January 7, 2018

Epiphany

January 7, 2018:  Epiphany of the Lord

Find 15 connections with today?
Legend below

Listen
For the Epiphany
For 1st reading
For Psalm 72
For future celebrations
Pope Francis
Baptism of the Lord (though we don't celebrate it till tomorrow) homily:  Baptizing your children is the first step in your transmitting the Faith to them, for which you need the Holy Spirit.  Transmission of the Faith can only be done in “dialect,” in the “language” of the family.  Catechists come later and develop this transmission.  If the “dialect” is missing, if you don't speak the language of love, the transmission of the Faith can't be done.  Transmit the Faith with the language of the love of your home.
Children have their dialect too, and Jesus asks us to be like them, to speak like them.  Communicate simply like they do:  tell Jesus what's in your heart.  Your language as parents must be the love you transmit the Faith with, and children's language must receiving Faith from you and growing in it.
Read
  • Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13  "Lord, every nation on earth will adore you."  The king shall govern with justice; peace will flourish.  All kings shall offer gifts and serve him.  He'll rescue the poor and afflicted and have pity on the lowly.
  • Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6  The mystery of God’s grace was revealed to me for your benefit.  Gentiles are coheirs and partners in Christ's promise.
  • Mt 2:1-12  Magi asked, “Where's the newborn king?  We saw his star.”  Troubled King Herod asked where and when he was to be born, then sent them to look for the child and bring him word.  They followed the star, entered, did homage, and offered gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they took another route back.
Reflect
  • The triple meaning of Epiphany:  Before the feast was associated with the Magi's visit to baby Jesus, it celebrated three events that manifested God the Son:  Jesus' Incarnation, Jesus' baptism, and the wedding at Cana....
  • Creighton:  God’s choices are unpredictable.  How could we have imagined the salvation history we celebrate today?!  God chose an insignificant people, and from among them chose an insignificant virgin; through them, through whom to reveal his plan to save the world.  Today we celebrate the revealing of the plan beyond the Jews to the world.  Paul exalts that God intended the mystery of salvation treasured by the Jews as theirs alone for the Gentiles too.  God chose us, and we're heirs of his promises!  How central to us is our relationship with Jesus Christ?  Do we take it for granted or grow each day in treasuring the gift of faith?
    Adoration of the Magi/ Murillo
  • One Bread, One Body:  "Herod understood" the significance of Jesus' birth.  We must either surrender our lives to Jesus or declare war on him.  We either live for him or make a pathetic attempt to keep him from living; we die to self or try to make him die.  Herod understood Jesus' birth would lead to Calvary; there's a competition for allegiance to "the newborn King" and the king of the world.  We'll either decide to be crucified to the world or to crucify the King.  Either my ego or the Son of God has to go.  Be a wise man or woman:  dethrone yourself, enthrone Jesus as your King, Savior, and Lord, and humble yourself before him; otherwise you're a Herod.
  • Passionist:  Today we read about the Magi, evidently gifted people who visit a baby at the mercy of those around him and offer their gifts to him.  Matthew doesn’t tell us what gifts the baby Jesus gave them....
    The Virgin suckling the Child/ Cranach
    30 more; Vatican:
    "Show tender images of Mary breastfeeding"
    (re today's homily)
  • DailyScripture.net:  "They fell down and worshiped Jesus":  If Jesus is really the Son of God and Savior, why didn't everyone who heard and saw him recognize him?  "When he came into the world, the world didn't know him and his people didn't receive him."  Only the shepherds recognized him at his birth, and some foreigners also found their way via the star to pay homage.
"Note the fitting order of events:  the wise men saw the star; the Jews and their king received them; they heard prophecy; the angel instructed them; they journeyed to Bethlehem by the star's guidance.  From this we learn this was no ordinary star, for no other star can guide, even beckon, them.  The star remained after they arrived, so the child might also be seen, for there's nothing conspicuous about the place:  the inn was ordinary, and the mother was not notable.  The star was needed to manifest and illumine the place, until they had reached their destination" (John Chrysostom).
The wise men left everything, including home and country, to pursue their quest; they were led to the source of knowledge:  Jesus Christ, God's Light and Wisdom.  They worshiped the newborn King and gave him fitting gifts.  The same Lord gives each of us the same light of revelation to recognize and accept Jesus.  The Spirit moves us so we may understand, accept, and believe the truth God revealed to us through Jesus Christ.  "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).  To know and to encounter Jesus Christ is to know God personally.  In the encounter of the Magi with Jesus we see God's plan to give his Son as King and Savior for for all nations.  He came that all may find peace with God.  May all find the Lord and Savior on their journey of life.  Do I bring the light of Christ to those I meet?
Dress legend
  • 'Heart' pin:  "Your heart shall throb and overflow" (1st reading)
  • 'Money bag' pin:  "The wealth of nations shall be brought to you" (1st reading)
  • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  Raise your eyes and look about (1st reading)
  • 'Heart' pin:  Your heart shall throb (1st reading)
  • Gold-colored accoutrements:  All shall come bearing gold... (1st reading)
  • 'Christmas lights' tie, white shirt and socks:  Nations shall walk by your light (1st reading), Magi followed star's light (gospel)
  • 'Olympics' tie pin:  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you (psalm)
  • 'Peace sign' tie bar:  Peace shall flourish (psalm)
  • 'Ruler' tie bar:  May he rule from sea to sea (psalm); from you shall come a ruler (gospel)
  • 'Crown' tie bar:  Endow the king...; kings shall offer gifts (psalm); King Herod (gospel)
  • 'Star' tie pin:  Magi:  "We saw his star" (gospel)
  • No-'L' pin:  Christmas season lasts through tomorrow
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