Feast of Epiphany: Collect Year B

COLLECT SERIES

COLLECT

The Opening Prayer of the Feast of the Epiphany Year B reads as follows:

Let us pray

(that we will be guided by the light of faith)

Father,

You revealed Your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star,

Lead us to Your glory in Heaven by the light of faith.

In making this prayer tangible the following reflection questions emerged.

1.            What does it mean for me to be guided by the light of faith?

2.            What is the light of faith?

3.            Is the star of Christ burning brightly enough in me to draw others to
           Christ?

4.            How can I reveal Your Son to others this week/month/year?

5.            Why is it important for me to desire the glory of Heaven?

6.            What difference does the feast of the Epiphany have in my life?

For the alternative opening prayer and reflection questions, refer to my post of the Epiphany 3 January 09.

GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Magi were most likely wise men from Arabia who made a special study of astrology. Due to this they were believed to have knowledge beyond that of humans. Later, they became portrayed as Kings. In the adoration of the Magi, the prophecies foretelling the honour which the people would give to the God of Israel were fulfilled. In the Magi, the Fathers of the Church saw in their gifts symbols of Christ's royalty Gold, Incense-divinity and Myrrh- Passion. The Feast of the Epiphany is the manifestation of the Son of God made man.

Unlike Herod, the Magi however stayed focused on what they came to seek- they were guided by the star, which filled them with delight because it helped them find what they came to seek- Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the manger. They were able to do him homage and offer their gifts.

The Epiphany is the first of seven solemnities of the Lord. It celebrates the revelation of God to all the world. May we encourage others during this week and throughout the year to have a Magi experience, so that we may all say in in voice:

We have seen His star in the east and have come to adore the Lord.

The star guided the 3 Wise Men from the East to Jesus and as both scripture and the carols say

'stopped right over the place where Jesus lay'.  

The 3 wise men did Him homage. These wise men were highly intelligent and knew from their studies about astronomy and stars.  They knew that this star was different- important and special. We too need to be aware of the signs given in our life. Are we aware of them?

We might like to offer the following prayer or a spontaneous one of our own on the theme of the star of Bethlehem

Jesus, in this season of Christmastide, help us to be a star- 

a light shining the way to You for others in our family, friends,
neighbourhood and parish. 

Help us to be like the Wise men of the East 

and give You fitting homage.

Happy Christmas to you all

Happy Christmas to all of my readers.

Jesus is the reason for the season.  It is a season liturgically until the feast of Epiphany. We can make it our season spiritually as well and in our lives. Christmas is not just one day, but its message must be carried in our hearts all year for 365 days.

Today is the day that Jesus was born- the Word became incarnate is what we say in the Nicene Creed every Sunday.  On this one day of the year, we genuflect on these words. Let us adore in our hearts as we profess with our lips our faith.

As advent has disappeared for another year, and we start Christmastide, we may wish to think about what spiritual progress we made  (or not) and to decide what we will do to progress spiritually during Christmastide.  It is a short season of approx. 12 days depending on how the dates fall. However it is a time not to waste. It is a season to give and receive abundant blessings.

So on this first day of Christmas why not decide on what you will do for the next 12 days? 

I have a tradition of  spending some time each day during these 12 days at the crib at church.  I like to remember parishioners who have helped me during the year, parishioners I need to forgive and past parishioners who can share this precious time with me from Purgatory and Heaven.  I do this because it brings together memories of past Christmases into the present Christmastide.

I also pray for the world and its many needs, those whom I love and treasure and their needs along with those whom I find it hard to forgive. There are many people to think about at the crib.  I gather them all around in my mind and after spending some time in prayer

I give them to Jesus in the crib.

You might like to do this with your family- light a white candle and if you have crib at home then take some moments to spend it together around the crib.

So before Christmas Day ends and the secular world would like to  get caught up in the secular Boxing day sales, cricket, boxing day sailing, tennis and cricket, make a decision to make the most of Christmastide spiritually. 

