SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 

JANUARY 3, 2016

INTRODUCTION

·         The liturgy of this first Sunday of the   new  year 2016 presents the narration of the Magi, the wise men who came from the East to adore the new born King of the Jews. 

·         The intrigues that will surround the life of Jesus, the Son of God made man, already begin.  

·         There is a sort of irony in this account:  

o   Pagan men, but also wise men, know how to read the signs that creation offers, they discover the King of the Jews.  .

o   His people, the king and the scribes, who supposedly knew the Scriptures, reject him. Because they know the Scriptures they fear that this king will come to upset their security, the best way to deal with him is to eliminate him.   

o   Does anything similar happen in our life?  

FIRST READING  – Is 60:1-6

«  This reading is taken from the book of the Third Isaiah. Everything in it breathes optimism, joy, light.   

«  The dominant theme  is the light, the glory of God is the light that illumines the city of Jerusalem. 

«  The earth is covered with darkness, but upon you will shine the glory of the Lord.  

«  This light as a lighthouse will lead the nations toward you.  

«  Look with joy, with joy they come from all the nations, the foreigners but most of all your children who were scattered, those who left in tears now they come back singing with joy. 

«  We can understand this joy, many among us, almost all of us, live far from our homeland, if one day the return is made possible we will experience this same overwhelming joy, and over all those who stayed in the country will be filled with joy. 

«  They will bring to you the riches of the nations, caravans of camels will come bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh, proclaiming the praises of God.   

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  Ps 72   

R. 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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

      This psalm is a prayer for a King or for the heir to the Crown.  

      We find in it the theme of justice which we ask for the king, so that he will be able to govern with equity.  

      We have again the theme of the kings from foreign lands coming bringing their gifts to the king.  

      This king in his justice will do good to the poor and marginalized, in this he will be like God whose justice is manifested as compassion and mercy. 

Letter to the Ephesians

Ø  This letter is one of those called “letters from the captivity”, because they mention the prison, other letters from this group are Philippians, Colossians and Philemon

Ø  About the date of its composition the authors have different opinions. Those who consider that this letter had been written by Paul have a date prior to 67 when Paul died.    

Ø  However those who think that the letter was written by a disciple of Paul have a later date,  around the 80’s.  

Ø  This letter has many themes that are similar to those in the letter to the Colossians.  

Ø  We perceive in this letter a great concern for the doctrine and the theology.  

Ø  In the first part (cc. 1-3) the church is considered prepared by God from eternity, being revealed progressively until the Incarnation.   

EPHESIANS  3:2-3ª.5-6

Ø  Paul (or the author)  says that the mystery hidden in God has been revealed to him, and he in turn makes it known, he announces it in his preaching.     

Ø  This hidden mystery has been revealed to the apostles by the Spirit.   

Ø  The mystery is  

o   Through the Good News, the Gospel, the gentiles partake in the inheritance and the promises of Christ Jesus.  

o   And are members of the same body.     

GOSPEL-  Matthew 2:1-12

ü  Chapters 1 and 2 from Matthew and also from Luke are called “the gospel of the infancy  or the infancy narratives”  

ü  These two chapters are according to an author, as the synthesis of the life of Jesus, and of the theology of the evangelist.   

ü  The verses which we will read this Sunday offer to us the synthesis of the theology of Matthew: there is a conflict between two royalties, Herod and Jesus, between the evil and the good, between wealth and poverty.  

ü  Herod, who is he? He is from Idumea, he is a bloodthirsty  and ambitious man. 

ü  In this Gospel we discover several scenes: 

o   In the first one the Magi begin their journey following the star and arrive to Jerusalem. They are sure that someone in the city  will guide them to the King they are seeking.

o   In the second scene the main characters are Herod, the high priests and the scribes. They know because they looked into the Scriptures, that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem.  

o   In the third scene Herod speaks to the Magi, he questions them about the date in which  the star appeared, and sends them to Bethlehem, and he asks them to let him know where is the news born king, so that he will be able to go and worship him.   

o   In the fourth scene the Magi resume their journey and see again the star, that was hidden when they arrived into Jerusalem.  

o   In the fifth scene the Magi arrive at the place and find the mother with the child and they are filled with joy. They offer him his gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Afterwards they go back through another way. 

ü  There are many contrasts; if we make a movie the scenes of Herod would be dark,  on the contrary those of the Magi would be full of color and light.    

o   The Magi do not know the prophecies but they know how to read the message of the stars and they seek with an open heart not conditioned by ambition or by power. 

o   Herod and the priests know the prophecies thus they fear, because they believe that this King will take away their power, their comfortable way of life. Herod is not sincere in his heart. 

o   The Magi find their God without knowing him. The people of Jerusalem do not find him in spite of knowing theoreticaly the Scriptures.

 

CLARETIAN CORNER       BIBLIOGRAFÍA CLARET, Antonio María. Autobiografía. PARIS, María Antonia. Autobiografía    SCHÖKEL , Luis Alonso, La Biblia de nuestro Pueblo. SAGRADA BIBLIA, Versión Oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española.       One matter that I have been deeply involved in at the queen's insistence is in arranging a system for electing bishops. I should like to say something about the progress that has been made in this business so far. The Attorney General asks each and every bishop whether or not he knows of any priest in his diocese with proper qualifications to be a bishop, should the need for one arise. The bishop in question answers yes or no. If he knows of one, he gives whatever information he can about him, such as his age, educational background, virtue, experience, and other data. The Attorney General collects and files all these data, and when a see falls vacant, he sends the dossiers to Her Majesty, who reads them and asks God's guidance in helping her choose the right one. After this, she draws up a list of three, makes inquiries about the three men, commends herself to God, and finally makes her choice, basing it solely on the greater glory of God and the good of the Church. I can stand surety for the fact that, if any priest ever so much as hinted that he wanted the position, it would be more than enough to bar him from being considered eligible for nomination. The queen once told me, "It will go badly for anyone who asks for or strives to obtain a bishopric." There is perhaps no matter in Spain that is handled more equitably and justly than the nomination of bishops, but neither is there any matter that is looked into more carefullyy cosas superfluas. St. Anthony M. Claret. Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography  630.

About the vision which God our Lord deigned to grant me on All Saints’ Day of 1854, there is nothing to say since it is written in two note books that I gave to my prelate and it is also written in these notes that my confessor commands me to write in order to give him an account of the favors and graces God our Lord was pleased to communicate to me , by his infinite mercy , without any merits of this vile sinner. What do I have to say about any merits of mine! Rather, I have to confess, full of confusion, my great ingratitude that, writing these very favors and graces from the Lord, I have had the shamelessness to offend him in many ways, as the one who commands me to write knows very well, and it is very clear in my conscience.  María Antonia París, Foundress of the Claretian MIssionary Sisters, Autobiography  231