First Reading (Isaiah 60,1-6).
Reading of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Arise, turn on the lights, Jerusalem, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord has appeared upon you. Behold, the earth is enveloped in darkness, and dark clouds cover the people; but the Lord has appeared upon you, and his glory has appeared upon you. Peoples walk in your light and kings in the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes around you and see: they have all gathered together and come to you; Your sons are arriving from afar with your daughters, carried in their arms. When you see them, you will be radiant, with your heart vibrating and beating strong, because with them the riches from beyond the sea will come and they will show the power of their nations; a flood of camels and dromedaries from Midian and Ephah will cover you; All Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and proclaiming the glory of the Lord.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Second Reading (Ephesians 3,2-3a.5-6).
Reading of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.
Brothers: If you only knew the grace that God gave me to carry out his plan for you, 3a and how, by revelation, I became aware of the mystery. God did not make this mystery known to men of past generations, but he has now revealed it, by the Spirit, to his holy apostles and prophets: the pagans are admitted to the same inheritance, they are members of the same body, they are associated with the same promise in Jesus Christ, through the Gospel.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Matthew 2,1-12).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
When Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, in Judea, in the time of King Herod, behold, some wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the king of the Jews, who has just been born? We saw his star in the East and We came to worship him.” Upon learning of this, King Herod was disturbed, as was the entire city of Jerusalem. Gathering all the high priests and teachers of the Law, he asked them where the Messiah should be born. They answered, “In Bethlehem in Judea, for thus it was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the chief cities of Judah, for out of you will come a leader who will be the shepherd of Israel, my people.” Then Herod called the wise men in secret and carefully sought to know from them when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying: “Go and seek accurate information about the child. And when you find him, tell me, so that I too can go and worship him.” After they heard the king, they left. And the star, which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it stopped over the place where the boy was. When the magicians saw the star again, they felt great joy. When they entered the house, they saw the boy with Maria, his mother. They knelt before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their coffers and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their homeland, following another path.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Arise, shine, for your light has come!” With these vibrant words from Isaiah, we are invited to contemplate the mystery of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God to the entire world. Today, we celebrate one of the most beautiful and significant moments of our faith: the day on which Christ was revealed to the Gentiles, represented by the wise men from the East.
Imagine that starry night, when wise men, students of the stars, saw something extraordinary in the sky – a star unlike any other. Something in their hearts told them that this was no ordinary astronomical phenomenon. It was a sign, a divine call that impelled them on an extraordinary journey.
Isaiah’s prophecy comes to life before our eyes: “Darkness covers the earth, and darkness covers the people, but the Lord rises upon you, and his glory shines upon you.” Isn’t this the reality we still live in today? A world often enveloped in darkness – the darkness of violence, of selfishness, of indifference – but upon which the light of Christ continues to shine?
The magicians represent all of us in our search for meaning, in our spiritual pilgrimage. They were men of science, of knowledge, but they recognized that there was something greater than their human wisdom. They left the comfort of their homes, their certainties, and embarked on a journey guided only by a star and by faith.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, reveals something extraordinary to us: this mystery, now revealed, is that “the Gentiles are joint heirs, members of the same body and participants in the promise in Christ Jesus.” What a revolutionary revelation! God’s plan of salvation knows no ethnic, cultural or social boundaries. In Christ, we are all called to be part of the family of God.
The wizards’ journey was not easy. They faced distance, the unknown, and even Herod’s hostility. How many times on our own journey of faith have we encountered similar obstacles? Sometimes, like the wise men in Jerusalem, we can lose sight of our guiding star. But God never abandons us; He always provides signs to lead us back to the path.
And when they finally found the baby Jesus, the magi teach us three fundamental attitudes: they prostrated themselves, worshiped and offered gifts. Prostration represents our humility before the divine mystery. Worship is our recognition that we stand before God himself. And gifts symbolize our total surrender to Him.
Gold, frankincense and myrrh – prophetic gifts that reveal the identity of Jesus: gold for the King, frankincense for the God, myrrh for the Man who would suffer. What do we offer Christ today? What gifts do we bring on our journey of faith?
Epiphany reminds us that we are all pilgrims, seekers of the light of Christ. Like the wise men, we are called to be attentive to God’s signs in our lives, courageous to leave our comfort zones, persevering in our search for truth.
But there is more: we are also called to be guiding stars for others. Isaiah proclaims: “The nations will walk in your light.” As Christians, we are called to reflect the light of Christ in our world, to be beacons of hope and love in the midst of darkness.
The story of the wise men does not end in Bethlehem. The Gospel tells us that they “returned to their own country by another way.” The encounter with Christ always transforms us, always makes us take a new path. We cannot truly encounter Jesus and remain the same.
Dear brothers and sisters, may this feast of the Epiphany renew in us the spirit of search, the courage of the journey and the joy of the encounter with Christ. May we, like the magicians, recognize the signs of God in our lives, persevere in our search, and offer the best of ourselves to Him.
And that, when we encounter Christ, we are transformed into lights that guide others to Him. May our faith, like that star of Bethlehem, shine in such a way that others can see and find the way to Jesus.
May the light of Christ continue to shine in our hearts, in our families and in our community. And that, like the magicians, we can always find new ways to follow the Lord.
Amen.
May God bless you and may the star of faith continue to guide your steps on the path of the Lord.
