Epiphany of Our Lord Year C

SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD.

The Collect for the Epiphany of Our Lord reads as follows:

May the splendour of Your majesty, O Lord, we pray,

shed its light upon our hearts,

that we may pass through the shadows of this world

and reach the brightness of our eternal home.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What areas in my life needs God's light and and splendour?

2. What is my attitude to our eternal home?

3. If I was told I am to live only this week, am I ready to reach the brightness of our eternal home?

4. What areas of my life would I change this week to be ready to reach my eternal home?

5. How does the visit of the Kings affect my faith and my life this coming week?

6. What blessings have I gained from this Christmastide.

TRADITIONS OF EPIPHANY

There are several traditions and names for celebrating the Epiphany.  The Epiphany is celebrated each January 6 and is a day dedicated to the birth of Christ, which includes a nod toward the three Kings who came to visit Him.

The word "epiphany" means "an appearance or manifestation, especially of a deity". Appearance is correct, as Christ revealed himself in the form of a newborn babe to the Three Wise Men, who travelled from their countries to pay tribute to the Son of God.

It is also a reference to the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. The six Sundays following Epiphany are known as the time of manifestation. 

The Gospel of Matthew describes three Wise Men, named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar, who were told of Christ's birth and set off, following the Star of Bethlehem, to meet the baby Jesus. Each king brought with him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to represent Jesus' elevated position, divine birth and mortality respectively,

Historically, Christmas was celebrated each day from Christmas Eve to the Epiphany, with January 6 being as large a celebration as December 25.

Though Protestant churches celebrate a season of Epiphany from January 6 to Ash Wednesday, the Catholic Church observes Epiphany as a single day, with some in America celebrating the Epiphany feast the Sunday following January 6.

In Spain, children believe their Christmas presents are delivered by the Three Wise Men on January 6, while in Venice, children believe "La Befana," an imaginary old woman in Italian folklore, brings gifts to them on the Epiphany Day. An old Catholic tradition is the Star Singers, which are groups of people who dress as the Wise Men and carry a wooden star who go door-to-door to sing and collect donations for the poor. 

GOSPEL OF TODAY: Matthew 2:1-12.

Today at Mass the Gospel will be from Matthew 2:1-12.   I have previously written a post here on this Gospel in detail. 

However, in today's post I wish to focus on Homage. Interestingly enough, there are 77 times in the bible where the word Homage is used. Seven of course was considered a perfect number.

Historically the word homage meant " a man doing homage to his personal lord'. Let us think about this historical meaning for us today in 2019. Does it still hold true for us as we kneel before the crib?

Do we pass the crib at Mass during Christmastide and not do Him homage?  How many times during Christmastide do we call into our parish and kneel before the crib, ponder and do Him homage?

The burning question not only from a historical perspective then is does this definition hold true for me?   Is Christ my personal Lord? It is something to ponder as we start the New Year.

WAYS TO DO HOMAGE

Of course, it is not only on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord that we do Him homage.  We should be doing Him homage every day- every moment of every day in our hearts.  Special times to do Him homage are:

• Praying our morning and Evening Prayer: a time to connect to God and ask Him to be our personal Lord and Saviour every day.  How is our Prayer time?  What changes do I need to make in 2019 to give Jesus homage?
• Daily Mass (or as often as we can attend). It is easy to become distracted at Mass especially if we have a lot going on in our lives or we are stressed/depressed.  We can easily find reasons to allow our mind to wander during Mass.  We are human of course.  However why not think about the word homage and its meaning. It may be an anchor for us to remember that Christ is our personal Lord.
• Receiving Holy Communion: This is the most precious time to give our Lord homage. It is definitely a time to be with Him as fully as we can.  Receiving Communion can be given in a flash and the moment for us is gone if we are not prepared. Again, distractions in the aisle can take our thoughts and minds away from what we are about to receive- Jesus Himself.  

Let us this year keep our minds focused on Jesus and make Him our Lord and Saviour.  Walk to Holy Communion like the Kings of today's feast- make the journey and do Him Homage.

• Our daily life: Everything we do, our work, our family life, our parish life needs to be focused on Jesus and our commitment to Him.  How we interact with each other, how we try to live the commandments and give each other love and understanding shows respect not only for these people but for Jesus who lives in them. We do not need to accept bad behaviour or abuse. However we do need to remember that Jesus lives in every person. Give Him homage in that person. It is a tough lesson to remember but one worth cultivating with everyone-yes even those whom we naturally dislike or have good reason to dislike. Jesus lives in them too.

So on this Solemnity of Our Lord let us do Him homage.

You may wish to listen to O Holy Night as you reflect on this Solemnity or perhaps you may prefer to listen on this setting

Collect for Solemnity of Epiphany of the Lord

 

COLLECT SERIES
 

The Mass: Collect Series Icon

COLLECT

 

T

The Collect for Solemnity of Epiphany of The Lord reads as follows:

O God, who on this day

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

Grant in Your mercy that we, who know You already by faith,

May be brought to behold the beauty of Your sublime glory.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible the following reflection questions emerged:

 

1.              What does the Solemnity of the Epiphany mean to me?

How does God reveal Himself to me?

Do I long to behold God’s glory?

How will I increase my longing for God and the things of God through this week/year?

How will I adore the Lord this coming week/this year? ( Eg set aside a regular time each day/week at exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.  If you are not able to do it in person use the one exposition of the Blessed Sacrament which is 24/7.

How will I keep the message of Christmas alive each day during this year?

 

 GOSPEL REFLECTION

The 3 Kings adoring the Incarnate Baby.

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany. "The Lord and ruler is coming; kingship is his, and government and power." With these words, the Church proclaims that today's feast brings to a perfect fulfillment all the purposes of Advent. Epiphany, therefore, marks the liturgical zenith of the Advent-Christmas season.

Epiphany means manifestation. What the Church celebrates today is the manifestation of our Lord to the whole world; after being made known to the shepherds of Bethlehem He is revealed to the Magi who have come from the East to adore Him. Christian tradition has ever seen in the Magi the first fruits of the Gentiles; they lead in their wake all the peoples of the earth, and thus the Epiphany is an affirmation of universal salvation. St. Leo brings out this point admirably in a sermon, read at Matins, in which he shows in the adoration of the Magi the beginnings of Christian faith, the time when the great mass of the heathen sets off to follow the star which summons it to seek its Saviour.

The gospel is from Matthew 2: 1-12.  We see the Magi arriving from the East to do homage to the Incarnate babe of Bethlehem.  They recognise Him because of the signs they were shown and they acted on the signs.  They did not just see the star and that’ that’s nice or that is unusual and then get on with their lives. No, they recognised it as something unusual and they came to do Jesus homage.  We might ask ourselves ‘are we like the Magi’ who recognize the signs of God and act upon them and them action or will we make the resolve for the to look out for the signs of God in our lives and go and do Him homage.

 

What about Herod in this Gospel account?  He probably did want to give God homage at some level but his obsession with his own power made him feel threatened when the Magi arrived asking ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews’?

He took action to protect his authority by summoning the Magi to a meeting to find out about his perceived enemy in his mind.  However, Herod had made up his mind that the newborn King was a threat to him.  He did not allow the information that the Magi gave him sway his made-up mind even though this information had the potential to change his heart and his perceived fear would have been dispersed.

 

We may wish to ask ourselves how we react when we have a perceived idea of something or more importantly someone?  Is our perceived idea of this person correct or if we were given different information, would it change our minds?  How do we feel when we feel threatened by position of power, of status?  Perhaps someone at work threatens our livelihood or our status in the office. Herod was not interested in changing his attitude but plotting and making his position more secure. What have we done in the past and what attitude will we change this year?

 

This Solemnity therefore challenges us to ask ourselves 

Will we be a Herod in our attitude or

will we seek out God in our lives and look for the signs and follow Him to adore Him?

 

 

 

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.

Opening Prayer Series: Feast of Epiphany Year A

OPENING PRAYER SERIES:

Feast of Epiphany Year A

 The Mass: Opening Prayer Series Icon

OPENING PRAYER

The Opening Prayer of the Feast of the Epiphany 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.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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.

It is interesting to note the reaction of Herod who was governed by power and who

·                     felt threatened at the possibility there may be another king (someone to threaten his job), 

·                     played the game pretending he wanted to worship also (sought out information about the threat and how he might overcome the enemy).

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.

We too need to stay focused and to give the Christ child homage- let us bend our knees and offer our gifts to Him. Let us stay focused and be guided by the light of the star of faith during this Christmastide and throughout 2011.

The Solemnity of Baptism of Our Lord: Collect Series.

SOLEMNITY OF THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD.

Baptism of Our Lord ( Leonardo da Vinci).

SOLEMNITY OF THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD. 

The Collect for the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord reads as follows:

Almighty ever-living God, who, when Christ had been baptised in the River Jordan

and as the Holy Spirit descended upon him, 

solemnly declared him your beloved Son, 

grant that your children by adoption, reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, 

may always be well pleasing to you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, 

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God, for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflections questions emerged:

1.    What does this Solemnity mean to you personally?

2.    What does it mean to me to be a child of God?

3.    What does it mean to me to be reborn of water and the Holy Spirit?

4.    What does my own Baptism mean to me, in the past, and now in 2019?

5.    What can I do this week to honour my own Baptism?

6.    What difference is being a Child of God make to me this coming week?

7.    In what area/s of my life do I need to practise humility?

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan. This is the second epiphany, or manifestation, of the Lord. The past, the present, and the future are made manifest in this epiphany. We had the first one last in the Solemnity of the Epiphany.  If you wish to read more about that in my post click here.

Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who is the most Holy One placed Himself among us, the unclean and sinners. The Son of God freely humbled Himself at the hand of the Baptist. By His baptism in the Jordan, Christ manifests His humility and dedicates Himself to the redemption of mankind. He takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and buries them in the waters of the Jordan. — The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

At Christmas we have contemplated the human birth of the Word incarnate by the Virgin Mary. In the 4th century, the Fathers of the Church deepened the understanding of the faith with regard to the Christmas mystery in the light of Jesus’ Humanity. The spoke of: Jesus is the Christ from the first instant of conception in Mary’s spotless womb because He Himself, with His Divine Power, consecrated, anointed and ‘Christified’ that human nature with which He became incarnate.

In the mystery of the Epiphany, we meditated upon Christ’s manifestation to all nations that was represented by the Magi, the wise men from the East, who came to adore the Child.

Now, in the mystery of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan River, we again encounter and represent the truth of the Lord’s incarnation and His manifestation as the Christ. Jesus’ Baptism is in fact His definitive manifestation as the Messiah or Christ to Israel, and as the Son of the Father to the entire world.

Here we find the dimension of the Epiphany which was His manifestation to all nations. The Father’s voice from heaven shows that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows the Trinitarian nature of the Christian God. The true and unique God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shows Himself in Christ, through Him, with Him and in Him.

The Baptism in the Jordan returns to the great Christmas theme of ‘Christification,’ Jesus of Nazareth's spiritual anointing, His presentation as the Anointed One par excellence, the Messiah or the One sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind. The Spirit that descended on Jesus shows and seals in an incontrovertible way the ‘Christification’ of Jesus’ humanity that the Word had already fulfilled from the first moment of His miraculous conception by Mary. Jesus, from the very beginning, was always the Lord’s Christ, He was always God. Yet, His one, true humanity, that which is perfect in every way, as the Gospel records, constantly grew in natural and supernatural perfection. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men’ (Lk 2:52).

In Israel at 30 years of age, one reached full maturity and therefore could become a master. Jesus came of age and the Spirit, descending and remaining on Him, definitively consecrated His whole being as the Christ.

The same Spirit, that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins.

As Pope Benedict wrote ‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realised what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, Bloomsbury 2007, p 18).

Now we may be saying to ourselves’’ this Solemnity is all very nice but how is it relevant to me for my life. I have work to do, debts to pay, no time to meditate. I feel like I am on the hamster wheel of life.

HOW IS THIS SOLEMNITY RELEVANT TO US?

This Solemnity is relevant for us in the following ways. We may be able to incorporate these suggestions or come up with our own during the week.

1.We are Child of the Most High God.  Claim it again this week and say thank you to God. A simple prayer such as:

·         ’’ Thank you, God, for making me Your child. Or

·         As a child of God, let my behaviour today/ this week give You honour and praise or

·          I thank you God for my parents (godparents) who ensured I was baptised.
 Thank you for accepting me as a Child of God- Your child.

2. If the opportunity is possible, speak to your parents/ godparents about your Baptism. See what they remember about the day, how they felt. Do not be disappointed if they do not remember- be thankful that they took that step of faith for you and let them know your gratitude.  If there are any photos or memorabilia of the day look at it.

3. Find out when parish Baptisms are held.   Check with your pastor and explain to him that you would like to attend one even though you are not related to the family of the child to be baptised.  You wish to attend to nourish your own faith.  Organise it and attend during this year. I always do this at least once each year. It helps me say thank you to God for being a child of God. My parents and grandparents have now passed away but when I attend a parish baptism, I visualise myself being that baby being baptised again. Of course, sacramentally, we can only be baptised once. A fresh anointing and focus on the benefits of the Sacraments is always useful at the beginning of the year.

4. Read Compendium of theCatechism of the Catholic Church to nurture and nourish your faith this week on Baptism. There are many references to Baptism but Section 2 on the Sacraments is the most relevant section. pg 250-264. It is an easier read than the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (take 2 entries each day and mull over them and what it means for your life in 2019).

5. Reflect through Music:  Use ‘’On Jordan’s Bank The Baptist Cry’’ 

 Or  ‘’ I heard the voice of Jesus say’’  or you may to listen to the Instrumental version 

6. Have a discussion with family and/or parishioners about Baptism and what this Solemnity means to you for your lives? If you do not have a group in our parish, start a group. Pick up the phone and talk with one other parishioner who might be interested. It does not have to be a long meeting. It could be a weekly meeting to discuss the Gospel of the day. As other parishioners join, keep the focus on the Gospel and its relevance to your life this week.

Whether you choose to acknowledge that you are a child  of God and think about this Solemnity for your life is obviously up to you. The Church offers us these Solemnities for us to be nourished and nurtured in our faith. Let us use the opportunities given us wisely.

May you receive many blessings this coming week.