Platform of Jesus-Isaiah 61:1-2

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year C

Year of Faith

January 27, 2013

Readings:

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10

Responsorial Psalm: 19:8, 9, 10, 15

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 1-4; 4:14-21

There is a need to return to the origin of our faith in Jesus Christ, and in God the almighty Father.  We have to go back to the source of our belief – the Bible or Scripture and the Tradition/Law we received from the fathers of the faith, to which it will bring us closer to our focal point, to the well-spring of our spiritual renewal and the miracles of our hearts – to God.

In the Book of Nehemiah, when Nehemiah, the cup-bearer of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, (445/444 BC), heard that Jerusalem and the Temple – the center of their religion and identity, were destroyed, he was very sad; and the king saw how sad he was.  Then the king was given him permission to go back to Judah, in Jerusalem and allowed him to rebuild the city of his ancestors and the Temple.  Also, upon Nehemiah’s requests, he was given letters whom he asked from the king for safety passage to the governors of Transeuphrates (most probably Sanballat the Horonite governor of Samaria, Tobiah the Ammonite slave, and Geshem the Arab) and for the supply of timbers from king’s park keeper, Asaph.  All this was given to Nehemiah, the Builder, aside from making him governor of Judah.  We saw also how the Jewish people volunteered to work as one man or nation and rebuilt the city and the Temple.  In the morning, they were working, non-stopped, and in the evening they were watching from any invaders.  Nevertheless, there were lots of interruptions employed by the governors of Transeuphrates-Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem; but never Nehemiah and the rest of the tribes of Judah stopped or intimidated or went down on the top of their workings and be subjugated.  For, there is only one focus they have in mind and that is to finish the Temple of the Lord so that they can worship Him and granted to them His forgiveness for their offenses they had done.  In the twelfth year, Nehemiah’s mission, that is to rebuild the city and the Temple of Jerusalem, were finished.. 

Afterwards, Nehemiah called for Ezra, the priest and scribe.  And, together with thirteen other priests or Levites, six on his right and seven on his left, they led the people, (men, women and children old enough to understand), in reading the Book of the Law.  Ezra and the other men interchanged in reading the Law and interpreting it, from early morning until noon, standing on the wooden platform erected for that purpose.  The people, as one man or nation, after listening attentively, made them realized their sins were all in tears and begged for the forgiveness of their sins. The people also were consoled and told to rejoice. “This day is sacred to Yahweh, your God” (see First Reading).

Parallel to the Book of Nehemiah, is the Gospel According to St. Luke, when Jesus came back to Nazareth, and went to the synagogue as he usually did.  This day, he was the reader, and “they handed to him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah” (Lk. 4:16-17), and he read Isaiah chapter 61, verses 1-2.  These passages are full of hopes, dreams and aspirations of people who are in desperate need of a good leader anointed by God.  For centuries, after the fall and restoration and fall again of Jerusalem up to their time, they did not see any good leader or builder who will restore their life, their city, their religion, their Temple; but rather, they found misery and disbelief to their leaders who were supposed to bring them back to God.  And Jesus, with the power of the Holy Spirit, said to those present in the synagogue: “This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen” (Lk.4:21).

 From then on, this text became the platform of Jesus.  He brought good news to all places he visited.  He performed miracles of healing, restoration of life, forgiveness of sins, and returning of good relationships between God and to His people, and people to their neighbors.  He also commanded and spoke with authority and power.   Truly, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled through Jesus. 

“The spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he has anointed me.  He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord”  (Isaiah 61:1-2; cf. Luke 4:18-19).

St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians is also full of encouragement and cooperation and unity.  He was telling the Christians at Corinth to be one in everything, for there is one body, the Church and Jesus, the Head of the body, though there are many different parts.  The body, though is composed of many parts, is working as one whole body.  Nobody is neglected. Everybody is important.  No one can deny the other.  Every part is vital to make the body whole and complete.

If Nehemiah is acting and working alone by himself, without the help of the rest of the Jewish people and the king of Persia, he cannot accomplish his mission or rebuilding the city of his ancestors and the Temple in Jerusalem.  Also, if Jesus is working alone, without the power of the Holy Spirit sent by the Lord God, he cannot perform his platform.  And, also if the Christian community in Corinth and Paul did not act as one body, but working different functions by different parts separately, the Church in Corinth would not be able to bring together all its members to Christ’s body.

