives of the poor. R.
SECOND READING
(The Gentiles are full-fledged sharers in the universal salvation of God.)
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (3:2-3, 5-6)
Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. This mystery 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; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION (Mt 2:2)
Alleluia, alleluia! We have seen his star in the East and have come to worship the Lord. Alleluia!
GOSPEL
(In the three wise men the Gentiles discover and pay homage to the Saviour of the world.)
A reading from the holy Gospel according to St Matthew (2:1-12)
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel’."
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; 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." When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by a different way.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
I believe...
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, let us open our minds and hearts to the Father of light that he may spread his light in the dark areas of our lives and enable us to live as children of light. Our response: Lord, let your light be the guarding star of one lives.
1. Let us pray for all the members of the Church that they may manifest God by their lives. R.
2. For all Christians: may they acknowledge Christ as their personal Saviour and adore him as the wise men did. R.
3. May the religious and cultural values of different people lead them to the true God and pay him homage. R.
4. We pray for those who resist the working of God in them. Gentle Spirit, be their guide and advocate. R.
(Pause to pray for other intentions.)
Cel: Loving Father, we thank you for revealing your Son to us and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help us to live in such a way that we may manifest you to our neighbours. We ask this...
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, accept the offerings of your Church, not gold, frankincense and myrrh, but the sacrifice and the food they symbolize: Jesus Christ, who is Lord for ever and ever.
PREFACE (P 6)
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and every-where to give you thanks.
Today you revealed in Christ your eternal plan of salvation and showed him as the light of all peoples. Now that his glory has shone among us you have renewed humanity in his immortal image.
Now, with angels and archangels, and the whole company of heaven, we sing the unending hymn of your praise.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
We have seen his star in the east and have come with gifts to adore the Lord.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Father, guide us with your light. Help us to recognise Christ in this eucharist and welcome him with love, for he is Lord for ever and ever.
LITURGY AND LIFE
In the middle of the night, three shepherds came running to the house of a rich widow. The winter cold was bitter. The woman lit a fire and she was about to go to bed, when the shepherds knocked at the door of her house. She looked through the opening and asked, "What do you want at this hour of the night"?
"Kindly do us a favour," they said, prepare for us a little warm milk and come with us and feed an infant who is lying in a manger just a short distance away." The middle-aged widow looked at them with wide-open eyes. "Now? At midnight? In the thick of winter? I am a kind person but don’t you know I am old? Surely, I want to see that infant. But please come tomorrow. I will take a bottle of milk and go to the hut early in the morning."
"Ma’m, the child seems to be an extraordinary person. At times we even think that he is the promised one."
"That may be true. I too am expecting the birth of the promised child. But at this time of winter, it is not easy for me, an old woman, to walk through snow to the hut. Surely, I will be there tomorrow morning. To be frank, I even heard of a special star appearing in the heavens. People were talking of some oriental wise men walking through the streets of Bethlehem. People told me they even went to the palace of Herod, the king. What is happening in this village! Yes, tomorrow I will go and see that baby."
The warmth of the bed and the protective comfort of the room proved more attractive than the call of the infant!
The following morning, the widow got up early, took a bottle of warm milk, and walked fast to the hut where the child was supposed to be. Yes, she reached the hut – a small group of people were standing in front of the hut, hotly arguing among themselves. Neither the child nor the parents were there in the hut! Some said, "Oh, they have crossed the border and fled to Egypt." "Why? Were they thieves," some asked "to flee at night from this place?" Others said they were meek, gentle, God-fearing people. "We do not know why they have gone away from here. We thought they were a blessing to our village," others answered. But the widow could not see the infant because it was no more there.
Epiphany means manifestation, showing. To be effective Epiphany requires a revealing God and a responding human person. The God of the Bible is a revealing God. In fact the Bible is the self-revelation of God. God ever reveals himself. But few are those who are open to his self-manifestation. The scripture scholars in Jerusalem failed to recognize and accept when God manifested himself in Jesus. Why did they fail? May be they studied the scriptures with a closed and biased mind. God is beyond our calculations and categories. The simple shepherds met the Messiah while scholars missed him. God outwitted the cunning and crafty Herod. Obviously they were not seeking God. To the revealing God should correspond a responding mind, a sincere and humble mind. How many repeat with regret after St Augustine "Late have I loved Thee?" Some unfortunately do not live long enough to express their regret. Genuine humility is essential for finding God. Pride acts as a great roadblock. And God resists the proud. One who is resisted by God has little chance of encountering God in love. Such persons are poles apart from God. Hence the regrets and disappointments later in life.
January 2004
CALENDAR
Psalter Week 2
5/Mon (W) 1 Jn 3:22 – 4:6; Ps 2; Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
6/Tue (W) 1 Jn 4:7-10; Ps 71; Mk 6:34-44
7/Wed (W/W) St Raymond of Penyafort, pt 1 Jn 4:11-18; Ps 71; Mk 6:45-52
8/Thu (W) 1 Jn 4:19 – 5:4; Ps 71; Lk 4:14-22a
9/Fri (W) 1 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147; Lk 5:12-16
10/Sat (W) 1 Jn 5:14-21; Ps 149; Jn 3: 22-30
