January 2
The Epiphany of the Lord
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
Sun., 7:30 AM - Anne Fialkovic / Janice Passono
Sun., 10:30AM - Jennie Sala / Jay & Ellen Pristash
Sun., 5:00 PM - Muench Dorothy Marlatt / Priests, Deacon & Staff
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.
R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment 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. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
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 River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
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. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Second Reading
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.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 2:2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
Reflection
The Kings have come to pay homage. Each year when I place my Three Kings around the nativity set that has been in my family since the time of my youth, I am taken with just how different the figures look, both in their facial features, coloring of both their skin and their royal garments, as well as the types of gifts that they are offering. Of course, all the gifts are valuable and fit for a king, but they are non-the-less very different!
When I think about how we discriminate against those who are different from ourselves, and how we value one gift over another, it often seems that we forget the great teaching of the Three Kings, or Three Wise Men, who come together to pay homage to the Christ Child.
The Kings took up travel together not from the first moment of their individual journeys, but they stumbled upon, or were guided to, one another during their journey, and they banded together to encourage one another along the way to see God.
Imagine if all humanity could do that. We are certainly not kings, at least not in appearance, but God has bestowed the possibility upon all of us of understanding that the child of Bethlehem loves us, and that God has created us and calls us together. If we all walked together, I suppose life would not be as exciting. After all, there would be no war or need for politics, no division or distrust among the races, the poor and the rich would truly be the same.
As I reflect on that possibility, it does not sound bad, it sort of sounds like Heaven!
Rejoice!
Fr. John
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