The same with us today, the new people of God, the new disciples and/or followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we will not act as one body, but separately and differently and on its own, without unity and cooperation, and no one or many good leaders to lead and teach and admonish, etc. the other Christian members, sooner or later we will also collapse and fall like the Temple in Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra.  Yet still God remain faithful to us and firm and strong in His love for us until the end time.    For our guiding principles, we can follow what the psalmist clearly stated: “The Law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; the decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the command of Lord is clear, enlightening the eye” (Psalm 19:8-9).  Therefore, we should constantly remind one another of our functions and responsibilities and duties united in the One Body (Temple or Spirit, of the Law) of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Question(s) for Reflection:

1. Are you acting on your own, or are you guided by the power of the  Holy Spirit and supported by your brothers and sisters in Christ?

2.  Do you recognize your importance as member of the Body of Christ?

3.  Do you recognize the importance of your leaders and do you support them to reach their goal, vision and mission for the common good?

4.  Do you bring good news and actions to the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized and the excluded?

5.  How is your faith in God, the Builder of your Temple – your body and life?

Wedding at Cana, Galilee

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year C

January 20, 2013

First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 96:1-10

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Gospel Reading: John 2:1-12

God, in the Book of Isaiah, is like Mary in the Wedding at Cana, Galilee.  There is a parallelism between God and Mary concerning nation and persons in anxiety of abandonment, misery and embarrassment in the midst of celebration of a found new life. For in Isaiah, God “will not be silent . . . will not be quiet, (hindi mapalagay/mapakali ang Diyos!) until her (referring to Zion or Jerusalem, as nation in Israel) vindication shines forth like the dawn and her glory like a burning torch. . . As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you” (Isaiah 62:1, 5); and in the gospel of John, Mary attending at the wedding at Cana when “at a certain point the wine ran out, and Jesus’ mother told him, ‘They have no more wine.’ Jesus replied, ‘Woman, how does this concern of yours involve me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:1-4).  Mary was totally involved in the affairs of the newly wedded couple, and most probably, like all women and mothers, she was in the kitchen to see that there is food and drink available.  Also, maybe one of the couple was son or daughter of her cousins.  Jesus, although did not like to show early his power, as he said, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4) and most probably he did not like to use his power of obvious reason, but because of his love for his mother, and he did not want also that his cousin be put to shame, he obeyed his mother.  Ang nanay talaga! What a mother! 

Mary, as true and good mother of us all, is always there to support us and ask on our behalf our needs to his obedient and loving Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  As she commanded the other waiters, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5), so Jesus, as true God and true servant, gave command to the other servants, “Fill those jars with water” (John 2:7). Jesus’ ordered at which the servants filled the jars to the brim.  These jars, as described by John, are used for the ceremonial washings of the hands and feet upon entering a Jewish house, and “. . . there were at hand six stone water jars, each one holding fifteen to twenty-five gallons” (John 2:6).  All in all, there were 90 to 150 gallons of wine to be served.  “‘Now,’ Jesus said, ‘draw some out and take it to the waiter in charge.’  They did as he instructed them.  The waiter in charge tasted the water made wine without knowing where it had come from; only the waiters knew, since they had drawn the water.  Then the waiter in charge called the groom over and remarked to him: “People usually serve the choice wine first; then when the guests have been drinking awhile, a lesser vintage.  What you have done is keep the choice wine until now” (John 2:9-10).  Because of this miracle, nobody left the party. Everybody remained and stayed for very special and best wine was overflowing and the celebration continued until the new day dawn.  The newly wedded couple was very happy for they were not put to shame.  A simple gesture made a lot.  “No more shall men call you: Forsaken, or your land: Desolate.  But you shall be called: My Delight and your land: My Espoused” (Isaiah 62:4).  John concluded this good news of wedding at Cana by saying, “Jesus performed this first [miracle] of his signs at Cana in Galilee.  Thus did he reveal his glory, and his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11).  If Jesus can turn water into a very special and best wine, it is not also impossible if Jesus turns the wine into his blood, when his time comes, to shade his blood on Calvary.

Therefore, God, in His love for us, He never abandons us or forsaken us or desolate us. As true Father of us all, He gives all our needs.  He never put us down or let us fall into a shameful situation.  The same with Mary our mother, she is always there to intercede for us and to ask on our behalf our needs to her loving and obedient Son, Jesus Christ. What we need is to trust in God’s providential care and love.

As children of God and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we, too, must do the same care and give the same love to our brothers and sisters who are in need.  We cannot deny or become indifferent to their needs.  We cannot forsake or desolate them.  Even Jesus, despite of his untimely performance of miracle, for it is not yet his time, he did it for the sake of his mother and to the newly wedded couple who will be put to shame on their wedding day, for all the guests might go home if they have found that there is no more wine.  And also be reminded of what St. Paul said to the Corinthians, in the second reading: “To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one the Spirit gives wisdom in discourse, to another the power to express knowledge.  Through the Spirit one receives faith; by the same Spirit another is given the gift of healing, and still another miraculous power.  Prophecy is given to one; to another power to distinguish one spirit from another.  One receives the gift of tongues, another that of interpreting the tongues.  But it is one and the same Spirit who produces all these gifts, distributing them to each as he will” (1 Cor. 12:7-10).  The Holy Trinity is working together for us all.  “There are different gifts but the same Spirit (The Holy Spirit); there are different ministries but the same Lord (The Son); there are different works but the same God (The Father ) who accomplishes all of them in everyone” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).  The best miracle you and I can perform is to share the love we received from God to the others without complaining, or murmuring or counting any cost.   And, let us praise and thank God as the psalmist sings: “Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations” (Ps. 96:3) and to us all.

Question(s) for Reflection:

1.  Are you going to deny or abandon, forsake and desolate your loved one in need because you don’t just want to help?

2.  Are you like a friend who is present when you can get something from your friends, and when you cannot acquire any you leave them desperately?

3.  Are you ready to sacrifice anything because you believe you have too for the sake of your loved ones?

4.  Do you use your gift or talent you received from God for the happiness of your loved ones, friends and neighbors?

Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ

Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ– Year C

January 13, 2013

First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

Responsorial Psalm: 29:1-2, 3-4, 9-10

Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14, 15; 3:4-7

Gospel reading: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

As we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us also remember our own baptism, for on that day we became children of God our Almighty Father, with the power of “the Holy Spirit and Holy Fire” (Luke. 3:16).  Baptism is one of the greatest gifts God has given to humankind, after the fall, for in Baptism, aside from we were cleanse, we were pronounced and became children of God, too, after our Lord Jesus Christ.  “. . . and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21-22).  As children of God, we become co-heirs of His Reign-Kingdom.  But, we have to understand also the meaning of Reign-Kingdom of God and its implications in our baptized life.  In the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (14:17), he said: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, it means righteousness, peace and joy brought by the Holy Spirit.”   This has happened and will happen through “the kindness and generous love of God . . . because of His mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  

Do you still remember the day when you were baptized?  Do you recall how happy your parents were, together your god-parents, siblings, relatives and neighbors?  How the priest pronounced your name while pouring out the holy water in your head saying, “______(name), I claim you and baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  And everybody present responded, “Amen!”  “God richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:6-7).  Since on that day onward up until now, God who restored our lives (from the original sin) to original good (see Genesis 1:26-31), is still happy to see us growing and maturing in our lives – physically, spiritually, emotionally and psychologically, etc., “as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ . . . eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).  As children of God the Father loves us, “exhort and correct us with all authority.  Let no one look down on you” (Titus 3:15).  He remains as our Father despite that sometimes we fell down and lost our direction in life, and forgot the Light (the baptismal candle symbolizing Jesus) that illumined our path, but rather followed our tendencies to hide in the forest and to cover our naked bodies with leaves (Genesis 3:7) or be covered by darkness and thick clouds (Isaiah 60:2).  God loved us and still loves us in all these escapades, and hide and seek game of our lives.  Still, God gives us “Comfort, give comfort to my people” (Isaiah 40:1), said the Lord.

Aside from becoming children of God, most of the times we also forgot, that we received also in our Baptism the three-fold responsibilities and duties in God; these are the implications of being children of God and co-heirs in His Reign-Kingdom.  In Baptism, God made us kings/queens, priests/priestesses, and prophets/prophetesses.    These are the responsibilities and duties God entrusted to us, aside from being children of God.  We received “from the hand of the Lord double . . .” (Isaiah 40:2).

As kings/queens, we received the responsibilities and duties of leading peoples, our lost brothers and sisters, back to One and Only God, our Father. “Prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!  4 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low. The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley, all the sins” (Isaiah 40:2-4).  We need to support those who are weak, poor, incapacitated, rejected and excluded by society.  As kings/queens, we have to decide what is good and avoid what is bad for other lost children of God, also they are our brothers and sisters.  “Like a shepherd, he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care” (Isaiah 40:11), in their physical and material needs.

