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 A)

Jan 4, 2026

291

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First Reading

A reading from the Book of 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 frankincense, 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 feast of Epiphany, we conclude the Christmas season. The word "epiphany" means revelation or manifestation. The Bible tells us that from the beginning of time, God has revealed Himself to humans in many ways on many occasions, very dramatically at times, through creation, natural signs, wonders, history, events, prophets, scriptures and chosen men and women, and finally and fully through his Son, Jesus Christ. God revealed Jesus' birth, first, to Jewish shepherds who were the outcasts and the despised of the society at the time. They represented the Israelites, particularly the poor, who awaited the fulfilment of God's promises made to their ancestors.

Later, God revealed Jesus' birth to priests or magi who are also traditionally known as kings, rulers, astrologers, or wise men of the time. They represented the non-Jews, the Gentiles or the outsiders - the people like us. So, when it comes to the feast of Epiphany, we are celebrating the revelation or manifestation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ to the world. It proclaims that the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, was not only to the Israelites but to all people. We are part of the people, the non-Israelites, who have been blessed by the revelation of God-man whose purpose is to save us from sin, to give us new life, and to bring us into a new relationship with God.

However, epiphany not only revealed who Jesus Christ, the Son of God is, but also revealed the response of different people to the news of Jesus' birth.

Herod's response was one of hatred and fear. He was an evil, self-centred, tyrannical dictator who wanted no one else to come between him and his reign. He had a history of killing anyone suspected of plotting against him, including his favourite wife and three of his sons. So, he saw the baby Jesus as a threat to his throne and wanted to eliminate Him.
The response of people in Jerusalem was one of anxiety and fear. There were two possible reasons for that: 2a Since they knew of the brutality of Herod, they reasoned that Herod would not rest while a king arose from among the Jews and they too would have to face Herod's wrath. 2b They were troubled because of their iniquity, Psalm (94:23).
The chief priests and scribes' response was one of indifference. They possessed the scriptural knowledge which both Herod and the magi lacked, and they directed them to the place of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, but they didn't go themselves. They simply were not bothered about it. They had no heart to seek Christ. The coming of Christ meant nothing to them at all.
The magi's response was one of faith. They were not Jews. Yet, under the influence of Jewish tradition and prophecies, they did expect the coming of the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and the Saviour of the world. Moreover, they chose to travel a great distance, most likely from Persia, or modern-day Iran, nearly one thousand miles, on camels to see Jesus. Such a long journey could have taken them weeks or possibly even months. Yet, despite uncertainty, danger and harsh conditions such as weather, hunger and thirst, they followed the star to the place of Jesus' birth. When they finally found Him, they responded with joy, gratitude, worship, and gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, fitting for a king or deity in the ancient world. These three valuable items had surprisingly a deep spiritual meaning connected to Jesus' identity and mission - the gold signifying His kingship or royalty, the frankincense denoting His divinity, and myrrh symbolizing His humanity or mortality.

After their visit to Jesus, they were warned in a dream about Herod's violent plans. So, they wisely took a different route, avoided Herod, and returned home. Thus, we can see that the magi were men who had read or heard about the prophecies of Messiah's coming and believed in them, made great efforts and sacrifices to find the Messiah, recognized His value, humbly worshipped Him and offered Him their best gifts, and obeyed God rather than man. They truly were wise men.

What is the message for us?

The feast of Epiphany reminds us that God is no longer a mystery. God has indeed revealed Himself to us many times and continues to do so in ways that invite profound faith, humility, gratitude, and obedience. He has, in fact, promised not to withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly, Psalm (84:11). That is, God reveals the things we need to know so that we may understand ourselves and the times in which we live, and act according to His will. But He keeps some things secret. He does not reveal some things because those things would serve no purpose in helping us obey and follow Him.

Without revelation, we cannot know God. When people say that they do not know God, it is not because God has failed to reveal Himself, or that God's revelation is not clear enough. But because some people, like Herod, harden themselves against God's revelation; others, like the chief priests and scribes, are totally indifferent or ignore God's revelation; and some others, like the people of Jerusalem, live in fear of others or are afraid of the unveiling of God's truth to them. The fear of external punishment and what other people think of us is one reason that prevents us from seeking and acknowledging God. Sometimes we are unable to know and recognize God's revelation because of Satan's deliberate, active deception, 1 Timothy (4:1). Satan, the god of this world, targets not just our emotions but also our minds, preventing us from understanding the truth of the Gospel, 2 Corinthians (11:3) and Revelation (12:9).

Revelation is in response to asking, knowing, and seeking. God has an open invitation to reveal Himself. Jesus invites us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking. He says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; knock, and it will be opened to you; seek, and you will find", Matthew (7:8). Moreover, Jesus promises us that He would do whatever we ask in His name, John (14:13). St John further reminds us that if we ask for anything in agreement with God's will, He hears us. And if he hears us, He gives us what we ask for, 1 John (5:14-15). So, we all can seek His revelation through prayer, scriptures, and worship. It's a two-way relationship.

If God can ask us to show Him who we are, then we can ask God to show us who He is. However, there is one thing, we believers need to do. Like the Magi, we must take the long and hard journey of faith toward God. Faith is being able to trust and lean on God. God does reveal Himself to those who seek Him, and He reveals Himself more when we respond rightly to what He has already revealed.

Worship is the right and proper response to God's revelation. When we worship, we proclaim the greatness of God and His unfailing love. While we ought to worship God "in spirit and in truth", John (4:24), and which we can do so in private, we must also come together in a place as a community of believers to worship Him. A church, that is, the House of God, is a very special place which God has chosen to be His "dwelling" where He would meet His people. If that is the case, just as the Magi took much effort to find the Christ and worship Him, we must put in more effort to get up on Sunday morning or give up our Saturday or Sunday night, get in a vehicle or drive or walk a few minutes to a church to experience the revelation of God through the Scriptures and preaching, in the sacraments and especially in the Holy Eucharist, and in God's people.

Sometimes we may even have to sit through un-inspiring sermon, or among other people and the things we don't like. At the end of the day, we must trust that God has our best interests at heart. When we truly trust, surrender, and offer our lives to God, He reveals His glory and His power to us; He takes over all our troubles and tribulations; He delivers us from misery and evil; and He guides us in the way we should go, just as He guided the magi to return home.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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