Remember Jesus is the reason of the season- grow through this wonderful time spiritually.



Advent Series: Season of Hope Monday of Third Week. Renewal

Winter Rain

Snow mixed with rain- bitter, biting turning roadways into slippery messes where fenders clash in angry encounters.

Winter rain.  I cannot comprehend its place in creation.  Its dreary dangerous combination of sleet and ice browns an already dreary world barren of leaves and flowers.  The winter rain brings no beauty, just brown mud and sinus headaches without the promise of spring flowers.  It servers no purpose.

The Lord, the creator of the heavens.. is God. 

The designer and maker of the earth  not creating it to be a waste,

but designing it to be lived in.  Isaiah 45.18.

Suggestion

1. Light the Rose coloured candle in your advent wreath along with the other 2 candles.

On the third Sunday of Advent the  rose-colored candle is lit. This rose-colored candle is known called the 'Shepherds' candle' and it represents joy.

Breathe in that joy as you light the candle and become one of the shepherds in your mind.

2.What are the areas of your life that need  feel like/ are winter rain- feel bitter, biting slippery messes.  Make a list.

3. What is your attitude/feeling towards winter rain?  Now read again the scripture.

4.  As you look at the rose candle- breathe in the joy it represents. Think of the shepherds on the way to Bethlehem- hearing the angels words in their shepherd's field on that cold winter's night that was so deep (as the carol tells us).  As these come to mind, now present to the Lord your list of winter rain, the slippery messes in your life.   Ask  Him this advent to bring renewal to these areas of your life.  Be confident and joyful in hope  as you present your list.  Know that in His time, these areas will be renewed.  Thank God for this renewal and live as though this renewal has already occurred as you wait with hope and with trust.

5. Look back for a moment and review what has changed since you started Advent- are you more hopeful, more trustful of God? Are you waiting in love for Him?  Have you progressed even in the slightest way since Advent begun.  If your answer is yes, be thankful and continue to grow.  If your response is inclined to be no or maybe, then persist- don't give up- God will renew you in His time. Trust and live in Hope today.

6. Reread the Scripture and allow it to be your prayer today.



Gaudete Sunday Rejoice in the Lord Always- Third Sunday of Advent

The rose candle is lit the third Sunday of Advent, for this color anticipates and symbolizes the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice" (Latin, Gaudete). For this reason the Third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and rose color vestments are permitted. The traditional color of the vestments during Weeks 1, 2 and 4 is either purple or violet to represent penitential spirit. Advent is a season of hope, but a penitential spirit during this season is a fitting way to prepare the way of the Lord. On Gaudete Sunday rose-coloured vestments may be worn instead of violet, which is prescribed for every day in the season of Advent. A rose coloured candle is included in the Advent wreath. During the otherwise penitential season of Advent, the readings on the third Sunday emphasize the joyous anticipation of the Lord's coming. 

The Advent Wreath is an important liturgical symbol which helps us to prepare the way of the Lord with the lighting of the candles each week.  During Advent, family and friends can gather around the Advent Wreath lighting the appropriate candle(s), read from the daily Advent meditation and sing Advent hymns. The Church's official Book of Blessings also provides a blessing ceremony for the Advent Wreath which can be used in the absence of a priest.


 Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent in the Christian calendar. It can fall on any date from 11 December to 17 December. The term Gaudete is broadly translated from Latin as Rejoice, a word that appears in the entrance antiphon (introit) of Masses held on this day: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near. (Roman Catholic Rite years A, B and C).
 

 So on this Rejoicing Sunday let us really feel and see and sense it.

We may wish to sing this hymn throughout the day

'Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice'

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.

Rejoice, Rejoice, again, I say rejoice.

Rejoice, Rejoice, again I say rejoice.


or perhaps you may prefer This is the day.