As priests/priestesses, we, baptized Christians, have the responsibilities and duties to offer our daily sacrifices to God.  Our prayers, meditations and reflections, and devotions, our constant communications to God – not for ourselves but for others who forgot how to give praises and thanksgiving to God’s graces.   “For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age” (Titus 2:11-12).  Also, our constant reading of the bible, especially the gospel and applying them in our lives; then, our heart, mind, soul and body are tune-in in God’s word regularly, to understand God’s messages in our lives.  Then, our prayers for our loved one, our constant Eucharistic thanksgiving sacrifices – that every time we receive the Word and the Body and Blood of Christ, we offer to God the perfect sacrifice of His Son, for the remission and forgiveness of the sins of the world, “who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).  And other minute and grand sacrifices to God serve as our ministry and service for Him through our brothers and sisters in their spiritual needs.

And, as prophets/prophetesses, we have the responsibilities and duties to announce the good news to others, and to denounce bad news that destroy human core values, life, properties; and even destructions of ecology, environment through illegal loggings and quarrying, polluting of air, land, water, sea; disrespect of the integrity of creation, killing animals, plants, insects.  We, as baptized Christians have to denounce the anomalies, corruptions, embezzlements, stealing whoever he/she is, whatever position he/she holds; due to injustices to small or large group of people who deserve just services and human rights and basic needs.  But also, we have to announce whatever good done to us because sometimes or most of the times, we do not give thanks in return to people who sacrificed a lot for us and for the common good and for good cause.  When they are already dead, we give them recognition, instead of when they are still alive and can feel our heartfelt gratitude.  “Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings. Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news!” (Isaiah 40:9).  Do not be afraid in announcing and denouncing the messages of God for His people; for this will bring good to the rest of the humanity.  “Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!  10 Here comes with power the Lord GOD, who rules by his strong arm” (Isaiah 40:9-10).  We who announced and denounced the messages of God, He will say to us later, “Here is his reward with him, his recompense before him” (Isaiah 40:10).  Above all, He will declare to us, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22).

Question(s) for Reflection:

1.  Do you appreciate your Baptism?

2.  How can you improve your baptized life?

3.  Do you work your responsibilities and duties as baptized Christians?

Epiphany of the Lord

Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord – Year C

January 6, 2013

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

Responsorial Psalm: 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

We, today and forever, are the co-heirs with, or members of the same family, and sharers of the promise made through our Lord Jesus Christ, preached in the gospel.  As what St. Paul said to the Ephesians, in the second reading, “God’s secret plan was revealed unknown to men in former ages but now revealed by the Holy Spirit to the prophets and to the apostles”(3:5).  This secret plan was hidden since time immemorial and later it was revealed during the times of Prophets Micah and Isaiah, and afterwards to Mary and Joseph and to his the holy apostles.  This secret is this: “. . . that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph.3:6).

How lucky we are and in truth we are indeed fortunate for God has chosen us to become His co-heirs of His Son (tagapag-mana), members of His family for He is our Father and we are His children, and sharers of His Reign-Kingdom, due to His mercy and goodness to us.  This was not known to others because they became stubborn of mind and heart, hard of body and soul.  Now, this hidden secret plan of God became known to us through the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph.3:2-6), and through our Lord Jesus Christ who made us his own, for him, through him and in him, and the fullness of life comes from him.

For Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of man, is the Bright Rising Star (Talang Maliwanang) who will guide us and illumine our way of life and our world, despite there is “darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples” (Isaiah 60:2).  In the time of Micah and during Isaiah’s period, they saw, as it was revealed to them by God, the coming of this Light: “But upon you the Lord shines and over you appears his glory.  Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance” (Isaiah 60:2-3).  When the Light comes, he will bring shining glory to Jerusalem, the City of God, and His glory will be shower on us, too.  Nevertheless, we have to expect darkness and thick clouds that will blockade and obstruct our life and our world.  Yet, it cannot suppress its coming and this Light will permeate and infuse, and pass through the dark thick clouds; and, be overpowered by His glory.  His reign will cover all – lands, nations, peoples, and all kingdoms will come to Him.  “They all gather and come to you . . . 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” (Isaiah 60:4-6).

