HOMILIES

Dear Audience,
For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!

The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (Year C)

Jan 5, 2025

300

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet 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 frankincence, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13)

(R) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

O God, with your judgement 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)

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 Rover to the ends of the earth. (R)

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the king of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. (R)

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)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the 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.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to 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.

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Today, with the celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, we conclude the Christmas season. The word "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word meaning "to make known or to reveal", thus biblically referring to the moment when the baby Jesus was revealed to Three Magi, also known as Three Wise Men and Three Kings. Today's gospel from Matthew (2:1-12) tells us that these men came to Jerusalem, during the reign of King Herod, from the east, which means they likely came from Babylonia, that is, modern day Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia or Persia that is, modern day Iran or Ethiopia. Some traditions hold that these men represented different races or cultures or regions or realms. In essence then, we can say that Epiphany is the revelation of God "incarnate" Jesus Christ to the Gentiles or non-Jewish peoples of the world but only after His revelation to the shepherds who were Jewish and living out in the fields nearby Bethlehem.

We do not know how the Magi had come to know about the birth of Jesus, whom they called "the king of the Jews", but only that they "saw his star at its rising" and followed it to Jerusalem so they could pay homage to him. They probably knew the Old Testament prophecies or learned of the promise of the "Messiah" from the Jews who had been in exile in their land centuries before, and since then they were looking for signs, such as a star in the sky, marking his birth. So, when the star appeared signifying fulfilment of the prophecy, the Magi recognized it and began their journey toward Jerusalem. And yet, they did not know the exact location of his birth. They were enquiring about it throughout Jerusalem causing a lot of talk, speculation and disturbance among the rulers and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, including King Herod. He immediately summoned the Jewish religious leaders who knew well the scriptures and asked them about "the Messiah". Here, Herod naturally associated the King of the Jews with the Messiah. He asked them where the Messiah was to be born rather than the King of the Jews whom the Magi were seeking. Recalling the ancient prophecy of Micah (5:2) eight hundred years before Christ, the religious leaders identified Bethlehem as the birthplace of the promised Messiah and the long-awaited Saviour of Israel who would free the people and rule over the nation.

Herod then had a private meeting with the Magi to find out the time of the appearance of the star. And before sending them off to Bethlehem he told them to come back and let him know where the baby king was so that he too could pay homage to him. We are not told whether the Magi told Herod the exact time. But Herod's purpose for asking the time of the star's appearance becomes clear later when Herod, infuriated at the Magi's failure to return to tell him of the whereabouts of the child, ordered the killing of all boys of two years and younger in and around Bethlehem. It shows clearly that Herod feared this "newborn king" would someday take his throne. In fact, by then Herod who was quite insecure about his position and was paranoid about having his power stolen, had killed anyone suspected of plotting against him, including his favourite wife and three of his sons. So, it is probable that the Magi could have come to visit the child weeks or even months after the shepherds visited.

In the meantime, the Magi continued their short journey to nearby Bethlehem following the star from afar. Finally, when they saw the star standing above the house where the child was, they were overjoyed. Upon entering the house, they saw baby Jesus with his mother Mary and Joseph, and they knelt down and worshipped him offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as symbols of who Jesus was and is, and why He was born, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah which said that Gentile nations would bring these gifts to the God of Israel, (60:6).

Gold represented Jesus' kingship or royalty. By presenting this precious metal, the Magi proclaimed to the world that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and that He is the ultimate ruler of God's kingdom. Frankincense represented Jesus' divine nature and His role as our great High Priest. In the Old Testament time, frankincense was traditionally burned in the Temple symbolizing worship and prayers rising to God, Leviticus (2:2), Psalm (141:2). So, by giving this gift, the Magi acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God and the one true mediator between God and man, worthy of our worship and adoration. Myrrh represented Jesus' humanity. In Jesus' time, myrrh was an oil used to embalm bodies. For instance, in the gospel of John (19:38-40), we read that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus brought myrrh to anoint the body of Jesus before his burial. So, by offering myrrh the Magi affirmed that Jesus was mankind's only way out, the only hope who would bring salvation to all through his suffering and sacrificial death. Thus, the magi recognized and honoured Jesus as King, God, and man.

After their visit we are told that God warned them in a dream against returning to Herod. So, in defiance of the king, they returned to their homeland by another way, (v.12). Then the story goes that an angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt with his family as Herod started killing all the boys in Bethlehem under two years old to protect his throne. However, after Herod's death, an angel once again appeared and told Joseph to return to Israel and then directed him to settle with Mary and Jesus in Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

What is the message for us?

The Magi knew the Jewish scriptures well or better than a lot of Jewish priests and religious scholars. That's why as soon as the star appeared they not only recognized it and believed in its significance, but also began their journey to find the new born king. The star was something the magi understood that was not generally visible to others, or noticed by others. The magi's experience is an invitation for us to read or to become familiar with the Scriptures or the Bible, because it's in the Scriptures that we, first and foremost, can find God. The stars in our life, such as priests, catechists, teachers, preachers, parents and others who know and interpret God's Word, can point us in the direction of God but only the Scriptures can bring us to Him. The Scriptures are the gateway to God. Every Christian must read through the whole Bible at least once a year, if not more frequently. We should have read it at least once in our lifetime from cover to cover before investing much time into reading or listening to anything else. We can't, and don't have to read, the whole Bible in one go. If we commit to reading one or two chapters a day, it will take about three years to complete it. Therefore, let us every day open up the Scriptures and read with great expectation and intentionally look for the signs that would eventually guide us to find Jesus Christ.
Just as the Magi accepted the divine declaration of Jesus as King, God, and Saviour, we must accept Jesus as our King whom we must obey and serve, as our Lord and God whom we must adore and worship; and finally, as our Saviour who will identify with us in our suffering and die for us in expiation of our sins.
God's revelation of Himself to shepherds and the Magi serves as a timeless reminder that Christ is not just for the privileged few or the chosen people, but for all who seek Him. He is for everyone: rich and poor, powerful and powerless, strong and weak, believers and unbelievers, near and afar. Because God cares for everyone, and wants everyone to be saved, (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He wants to save all human beings from sin and its consequences, including death and separation from God, by the death and resurrection of Christ, His Son. Believing and accepting that Jesus is the Saviour of all, regardless of our socio-political-economic status, let us raise our eyes to the heavens and set out to seek the Lord, actively search for Him in every situation in our life, and bow our heads and hearts in true worship and adoration whenever we find ourselves in His presence.
We must not just stop with seeing or experiencing the presence of the Lord but like the Magi, we must also give up all that we have for Jesus Christ. We must offer our treasures and the most precious things we have, reflecting our honour, love and devotion to Him.
Just as the Magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, who had evil intentions for the child Jesus, God still speaks to us, gives us direction, encourages us, comforts us or warns us today through dreams and visions so as to safeguard His purposes and us. When God does communicate with us and impart spiritual messages through dreams and other dream-like experiences, we must pay attention to them and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what they mean, and courageously and wisely walk in the ways that the Lord shows us.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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