Epiphany-January 8, 2017-Cycle A
FIRST READING Isaiah 60:1-6
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
SECOND READING Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
GOSPEL Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you! This great solemnity of the Epiphany is about God showing Himself to us, in so many ways. Yet, unless we have eyes that can see, we will not know Him. One of the great challenges today is to open our eyes and to invite others to open their eyes. Sometimes all we can see is what is around us but with faith we begin to see how the divine is within all creation.
The first reading today is from the Prophet Isaiah, who has guided us through Advent and Christmas to this point of the Epiphany. Isaiah is able to see a world in which everything and everyone finally starts turning to God and moving in the direction of God. We who live in the present age often find that difficult to see. Surely Isaiah did not live in a time when everyone was turning to God, but Isaiah is able to see such a world. We are challenged today to look and to see what might draw people to God. Always wars and threats of wars, natural catastrophes and awful things incline people to turn to God. But we humans are not stable. Once things get better, we forget God.
The vision of Isaiah today is more than that fleeing from awful things with the hope that God might be nice. Instead, Isaiah sees a time when the heavenly Jerusalem will draw people, attract people and help them live in the light. You and I can do that by the way that we live if we believe.
The second reading is taken from the Letter to the Ephesians. We are told that God has revealed to Paul that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. This was an incredible breakthrough! The Prophets had sometimes seen that God’s love is for all and not just for the Jewish people. God wants everyone. Part of this great celebration of the Epiphany is to know that everyone, at all times, in all ages, is invited by the Lord to share in divinity. We can have no walls! There is no rejection! Everyone is called.
Matthew’s Gospel today gives us the story we often call “the three kings.” Sometimes we speak of Magi, but that term is more modern even if more accurate! The point of the story is that these men from others places and cultures came to worship the newborn King of the Universe. Some natural phenomenon had attracted them and they followed and in some mysterious fashion acknowledged the glory of God at work in the little baby.
What draws us? Prophet vision? Universality of salvation? Some mysterious force of the universe? God is always seeking ways to draw us into His own life and to share that love and salvation with us. May this solemnity open our eyes today so that we can see the divine present and surrounding us always. Then we, too, can prostrate ourselves and do Him homage.
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip