Epiphany A

W e lc o m e t o o u r B i b l e Stu d y Jan u ary 2, 2010 The E p iphan y of the L o rd A In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

1 st r e a d ing: I s ai a h 6 0 :1-6 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. 3 Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.

1 st r e a d ing: I s ai a h 6 0 :1-6 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines , and over you appears his glory. 3 Nations shall walk by your light , and kings by your shining radiance. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. The focus is on the light of the Lord.

1 st r e a d ing: I s ai a h 6 0 :1-6 Light of the Lord 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines , and over you appears his glory. Response of kings and nations 3 Nations shall walk by your light , and kings by your shining radiance. 4 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. Your personal response 5 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. 6 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. A simple outline!

1 st r e a d ing: I s ai a h 6 0 :1-6 Light of the Lord 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines , and over you appears his glory. Response of kings and nations 3 Nations shall walk by your light , and kings by your shining radiance. 4 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. Your personal response 5 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. 6 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. Commentary The author is Third Isaiah (chs.56-66) writing after the Exile in Babylon. Like Second Isaiah, he imitates the style (of parallelism) of Isaiah of Jerusalem. V.1 encourages the Israelites to keep up their spirits. Reason : your light has come // the glory of the Lord shines upon you. (Take note of the style of parallelism ) They have been in darkness (oblivion), now finally they will feel the presence of God. Darkness is the absence of God; light symbolizes the presence of God. V.2a presents the status of the earth and the peoples. They are in darkness (like the primeval chaos in Gen 1,1-3). In contrast, in v.2b, the people of Israel will enjoy the light ( glory of God). It picks up v.1. Upon you the Lord shines // over you his glory appears ( parallelism )

1 st r e a d ing: I s ai a h 6 0 :1-6 Light of the Lord 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines , and over you appears his glory. Response of kings and nations 3 Nations shall walk by your light , and kings by your shining radiance. 4 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. Your personal response 5 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. 6 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. V.3 foresees nations and kings walking in the light , in parallel form. In v.4 again, like v.1, there is an imperative: Raise your eyes and look around Reason : There will be in-gathering of the dispersed sons and daughters. It evokes strong emotions. It is a reunion of long lost loved ones, separated by war. In v.5, the addressees of this text will become radiant themselves // their hearts throb and overflow. In parallel style, the coming of the light has a big impact on the Israelite readers. V.5b states the reasons : Riches of the sea will be emptied out before you. ( rich harvest) Wealth of nations will be brought to you. ( tributes ) Caravans, dromedaries… shall fill you.

1 st r e a d ing: I s ai a h 6 0 :1-6 Light of the Lord 1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines , and over you appears his glory. Response of kings and nations 3 Nations shall walk by your light , and kings by your shining radiance. 4 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. Your personal response 5 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. 6 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. More reasons: People of Sheba shall bring gifts (gold and frankincense). No myrrh. They will also proclaim the praises to God. This is a big contrast between the Israelites’ life in Exile and their new life, which is about to begin. In Exile, they were emptied of their riches and scattered all over the place, children looking for their parents, parents looking for their children. The Israelites were nobody in the eyes of the nations. There was no light . Now they will be restored. Other people will come to them. The Christian reading interprets v.6 as the prefiguration of the Magi.

Reflections o n the 1 st readi n g The reading is also addressed to us. It should be meaningful to us, who are hard up in life. Like the ancient Israelites, we, who are humbled and deprived, will soon see the light, according to the prophecy. The light gives us hope. We, too,will shine and receive God’s countless blessings. Jesus, the Messiah, is our light. He is coming to save us. If we have Jesus, we have everything.

Resp. Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. 7 Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 10 The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. 11 All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.

Resp. Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. 1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. 7 Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 10 The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. 11 All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him. 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. Commentary In v.1, the psalmist prays, for the king and his son, good judgment and justice. V.2 expresses the reason: that the king may govern with justice and judgment (his decisions favor the poor and the afflicted). V.7 expresses optimism during the rule of this just king. There will be justice and peace for ever and everywhere. V.8 Vv.10-11 indicate all other kings will appreciate his kingship. They will offer him a lot of things. Vv.12-13 express the sensitivity of the king to the poor and the needy.

Reflections on the Psalm Like the psalmist, we pray that our rulers (kings, presidents, governors, etc.) may rule with justice and exercise good judgment (prudence). Good rulers promote justice. As a result, long lasting peace thrive in their own localities and territories. Jesus is a good and just ruler par excellence . We pray that all of us, including those in authority, may allow Jesus, our king, to rule our minds that we may have peace in our hearts.

