Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; and kingship is in his grasp, and power and dominion (Mal 3:1; 1 Chr 29:12)
Mass Reading for THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
January 07 2018
Before the mass begins let us ask the Lord to help us live life with a noble purpose and to forgive us for the many times we have lived for our selfish and shortsighted ambitions.
First Reading: Isaiah(60:1-6)
This reading is a magnificent text addressed to the exiles returning from the Babylonian captivity. They are told that the Temple city of Jerusalem will exult before the glory of God .
Second Reading: Ephesians (3:2-3a, 5-6)
Paul writes that the mystery concerning the Gentiles has now been revealed. The Gentiles share the same inheritance for they are part of the body of Christ.
Gospel Reading: St Matthew (2:1-12)
The Wise Men from the East reach Bethlehem and find the Baby Jesus. They worship him and offer him gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts. We have heard of the Three Wise Men who went to see the Christ-child in Bethlehem, but according to a 19th century story by Henry van Dyke, there was a fourth. In the mountains of ancient Persia, lived Artaban, whose study of the planets and the stars led him to predict the birth of the King of Kings.
Message
The Feast of the Epiphany concludes the season of Christmas that began with the season of advent. The Epiphany marks the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles. The arrival of the Wise Men from the faraway countries with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah, “Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all come together. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.” The new era of salvation that began with the birth of Jesus is open to all. In it God makes no distinction between the Jew and the Gentile. The Wise Men had to show great courage and diligence in order to find the Child Jesus. They were overjoyed to find the Child and their reaction was to fall down and worship him.
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