Advent Series: Season of Hope: Thursday of Second Week: Christ the Teacher

Teacher:

Where is my teacher, the one I trust? He leads me where I would rather not go and teaches me what I would rather not learn. His lessons are hard to accept and yet good, oh so good to those who have developed a taste for them. Bitter in my mouth, yet far sweeter than the finest chocolate or the sweetest of honey. My teacher feeds my soul.

Where is my teacher, the one I trust, He brought me thus far, surely He will not abandon me now.  I hunger for that which only he can teach.

 

''I, the Lord, your God teach you which is for your good,

and lead you on the way you should go''. Isaiah 48:17

 

 

 

Suggestion:

 

 

1. Light the Second Advent candle and quieten your spirit before the Lord. As you light it think of its name and all that Bethlehem means. If you have some difficulty with your own thoughts on Bethlehem, then, why not Google something about the manger, about Bethlehem itself. Share what you have learned in your note book or with family members/parishioners. If you have done this  earlier in the week, do your thoughts on Bethlehem change today- are they different or similar?  Bethlehem mean house of Bread.


2. Think of all your teachers in your life- parents, school teachers/university tutors, priests, friends, colleagues, your employer, parishioners etc.  What lessons have they taught you. What lessons were bitter in your mouth at the time and hard to swallow but sweet later.  You might like to list some of these lessons and list the person/people involved. Is there one person who is a significant teacher in your life?


3. Now think of Christ as your teacher: What lessons has Christ taught you that were bitter/sweet?  What lessons were for your good and gave you direction?  How often do you consult with Christ as your teacher- seldom, only when things are tough, every day?


4. Going back over the series so far and some particular issue that has touched you since starting this journey of season of hope series,  why not talk it over with Christ as Teacher.  What lessons do you need to learn from it, how will Christ guide you?  


5. Before you close your session, thank Christ for your life now as it is- it may not be ideal or how you would like- but thank God. Thank God for your life, what you have learned, the mistakes you have made and learned from them, and the hope you have for your life in the future. Leave one aspect, one concern before the Lord and give it to Him to hold, to guide you and to give you what is good from it. 

Leave your meditation time with hope knowing that God will teach you, give what is for your good and lead you on the way you should go.


6. Read the scripture again and keep it in your heart today.  You may also like to listen to

The Lord is my shepherd ( Boniwell)  or The Holy Vine ( Moore)
 

Advent Series: Season on Hope. Monday of Second week of Advent: Fragility vs Trust in God's Word

Fragile World

A teenager dies in a car accident caused by another teenager who was drunk.

Another country announces nuclear capability.

Floods, fires and famine claim untold lives.


The world as we know it can change with the wrong turn of a car, with the flick of a switch, with being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our world as we know it changes daily.

Where do we find hope in the midst of this uncertainty, among these tragedies?  Life is so fragility.

''All humankind is grass, and all their glory like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it.  Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever". Isaiah 40:6-8

On the second Sunday of Advent, the second purple candle is lit. This candle is known the 'Bethlehem candle', symbolizing Christ's manger. It represents love.

Suggestion:

1.Light the Second Advent candle and quieten your spirit before the Lord. As you light it think of its name and all that Bethlehem means. If you have some difficulty with your own thoughts on Bethlehem, then, why not Google something about the manger, about Bethlehem itself. Share what you have learned in your note book or with family members/parishioners.

2. Write down your list of the fragile world- what is fragile in your world? What are the uncertainties, the floods, fires and famines in your life- loosing your job, being insecure in your employment, feeling burnt when you are overlooked for promotion, being flooded out physically in your home and emotionally/spiritually with negativity and depression.

3. Read the scripture from Isaiah.  What occurs to you about this scripture? What hope does it provide when the word of the Lord stands forever- do you believe it for your life?  Reread your list and apply hope to each one of them because the word of the Lord stands forever.

4.Notice in the scripture that we are likened to grass and our glory like a flower of the field- they fade and wither WHEN the breath of the Lord blows upon it.  In other words- in God's timing not ours.  This applies to our death- it is not for us to choose our timing but leave it to God in trust.
It also applies to our lives- we are grass and a beautiful flower- grass starts as a seed and then flourishes and then fades, likewise a flower- both show the glory of God, just as we do by what we do, what we are and what we say and behave.

