SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD   - C - 2022 

INTRODUCTION

·         The liturgy of this first Sunday of the   new  year 2022 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 began.  

·         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 the letters 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  The letter has many themes that are like those in the letter to the Colossians.  

Ø  We perceive in this letter a great concern for doctrine and 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 evil and good, between wealth and poverty.  

ü  Who is Herod? 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 investigated 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 new 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 at 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 would 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 despite knowing theoreticaly the Scriptures.