Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 5, 2020
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
O. Henry, in his short story “The Gift of the Magi,” names the wise men of today’s Gospel as the inventors of Christmas presents. And no doubt, when we think of the gifts of the first Christmas, we think of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But the name of today’s feast, “epiphany” (from the Greek word meaning “appearance”), and the readings from today point us to the first and greatest Christmas gift—the gift of God’s very Self dwelling among us.
The gift of the Christ Child shows us God’s “foolish” generosity, echoed in O. Henry’s story and revealed symbolically in the gifts of the Magi. The presence of the Magi, their homage, and their gifts are in fact a recognition and celebration of this first divine Gift. “Here,” they say, “Here is the newborn King of the Jews, one who is ‘King and God and Sacrifice.’”
And so, in the homage of the Magi, the Gospel reveals the character of our worship today as an act of thanksgiving. It is an expression of gratitude, not just for the gift of salvation promised in the baby Jesus, but for all of the blessings we have received—the people who love us, our particular talents, the opportunities that came our way, the kind word when we needed it most. Worship is not something we “have to do,” something imposed from the outside, but instead stems from the recognition that our world, our salvation, and our very existence are gifts from the One who loves us. Only then can we truly sing, in the words of the hymn, “Alleluia, Alleluia/ Worship Him, God most high.”
Prayer
Almighty God, on this feast of Epiphany may all Christians remember their consecration to a life of holiness and so live their lives in imitation of your Son. May his light be revealed to every people and every nation. We ask this in his name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated today, but is traditionally marked on January 6. January 6 was one of the original dates of the Christian Christmas celebration, in which the Church celebrated Christ's epiphany, that is, his appearance to all nations. The feasts of Christ's origins—his Nativity, his Baptism, and his appearance to the Magi—were celebrated on January 6 and December 25 in differing combinations in the early centuries of Christianity.
Eventually, the Eastern Church developed a special emphasis on January 6 as the Feast of the Theophany, that is Christ's baptism. (Scholars believe that Advent itself, like Lent, was a time of catechesis and preparation of catechumens for Baptism, which would occur on January 6.) As a hymn used during the celebration of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom on today's feast declares:
"Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You, calling You Beloved; and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared and enlightened the world."
The Eastern tradition echoes the Western traditions theme of light for the feast of the Epiphany, except in the Western or Roman tradition, the light comes not from the Spirit at the Jordan, but from the star that lit the way of the Magi, leading them to Christ. The Western tradition celebrates, these next three Sundays three "epiphanies" of Christ into the world. First, today, the celebration of Christ's birth proclaimed in the star to all the nations. Next Sunday, we celebrate Christ's baptism, where the Spirit descends upon Christ, lighting up the waters of the Jordan and revealing Christ as the Son of God. Finally, the Sunday after the Baptism of Christ has as its Gospel the story from the Gospel of John of the wedding feast at Cana, in which Christ's power to work signs and wonders is revealed publicly.
Traditionally, in the Roman tradition, Epiphany has always celebrated the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the worship of the Magi. The first reading today at Mass from the prophet Isaiah joyfully calls to Jerusalem: rise up! "Your light has come." All the nations of the world will come to Jerusalem. The second reading from Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, features a portion of his letter to the Ephesians, in which he assures them that the Gentiles have been included in the promise of God's salvation, that they are, "coheirs, members of the same body."
The Church's Liturgy of the Hours emphasizes in its psalms and readings for today's feast this inclusion of the Gentiles—of all nations—into the promise of God's salvation:
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.— PSALM 72:10
January 6, the feast of the Three Kings, is celebrated in many Hispanic and Latin cultures with gift-giving, in commemoration of the kings who first brought gifts to baby Jesus, and with parades commemorating the journey of the three kings to Bethlehem.
On today's feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, may we learn to see Christ's presence radiate through our lives!
Image Credit: Jacopo Amigoni (Italian, ca. 1685 - 1752), Adoration of the Magi, first half of the 18th century, Oil on canvas. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame. Gift of Mr. Fred B. Snite Sr., 1957.053.001.