Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 5, 2025
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.
I find it is easy to be jealous of biblical figures. Of course, they’re saints—they got to physically see Jesus! I wish I could know God in human form!
In today’s gospel, the magi were able to go see the Christ-child and give God gifts. But, in our lives, God can seem like a long-distance friend. We can’t journey to Bethlehem. We can’t hang out with God like we do our friends: asking them about their days, studying with them, laughing over a stupid joke, or playing them in hockey. All these little things that make up human relationships don’t seem applicable to an invisible God. How can we translate the magi’s faithfulness into our own lives?
As a member of the Magnificat Choir, I sing a beautiful song called “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.” It reads:
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
I want to follow Jesus
God sent the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus
In him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
This song reflects the longing to follow, see, and be with Jesus as if he were a friend living down the hall. But it ends by saying, “Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.” It’s all about our hearts.
We don’t need to make a physical journey or buy physical gifts to bring to Jesus. To be like the magi in purpose and faithfulness, we just have to bring our hearts as a gift to the one that is always near. I may never know God in this world in the same physical way I do my friends, but that is okay because there is something more interior, more eternal at work in our hearts on this blessed Epiphany—Jesus, the light of the world!
Prayer
Lord, you loved us so much that you came to share our life as our brother. Grant me the intentionality to search diligently for you as I go about my life today—in my work, in my conversation, in my relationships—and experience the unique and personal way you want to show me your love today. Grant me your grace to follow the wise men in offering what gifts I have to you and in the service of your people. 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 (such as the one pictured below), 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.