2 nd r eading: Eph e s i ans 3:2-3a, 5- 6 2 If you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. 5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

2 nd r eading: Eph e s i ans 3:2-3a, 5- 6 2 If you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier, 5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. The focus is on the stewardship of Paul

2 nd r eading: Eph e s i ans 3:2-3a, 5- 6 The subordinate clause 2 If you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace Parentheses that was given to me for your benefit, 3 (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier, 5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, The main point: The Gentiles 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. A simple outline!

2 nd r eading: Eph e s i ans 3:2-3a, 5- 6 The subordinate clause 2 If you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace Parenthesis that was given to me for your benefit, 3 (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier, 5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, The main point: The Gentiles 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Commentary V.2 speaks of Paul’s (not really the author) stewardship of God’s grace. God has entrusted to Paul and to the apostles and prophets the mystery , not known before by previous generations. V.6 is the main point of the reading, which is the Gentiles. They are: Co-heirs Members of the church Co-partners in the promise in Christ… The Gentiles have equal place in heaven and in the church.

Reflections o n the 2 nd reading Like Paul, we are also stewards of God’s graces. We, Christians, should learn how to share God’s gifts to others. As stewards, we have to reach out to others who do not know that God loves them. We, humans, are all entitled to live in the mystery of the divine life and enjoy it.

Gosp e l readin g : M a tthew 2 :1-12 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 '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.'" 7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. 8 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." 9 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. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Gosp e l readin g : M a tthew 2 :1-12 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea , in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews ? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea , for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 '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 .'" 7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. 8 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." 9 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. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. The focus is on the newborn king .

Gosp e l readin g : M a tthew 2 :1-12 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea , in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews ? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage ." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea , for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 '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 .'" 7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. 8 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 ." 9 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. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star , 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. Pay attention to the star .

Gosp e l readin g : M a tthew 2 :1-12 1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea , in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews ? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage ." Commentary V.1 indicates the place, where Jesus is born (in subordinate clause) Bethlehem It also indicates the time , when Jesus is born. In the days of King Herod (the last two years of his unwanted reign) Magi (wise men, not kings), who represent the Gentiles, arrive in Jerusalem (main clause) It also indicates where they come from ( the East, Mesopotamia [Parthia], somewhere in Persia?) V.2 immediately indicates the purpose of the magi: They are looking for the newborn king of the Jews. (Is there such a thing as a newborn king when Herod is still alive? His successor should be one of his children. Herod does not know anything about this newborn king) Of all places to inquire, they stumble right at the headquarters of King Herod, unwittingly exposing the child to danger. They are going to do him homage. This adds more danger to Jesus. As the story teller narrates, the reader is signaled what will soon happen and how wise could Herod be to contain the perceived threat.

Gosp e l readin g : M a tthew 2 :1-12 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea , for thus it has been written through the prophet: 6 '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 .'" Now, first, in v.3, King Herod becomes deeply troubled (puzzled). He and all his followers in Jerusalem have feelings of insecurity. (sad). The birth of Jesus is not a welcome idea. Herod does not ask the magi what kind of king is the newborn child. Automatically, he thinks the newborn child is a competitor. Instead, in v.4, he consults all the chief priests (Sadducees) and the scribes (experts of the OT), where the newborn king is to be born. Here, Herod rightly identifies the newborn king as Messiah . (Did he know his catechism?) The answer of the experts is correct: the place is Bethlehem, some kilometers away from Jerusalem. Vv.5-6. The author wants to associate Jesus with the place, where King David comes from, and with David himself because he was once a great ruler and shepherd of Israel.

7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. 8 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 ." 9 After their audience with the king they set out. Now, Herod asks the magi about the time of the star’s appearance. V.7 It is implied that Herod gets the information he wants from the magi. It is also implied that Herod has informed them where the Messiah is born, because he sends them to Bethlehem, not somewhere else. What an exchange of top secrets, but with different motives! In v.8, as Herod sends them, he appeals to them to come back to tell him the exact whereabouts of the child. His motive: to do him homage also. But we know his hidden motive because of the previous information (he was troubled). The birth of Jesus does not sit well with him. Herod is just sugarcoating his evil intent, pretending as if he is one with the magi as sincere adorers of the child. V.9 sets the magi again in motion. They don’t read the mind of Herod. They don’t seem to be wise at all. The story teller is wiser. He knows how to make us interested in his short story. He dictates what happens in the story.

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. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star , 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. In v.9, again the star appears and guides them to the place of the child. (jackpot) Their searching is over. Their efforts have paid off. The sinister Herod has even helped them find the little child. There is no more mention of Bethlehem. It is understood. V.10 describes the feelings of the magi when they see the star: Overjoyed (like finding a treasure) The star points to the location of Jesus (like a spot light). In v.11, now they see Jesus in the house with mother Mary. Joseph is absent. Now they adore and pay homage to the child, opening their treasures and offering him gifts. (mission accomplished) In v.12, God guides the magi not to go back to Herod. God intervenes through a dream. The magi obey.

Reflections on the gospel reading A sign that we are really searching for Jesus is when we are setting aside our treasures, our gifts or giftedness for Jesus, ready to be given up when we find him. If we have not given up anything, we have not found Jesus yet. Generosity is a gesture of welcome and a happy encounter with Jesus. Never should we identify ourselves with Herod, who is by nature a murderer, sick man ( paranoid ), who will confiscate your wealth for his foreign friends and who uses religion to advance his own cause at the expense of the true and deserving spiritual leader, at the expense of the people who deserve a better ruler or shepherd.

Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm The first reading tells of the brilliant future of the Israelites, who were once humbled and put down. The psalm is prayer for a ruler that he may be endowed with justice and prudence. The second reading talks about stewardship of God’s graces. The gospel reading shows that Jesus manifests himself not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles ( Magi ).

How to develop your homily / sharing The Feast of the Epiphany (manifestation), popularly known as Feast of the Three Kings, teaches us that Jesus is for everyone. Not only God’s chosen people are welcome to Jesus, but also all other peoples. Jesus’ salvation is for everyone. So what if Jesus is for everyone? What is the meaning of this feast of Epiphany? What do the readings say about it?

The gospel reading is an invitation for us to identify with the magi. We also search for Jesus with the help of a guiding star (light, signposts). It is not futile to spend so much time, money and energy in search for Jesus. We pay a high price for it. We, too, will find him. We, too, will go home happy . We cannot find Jesus just by sitting down, doing nothing, lazily chatting with one another, collecting money and increasing our wealth. We must exert effort and take courage to ask questions and for directions. (spiritual direction)

We will never find Christ, even if we have all the information about him (theology and catechesis), yet, keep a dagger in our hands ready to harm people and violate their rights. (rights of the newly born and unborn) Finding Jesus leads us to new paths. We avoid waltzing, courting and doing business with the destructive elements, which promote death. We avoid associating with people who destroy their fellow men and women with their slanderous words (engaged in tsismis) and treacherous ( Herodic ) friendships and alliances. We join the company of those who have captured the meaning of Jesus’ manifestation to all. We need to discern who they are. We journey with this kind of people.

When we find him, we, Christians, must not monopolize him. We cannot privatize his message of joy and hope (keeping it to ourselves). This feast has a missionary dimension. (2 nd reading) Like St. Paul, the Christian believers are called to proclaim what God has manifested through Christ. Christianity without evangelization is a fake Christianity. Christians are God’s instruments in manifesting himself to other people. We, Christians, are called to serve as “lights” (stars) to guide the people to Christ.

We must train ourselves to communicate with zeal and enthusiasm, like our separated brethren (Protestants), the love and goodness of God. We express our support to those involved in the tri-media (print, TV and radio) and in the Internet (to those who are God-fearing only). There are some media practitioners who don’t care about God and the Church’s teachings. We ask help from those who have technical know-how to facilitate the spread of the good news of salvation.

In the first reading, epiphany would mean rejoicing and celebrating our hopes. We must believe that there is an end to our miseries. God comes to us to brighten up our lives. God will lavish us with his blessings and graces. Other people will rejoice with us. Spontaneously there will be gift-giving, so no one will go hungry.

In the eucharist , Jesus once again manifests himself to us, feeding us in the form of bread and wine. Like the magi, we come to him in adoration, bringing him gifts of ourselves. In the eucharist , we receive the joy of encountering Jesus. In the eucharist , God asks us to tread on a new path, the way to evangelize.

Our Context of Sin and Grace Parochialism Ethnocentrism Exclusivism Fundamentalism Ideology Xenophobia Genocide Monopolies Makes reproductive organs sterile Narrow nationalism Universalism Hospitality Ecumenism Inculturation Peace with the family Genuine health care Generosity (gift-giving) The End

Suggested Songs Ang Pasko ay Sumapit Light On the Night when Christ was Born http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v = NODxkBeXdsg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPCqP_0iyoo Zion Sing by Lucien Deiss

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