5. Now commit your fragile world to the trust of the word of God.  Breathe in the hope from God that this season provides- it is a season of hope.

Second Week of Advent Homily

Most virtues that we know have their origins in God. God is very affectionate of preparing right from the beginning. God prepares the land and the seas before creating animals and plants. God prepares the Garden of Eden before the creation of man. The divine action always involves preparation. Before the people of Israel left Egypt, God used the Passover to prepare them. God prepares our redemption through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s readings tell us about preparation: to prepare for the Lord. As we heard in the first reading today, the prophet Isaiah was told to comfort God’s people and to assure them that the period of warfare has ended. God returns to the people after a period of their separation from Him. To this end, the prophet went further to tell the people to prepare for the coming of the Lord. 

According to the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah, preparation is seen as a form of a road construction. It is a physical road construction which involves three activities: levelling, filling and making plain. In our spiritual life, the road represents our heart, which needs to be levelled, filled and /made plain for the Lord.  The road presents our hearts made rough by the paths we have chosen that lead us away from God.

We need to level our heart again by being cleansed of our sins and disobedience in our lives. We need to turn to God and fill our hearts with virtues and values which demonstrate that we belong to God. We need to change our lives and go back over our paths to God to make it plain for the Lord. It is good to prepare our spiritual life before the glory of God will be shown to forth to all of us.

Yet, many of us put advent on hold spiritually.  We prepare the home, the decorations, the food and buying the presents in readiness for our family celebrations.   Do we remember that we are celebrating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas?  These activities are necessary practical preparation.  However, the Church provides Advent as a season of hope so that we can prepare the way of the Lord in our hearts spiritually.   We tend to anticipate the glory but only a few are ready to undertake the spiritual road. Many of us are seriously waiting to celebrate Christmas but only a few are ready to get there through the process of Advent.  We may be ready to celebrate Christmas with the food, presents and decorations, but we have often neglected our spiritual Advent preparation.  We have wasted our spiritual opportunity to level, fill and make our hearts plain for the Lord.  It is time for us to prepare our hearts for the Lord in our lives.

The Gospel reading is very much similar to the first reading where it emphasises the word preparation.  But it establishes with the idea of the baptism of repentance. In other words, John the Baptist challenges us to accept repentance as a very dependable way of preparing our hearts for the coming of the Lord. There will be a strong need for us to approach the sacrament of reconciliation this season in order to prepare ourselves for the birth of our Lord. We need to reconsider and improve our lifestyles; we need to make a positive change in our hearts habitable for our Lord when he comes.

The barrier to preparing for the lord in our world today is so much about material possession. However, John the Baptist recommends detachment from material wealth as one way of preparing for the Saviour.  John the Baptism himself was “clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist.” This means that we should be modest with material things this season so that we have time and space to prepare the way for the lord. It is time now that we act because the day of the Lord will come like a thief that we don’t expect.

Often many people fix dates for the time of the coming of the Lord but they have also failed several times. Our waiting should not based on our human way of reckoning time. Our waiting should be that of preparation or being ready for the coming of our Lord. God expects us at this time to be concerned about preparing a way for Him. He is not coming to Bethlehem but into our hearts. Will YOU be prepared and ready to receive Him into YOUR heart?

 Let tomorrow we are expecting belongs to today and let us also remember that when we fail to prepare we prepare to fail. We may be tempted to say that we are half way through Advent so it is too late to start to prepare spiritually.  Let us make the decision today  to level out, fill and make plain for the Lord our hearts.

We pray that this season will be the time for us to devote and prepare the way for the Lord. 

This homily was given on 9th December at St Dominic's East Camberwell by

Deacon Lawrence Bosekana OP. 

New Horizons contributed in the process of editing.