Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 8, 2023
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.
This Christmas season is my first as a mother. My days and nights are often spent caring for a helpless child, totally reliant on me (and her father) to meet all her needs. In discovering motherhood, I marvel at how Mary might have cared for baby Jesus.
We hear the Scriptures tell of a babe born in a manger, met by strange visitors from far-off lands. As a Christian, I have listened to these stories year after year, but I never thought deeply about the oddity of this scenario.
As a mom, I now wonder what Mary must have felt during this time. Her motherhood began in a barn. She greeted three foreign men who brought her newborn child gifts, symbolizing his royalty, divinity, and death while working around the clock to tend to her child’s needs.
She changed diapers, offered feedings, swaddled throughout the night, washed loads of laundry, and rocked the infant Jesus to sleep while singing sweet lullabies.
Mary provides a model for discipleship for each of us. We know this as we witness her influence in Jesus’ public ministry, as she stands at the foot of the cross, but also from the edge of the manger.
She peered down at the Lord and attended to him day and night. She welcomed strangers into her home who sought the King of Kings and brought them face-to-face with the Lord and Savior. And she did all this filled with a spirit of wonder and awe.
This year, may we be more like Mary, using her example of motherhood and discipleship to draw closer to our Lord and welcome others to do so as well.
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 (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.