SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - 2018

INTRODUCTION

·        In this  Sunday of 2018 we recall the Magi who went to Bethlehem to pay homage to the New Born King of the Jews.

·        The readings show us the light and the darkness clashing, not in the sky we see with our eyes, but in our human heart.   

·        Darkness which prevents us to see and to adore God made a child, light that invites us to adore Him. 

·        Darkness that prevents us from discovering the presence of our incarnate God in every human being.  

·        Darkness that prevents us to acknowledge our injustices in the relationship with others.  

·        Darkness that blinds us and prevents us to truly believe that we are all brothers and sisters created , redeemed and loved equally.  

·        Darkness that prevents us to see the good in us and in every human being.   

·        This celebration is a good opportunity to look into our heart and discover in it our darkness and also our light, the light of God made a child.   

FIRST READING  – Is 60:1-6

«  This passage is taken from the book of the Third Isaiah. It is filled  with optimism, joy and light. 

«  The theme of light dominates the scene; the glory of God is the light that illumines the city of Jerusalem.  

«  The earth is covered with darkness, but the glory of God shines upon the earth.  

«  This light is a lighthouse that leads the nations toward Jerusalem.  

«  Look with joy, with overwhelming happiness all the nations come to you, the foreigners but also your children, those who were once dispersed, now return.   

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

«  This invitation is addressed to each one of us  

«  Rise up, rise up from your comfort zone, from your inertia, your apathy, your being comfortable.

«  Look the light  is all around you in spite of the darkness

«  All that is human in you, your ability to love and to give yourself for love of others will come back to you, if you know how to discover in your life the light of God, his calling, his invitation to allow his silent presence inundate you. His presence can safe you from all that is negative in you in which you find yourself so comfortable.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM   Psalm 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 crowned  heir. 

      The theme of justice is present in the petitions for the king, so he will be able to govern with equity. 

      Like in the first reading the psalm mentions the kings of foreign nations who will come to bring gifts to the king. 

      The justice of this King will be to take care of the poor and marginalized, being like God whose justice is manifested through his compassion and mercy. 

SECOND READING  – LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

Ø  The letter to the Ephesians, together with the letters to the Colossians, to the Philippians, and to Philemon, belongs to the group of the Captivity Letters. 

Ø  For those authors who believe that the letter was written by Paul himself, the date of the letter has to be before his death, before 67.

Ø  But for those who think it was written by another person, probably a disciple of Paul, the date may be around the 80’s. 

Ø  This letter has many themes that we find also in the letter to the Colossians. 

Ø  It is a doctrinal and theological letter.  

Ø  The first part (ch.1-3) is dedicated to the Church, which has been prepared from eternity by God. There has been a progressive revelation whose culminating point is the Incarnation of the Word of God.  

Ø  In the second part what has been said in the first about the Church is applied to the behavior of the individual Christian.

EPHESIANS 3:2-3a; 5-6

Ø  Paul says that the mystery hidden in God has been revealed to him, and he announces it to us through his preaching.   . 

Ø  This mystery has been revealed to the Apostles by the Spirit. 

Ø  The mystery hidden in God and revealed now is 

o   that through the Good News, the Gospel, the gentiles are coheirs, copartners   in Christ Jesus

o   and members of the same body.  

GOSPEL-  Matthew 2:1-12

ü  Chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel of Matthew and of the Gospel of Luke are called the “The Infancy Narrative.” 

ü  They are, according to an author, the summary of Jesus’ life and of the evangelist’s theology. 

ü  The verses we will read on Sunday give us the synthesis of   Matthew’s theology: there is a conflict between two kingships: Herod and Jesus, between evil and good.  

ü  Who was Herod? He came from  Edom from  the  South of Judea and near the Dead Sea. He was an ambitious and bloodthirsty man. 

ü  We find at least 5 different scenes or settings in this gospel. 

o   The Magi have followed the star and arrive in Jerusalem where they hope to find directions to find the New Born King of the Jews. 

o   Herod, the High priests and the scribes know about the prophecy and look in the Scriptures to find the exact place, which is Bethlehem. 

o   Herod speaks to the Magi and he inquires from them about the exact time they had seen the star. He tells them that, according to the Scriptures, he has to be born in Bethlehem. He wants them to come back and tell the exact place so he can go and adore him too. 

o   The Magi continue their journey and they see again the star which they had lost when they arrived in Jerusalem. 

o   The Magi arrive to the place where the holy family lives, and find Jesus with his Mother. Full of joy they offer him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Afterwards they take another road to go back home as the angel had told them.  

ü  There are many contrasts in these scenes,   

o   The Magi do not know the prophecies of Israel, but they know how to read the stars and seek with an open heart without ambition or power. 

o   Herod and the priests know the prophecies thus they fear, because they believe that this new born King is going to take away their power, to change their life style filled with hate and lies.    

o   The Magi found God without knowing him. The leaders of the Jewish people do not find or recognize him, in spite of having the information. 

CLARETIAN CORNER

One day, our Lord showed me the beauty of his most Holy Law. He showed me a beautiful scene of a vast and beautiful meadow full of the most beautiful flowers of all kind; they had the most varied and exquisite fragrance. I saw that they all had stain, some more than the others. Some had only a little stain but it disfigured the beauty that exquisite scenery. Our Lord told me: “do you see my daughter the beauty of the flowers are breaking of my holy law. I had nobody to observe it, because there is no one who keeps the precept of charity.

“In your heart and that of your confessor I want o imprint my Law”. This vision came so suddenly, without my thinking anything about it. It got me in the middle of the choir, as I was to genuflect before going out. There I was struck. I could not move forward nor go back to my place.    Venerable María Antonia Paris, Foundress of the Religious of Mary Immaculate, Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 27-28

Besides having a very good elementary teacher, which, as I have said, is no small gift from heaven, I also had good parents who cooperated with my teacher in molding my understanding in truth and nurturing my heart in the practice of religion and all the virtues. Every day after lunch, which we ate at a quarter past twelve, my father had me read a spiritual book, and at night we would sit for a while around the table, where he would always tell us something edifying and instructive until it was time for us to retire. St. Anthony Mary Claret, Founder of the Claretian Missionary Sisters, Autobiography 25

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  

SCHÖKEL, Luis Alonso, La Biblia de nuestro Pueblo.

SAGRADA BIBLIA, Versión Oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española.

THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE, Donald Senior and John J. Collins, Editors. Second edition