January 8, 2023

The Epiphany of the Lord

Is 60:1-6 Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 Mt 2:1-12

GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE

GROW: It’s easy to stay inside and cozy up on the couch these winter months. Having just gotten through the winter solstice, many of us crave light and warmth. The language of Isaiah may resonate with us even more deeply this time of year: “See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.” In today’s Gospel, in the dark of night, the Magi follow a bright star to pay homage to Jesus, whom they recognize as the newborn king of the Jews. On the Epiphany, which means “manifestation,” we celebrate this moment when Christ’s light shone forth to the world. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote in Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives: “The key point is this: The wise men from the east are a new beginning. They represent the journeying of humanity toward Christ.”

GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT

GO: Like the Wise Men who traveled a long distance to pay homage to the Christ Child, each of us journeys every day toward a fuller life in Christ. Just as the Magi followed the light to discover Christ, so does the light of Christ serve as our constant beacon, reorienting us toward God and his holy path. After worshiping the Christ Child at Christmas, let us move forward and pay homage to the Savior through our words and actions. Although Epiphany signifies the official “end” of the Christmas season, it is fitting that it falls at the beginning of a new calendar year because it allows us to reexamine, among our traditional “New Year’s resolutions,” how we live our lives in the light of Christ. “The wise men from the east are a new beginning,’ the pope said. May their journey and experience inspire us to “begin anew” however we must, and offer Jesus our gifts of love and devotion, considering how his light may shine through us to others.

PRAY: “Dear Jesus, as you led the Wise Men to you by the light of a star, please draw us ever closer to you by the light of faith. Help us to desire you as ardently as they did. Give us the grace to overcome all the obstacles that keep us far from you. May we, like them, have something to give you when we appear before you. Amen.”