"Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." Matthew 2:1-12
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day
Today we recall the magi, who, drawn by the star, journeyed from distant lands to find the newborn king of the Jews and present him with their finest gifts. We each make our own journey to the Lord, and when we come to celebrate the Eucharist we offer our finest gifts—our prayers, our lives, our future—to him whose birth we have just marked. Let us in turn welcome all those who are making their journeys from near and far to worship the Lord.
Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word
When Isaiah wrote the poem that we hear today, the Israelites had just returned from decades of exile in Babylon. Judah was devastated and left desolate, but Isaiah saw it through eyes of faith. The magi must have seen with eyes of faith as well in order to present a newborn in a feeding trough with expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. As members of the one body of Christ, let us listen to God’s word with ears of faith, recognizing ourselves in those who come to praise and worship the Lord.
Reflections
Light is an invaluable resource. It’s no accident that in Genesis we hear that it was created first. In complete darkness, we are all blind. For millennia, the stars enabled travelers to navigate at night and light from the moon enabled them to see their way. When the Israelites’ long exile ended, Isaiah pointed to Jerusalem as a beacon, shining radiantly to draw families, rulers, and foreigners to its glory, even as it was still rebuilding after years of desolation. So too the star above nearby Bethlehem drew the magi, though it was to a humble stable, inhabited by a family that to Herod would have looked absolutely unremarkable. We may feel that we have nothing radiant in us or in our lives, but with the light of Christ in us we are in fact blessed with a source of light for ourselves and others.
Today—January 7—is the date on which Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas, based on the old Julian calendar. In today’s second reading we hear Saint Paul explicitly state that Gentiles are “members of the same body.” This was not a foregone conclusion. Paul could have written that Gentiles were second-class members or members of a lesser body. But the early church determined that the body of Christ is one and that all followers belong to it. So too today with all Christians, no matter when they celebrate Christ’s birth.
The magi were truly wise, for not only did they set out at once for Judea once they saw the star at its rising, they also changed their plan to return to Herod after finding the child. They had an epiphany, as it were, after encountering the Messiah, after finding him in a place they could not have anticipated when they’d left their homes. We would do well to be open to epiphanies of our own after an unexpected encounter with the Lord.
Question of the Week
Have I had an epiphany, a sudden insight, after an experience where I’ve recognized an encounter with Christ? If I cannot recall one, can I imagine how it could happen?
-from Pastoral Patterns
readings of the mass
LISTEN HEREto the Audio Recordings of the Readings of Sunday, January 7, 2024
SELECT HEREfor the Readings of Sunday, January 7, 2024
Offerings
The Sunday offerings are a portion of our blessings that we give to God (Church) in gratitude to what God has done for us...ONLINE GIVING OPTIONS
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