In his birth, wise men and women and their companions were traveling guided by the bright rising star, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Matthew 2:2).  And the same, as we expected, the dark thick clouds cover the sky so that people in Jerusalem could not see the Light.  See what happened to all chief priests and scribes, and king, they were “greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born” (Mt. 2:3-4).  They have to consult the Book of the Prophet Micah about the birth of the new king and ruler of Israel.  (See First Reading of the 4^th Sunday of Advent).  Besides, this dark thick cloud, which is given a name – King Herod, made confusion and misleading to the people of Israel, that is why they did not see the rising star, except those afar from his rule and from a faraway countries of the East - from Midian (the modern-day Iran and Iraq), Ephah (Saudi Arabia), and Sheba (Yemen).  We called them wise men, three kings (because of the number of gifts), or astrologers (seers, clairvoyants), or magi, and unknown women and their companions. 

When they left the palace of King Herod, the sky that was shielded by dark thick clouds became clear again and the star appeared once more to them and guided them until they found the new born King of Israel.  “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” (Mt.2:9).  When they found the child Jesus, they experienced unexplainable joy and happiness; they were full of rejoicing and praising.  This was the same experienced in Isaiah: “All proclaiming the praises of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).   And in Matthew: “They were overjoyed at seeing the star” (2:10).  When they reached the house, (no more in the cave or in a manger), “and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother” (Mt.2:11).  Most probably, Jesus was no longer an infant; he may be one or two years old already.  We may say that the expedition of the wise men and companions took them one to two years journey to reach Jerusalem.  And also, King Herod killed all new born boys and children in Jerusalem aged one to two years old.  “. . . They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then, they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Mt.2:11; see also Isaiah 60:6).  These gifts they brought from their countries are fitted for the king, priest and prophet.  We also received these three gifts during our Baptism.

These wise men (and women and companions) were most probably astrologers (i.e., seers, clairvoyants, mystics) and/or astronomers (starwatchers) who can read the movements of the stars, planets, comets, meteors, etc. in the sky.  They were symbolizing also of different classes of peoples, who have their own beliefs, cultures, religions, knowledge and wisdom, and all; and yet, despite of many differences they became one and united in their pursuit, one in journey, one place of destination, with one purpose and reached in one convergence – to see the Light that is shining, the Bright Shining Star (Talang Maliwanag) rising – “the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory” (Isaiah 60:2).  The same Light that guided these wise people will guide us also in our ways and will point the right direction, in order to pass through the dark thick clouds, and to reach our one common goal.  This Light, this rising star seen from the Far East will deliver us also as He delivered from dangers and harm, even death, these wise people.  “And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way” (Mt.2:12).  Also, we, as children of the Light from God, we must not be overcome by the shadow of death and “darkness covers the earth and thick clouds cover the peoples” (Isaiah 60:2).  Rather, drive them away; do not be like the chief priests and scribes, and King Herod who were not able to see the rising star, the Light of the newborn King and ruler of Israel, that will shepherd them, Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Son of man – of Mary and Joseph.  And, they were needed to be told by the wise men and women from the Far East – Midian, Ephah and Sheba, to inform them of this wonderful news – this day God becomes man for us all humankind, and become His coheirs, members and sharers of His promise.

We, today, are the living witnesses, coheirs, members and sharers of this good news.  On our part, we have to bring this Light, this newborn King, born in Bethlehem, Judea, whose star is rising and seen from the Far East, whose name pronounced by the Archangel Gabriel, Jesus, the Son of Mary and Joseph, to all peoples, nations, to different lands, with joy and gladness.  Despite we came from different nations, countries, races, languages, colors, cultures, mentalities, background, tribes, etc., yet we are also these “nations walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.  Raise your eyes and look about;” we as “they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses” (Isaiah 60:3-4).  In spite of differences, we have one, common goal, united in one journey, and reaching one convergence – that is, to offer the best gifts, “come bearing gold and frankincense, [and myrrh]” (Isaiah 60:6; Mt. 2:11), as our signs of worship and acknowledging the newborn King as our ruler and shepherd of our lives by “proclaiming the praises of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).  “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you” (Psalm 72:11), in us.

Question(s) for Reflection:

1.  What is the significance or purpose or reason of the Epiphany (that is, manifestation, appearance) of the Lord to humanity?  Why is the Star in Bethlehem shown upon the wise men and women and companions from the Far East?

2.  Why the Child Jesus’s birth made known far and wide despite the silence and secret of His conception and birth?  Only Mary and Joseph, and Elizabeth knew through the Archangel Gabriel’s announcement the coming of the Son of God – to be called Jesus; then, why is it the wise men and women and companions, or magi and kings knew also the birth of the new king in Bethlehem?

3.  Do you believe that you are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through this good news?  How would you preserve these against the darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples?