{"id":4124,"date":"2025-12-30T15:11:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T20:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/?p=4124"},"modified":"2026-01-07T15:50:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T20:50:27","slug":"the-epiphany-of-the-lordyear-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/index.php\/2025\/12\/30\/the-epiphany-of-the-lordyear-a\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2014The Epiphany of the Lord\u2014Year A"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\u2014The Epiphany of the Lord\u2014Year A<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Reading I<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Isaiah 60:1-6<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, 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, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Responsorial Psalm<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.<\/strong><\/em>
O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king\u2019s son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.<\/strong><\/em>
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.<\/em><\/strong>
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, <\/em>all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.<\/em><\/strong>
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Reading II<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God\u2019s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Alleluia<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Matthew 2:2<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
R. Alleluia, alleluia.<\/strong> <\/em>
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
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Gospel<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Matthew 2:1-12<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, \u201cWhere is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.\u201d When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, \u201cIn Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.\u201d Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star\u2019s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, \u201cGo and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.\u201d After their audience with the king they set out. 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. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Exegesis<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Isaiah 60:1-6<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
Our beautiful passage from Third or Trito Isaiah was selected by the early Church Fathers as the first reading
for the liturgy on the Feast of the Epiphany. The setting of the reading is Jerusalem. A remnant of the Israelite
People has recently returned home from exile in Babylon to rebuild their city, their temple and their
lives. The 60th Chapter of Isaiah is sometimes titled, The Glorious New Zion. Recall that during this time
known as the Diaspora most of the Jewish people are scattered throughout the Near East. Through the
Prophet Isaiah, God is calling His people home. Jerusalem must be a light shining from the heights, reflecting
the Glory of God, drawing all people home to God.
The expression Glory of God appears 8 times in this chapter. The Hebrew Kabod Yahweh runs through the
Old Testament. The etymology of the Hebrew word, kabod, translated doxa in Greek, glory in English,
speaks of the bright majesty of God. The word speaks of a sense of majesty of the fullness of light, of wisdom,
of beauty which are worthy of honor and praise. At His birth the angels sing of the Glory of God now
made manifest in Jesus. \u201cIn times past. God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the
prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir to all things and through whom
he created the universe, who is the refulgence of His Glory\u2026\u201d (Heb 1: 1-3). \u201cAnd the Word became flesh
and made His dwelling among us, and we see His Glory and the Glory of the Father\u2019s only Son full of grace
and truth.\u201d (Jn 1: 14). The Glory of God must also be seen in and through us. \u201cFor it is fitting that He, for
whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader of their
salvation perfect through suffering.\u201d (Heb 3: 10).
\u201cYour light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.\u201d (Is 60: 1). Whether it is glory shining or
bright majesty, the concept of glory and light goes hand-in-hand. The imagery of light runs through sacred
scripture from beginning to end. In the beginning God said, \u201cLet there be light and there was light.\u201d (Gen 1:
3). In the end, \u201cNight will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun for the Lord God shall give
them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.\u201d (Rev 22: 5). A few versus later in Chapter 60, Isaiah
foreshadows this passage from The Book of Revelation, \u201cThe sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for
brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and
your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for
the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. (Is 60:19-20).
For now, Jesus is our light, \u201cAs long as I am in the world, I AM the Light of the World.\u201d (Jn. 9: 5). We as
followers of Jesus are called to be that light, \u201cI AM the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will not
walk in darkness but will have the light of life.\u201d (Jn. 8:12). With the indwelling presence of Jesus His light
will shine through us. Jesus reminds us that we are called to be light on a lampstand for all to see.
Light is a part of created reality. \u201cGod said, \u2018let there be light and there was light.\u2019\u201d Light travels through
space at 186,000 miles per second. God is the source of light. Darkness is nothing. It is an absence of light.
Throughout Sacred Scripture light is contrasted with darkness, lack of faith, separation from God and even
death.
In the incarnation, Jesus is the glory of God made visible. \u201cAnd the Word became flesh and made His dwelling
among us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the Father\u2019s only Son, full of grace and truth.\u201d (Jn. 1:14).
As a foreshadowing of the Magi, Isaiah writes: \u201cdromedaries from Midean and Ephah: all from Sheba shall
come bearing gold and frankincense.\u201d Note that the myrrh is missing. Perhaps this reflects the limited understanding
of the promised Messiah. The gold represents the world, the frankincense is indicative of divinity,
and the myrrh is a burial ointment signifying Jesus\u2019 passion and death. The Jewish people were expecting
a worldly, political savior who would save them from tyranny. The Magi, filled with the light of faith, revealed
Jesus as the suffering servant, the Son of God.
The Magi were Gentiles who followed a star. A star can be seen by all. Jesus is drawing all people to Himself.
\u201cGod wills that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.\u201d (1 Tim 2: 3).
The Israelite People saw themselves as the Chosen People. Some may have misunderstood that in an exclusive
manner, but the Lord has chosen them for a mission, to be a light to all nations. \u201cI (Yahweh) will bless
you (Abraham) abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of
the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all
the nations of the earth shall find blessing.\u201d (Gen 21: 17-18). \u201cIt is too little, He (Yahweh) says, for you
(Israel) to be My servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a
light to the nations that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.\u201d (Is 49: 6). (See also Sir 44: 21 and
Zech 2: 11). St. Paul describes this universal call in Christ. \u201cFor all who were baptized into Christ have
clothed themselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham\u2019s descendant, heirs according to the promise.\u201d (Gal 3: 26-29).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13.<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
Psalm 72 and Psalm 127 are titled Of Solomon. Only these two psalms make that claim. Psalm 72 is titled A Prayer for the King \u2013 Of Solomon. It consists of 20 verses. Verse 20 is as follows: \u201cThe end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.\u201d The New Jerome Biblical Commentary dates this psalm as early as the 10th Century B.C.1
The Psalm proclaims the never-ending Kingdom under the lineage of King David, e.g., \u201cMay he live as long as the sun endures.\u201d (Ps 72:5). \u201cMay his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun, may his name endure.\u201d (Ps 72:17a).
The Psalm supports the theme of the universal call of all people to God. \u201cMay the tribes of the earth give blessing to his name; may all the nations regard him as favored.\u201d (Ps 72:17b). This universal call to all peoples reinforces the promises found in Gen. 12:3, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14, 48:20, Sir 44:21, Is 49:6 and Zech 2:11. (See exegesis on Isaiah 60: 1-6 above).
Psalm 72 speaks of our right relationship with God, that in the presence of God\u2019s Glory we are called to bow down in adoration. \u201cMay the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.\u201d (Ps 72:10).
O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; he shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. The Prophet Isaiah confirms this promise of God. \u201cFor a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon His shoulder dominion rests. They name Him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David\u2019s throne, and over his king-dom, which He confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.\u201d (Is 9: 5-6).
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. The Hebrew word that is trans-lated in this verse as justice is saddiq which is also translated as righteous or devout. The Hebrew word that is translated as peace is shalom. In Jewish thought, Shalom has its origin in God. The vast territory described in this verse confirms the universality of God\u2019s call. The River is the Euphrates. \u201cAnd I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Phil-istines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates.\u201d (Ex 23: 31). The Psalmist extends this to the ends of the earth.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage; all nations shall serve him. Tarshish is in southern Spain, the Isles are those of the Mediterranean, Arabia is the Arabian Peninsula and Seba is in northern Africa. This wide territory represents the far corners of the earth. The Hebrew word that is translated in this verse as homage is heyvovhey. The word is also translated as worship, bow down, fall down, and prostrate. The Hebrew word that is translated in this verse as nations is goy. Goy can also be translated as people, pagan, heathen, and Gentile.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. There are three different Hebrew words to describe the words translated as poor, afflicted, and low-ly. All three describe the human condition in dire need. Job describes those in need as fol-lows: \u201cFor I rescued the poor who cried out for help, the orphans, and the unassisted.\u201d (Job 29: 12). The Hebrew word that is translated in this verse as pity also means to look on with compassion. The Hebrew word that is translated as save in this verse is the word that forms the root of the word Yeshua.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Brown, Fitzmyer, Murphy; New Jerome Biblical Commentary; P.H.; Englewood Cliffs, N.J.; page 538.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
The Apostle to the Gentiles was chosen by the Risen Lord in a particularly dramatic way. \u201cOn his journey, as he was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him, He fell to the ground\u2026\u201d (Acts 9: 3). Saul was blinded, thrown into darkness until Ananias prayed over him saying, \u201cSaul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way, that you may gain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d (Acts 9:17), It is through the light of the Holy Spirit that the mystery is made known to Paul. As in the experience of the Magi, the heavenly light and the inner light come into alignment. The revelation through that light is a universal call to salvation. \u201cFor so the Lord has commanded us, saying, \u2018I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.\u2019 \u201d (Acts 13:47).
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God\u2019s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. The Greek word that is translated in this verse, and throughout Paul\u2019s writings, as stew-ardship is oikonomia. Oikonomia was most often used to describe the management of a household by an indentured servant. Paul is speaking of the household of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Paul views the gifts that he has received through grace and revelation as grave responsibility to fulfill the mission that has been entrusted to him. The Greek word that is translated as mystery is mysterion. Mysterion appears 28 times in the NT and six times in Ephesians. Jesus used the word mysterion to describe the kingdom of heaven. \u201cThe disciples approached Him and said, \u2018Why do you speak to them in parables?\u2019 He said to them in reply, \u2018Because knowledge of the mysteries (mysterion) of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.\u2019\u201d (Mt 13: 10-11). The Hebrew equivalent of mysterion is raz. Raz ap-pears numerous times in the Book of Daniel. The Prophet writes: \u201cThere is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries (raz). As he interprets King Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s dream, Daniel writes: \u201cHe (God) reveals deep and hidden things and knows what is in the dark-ness, for light dwells with Him.\u201d (Dan 2: 22). God revealed to Daniel the meaning of the dream and the vision given to the king. The vision was of a statue in the form of a man made of gold, iron and bronze with the king as the head. The statue crumbled which represented the fall of all earthly kingdoms. Daniel was given the vision of an everlasting kingdom. The mystery that Paul now sees is that everlasting kingdom in the form of the Mystical Body of Christ, with Christ Himself as the head.
The Greek word that is translated in this verse as revelation is apokalypsis. Apokalypsis literally means to remove the veil. It means to uncover, disclose, make fully known.
It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. The Greek word that is translated as revealed is again apokalypsis. The word that is translated as Gentiles in this verse is ethnos. Ethnos can also be translated as nation, people, heathen, or pagan. The Greek word that is translated as coheirs in this verse is synkleronomos. Synkler-onomos describes a gift that is freely given to be shared equally with joint or fellow heirs. The Israelite People saw themselves as the Chosen People, descendants of Abraham. (See exegesis above on Isaiah 60: 1-6). St. Paul reveals a universal call in Christ and articulates this truth as follows: \u201cFor all who were baptized into Christ have clothed themselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham\u2019s descendant, heirs according to the promise.\u201d (Gal 3: 26-29).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Matthew 2:1-12<\/strong><\/span><\/a>
The story of the Magi is unique to Matthew\u2019s Gospel. Matthew moves quickly from the ge-nealogy and the brief nativity story into the beautiful story of the Magi. In doing so Mat-thew is placing Jesus at once into a specific time and place, into the drama of human history. Even as a newborn infant, Jesus is being adored by some and rejected by others. The miracu-lous birth of new life and the death of the innocent children form a stark contrast. The forces of good and evil clash. The Glory of God fills the earth, and Satan is already working through Herod to kill the child.
The Magi were inquiring about the birth of the newborn King of the Jews. King of the Jews was a title that was used by Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.) and later used by Herod the Great. Herod, therefore, would have naturally viewed this child as a rival, a threat to his kingship. Herod was appointed as King of the Jews by the Roman senate in 40 B.C. and reigned until his death in 4 B.C. Most scholars agree that Jesus was born in the year 7 or 6 B.C.
The Magi followed the guidance of a star. This event was foretold in the O.T. and alluded to in the Book of Revelation. \u201cI see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.\u201d (Num 24: 17). \u201cI, Jesus, sent by an angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the root and offspring of Da-vid, the bright morning star.\u201d (Rev 22: 16).
The term Magi originally referred to a caste of Persian priests with special claims to interpret dreams.2 In this pericope they appear to be astrologers who looked to the stars to reveal ma-jor worldly events. The gifts they bring suggests they were from Arabia or the Syrian De-sert. Wherever they are from, they are obviously Gentiles, as they do not know of the proph-ecy of the Christ Child.
The assembled chief priests and scribes evoke visions of them assembled years later at the trial of Jesus. They inform the Magi that the child was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. To substantiate this claim they quote from both the prophets Micah and Samuel, i.e. Mic 5: 1-2 and 2 Sam 5:2. \u201cBut you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Ju-dah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler of Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.\u201d (Mic 5: 1-2). \u201cAnd the Lord said to you, \u2018You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.\u2019\u201d (2 Sam 5: 2). Bethlehem in the land of Judah, or Bethlehem-Ephrathah must be distinguished from Bethlehem of Galilee. Bethle-hem of Judah is the birthplace of Jesse and his son David. It is five miles south of Jerusa-lem. John confirms this prophecy. \u201cDoes not scripture say that the Messiah will be of Da-vid\u2019s family and come from Bethlehem?\u201d (Jn 7: 42).
Through the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh the identity of the child is revealed. Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Gold represents His earthly kingship. The sign on the cross will be correct; He is the King of the Jews. Frankincense reveals His divine nature, He is the Son of God. Myrrh is a burial ointment. As a gift to the child, it was given to Mary for Him. Im-agine the thoughts going through Mary\u2019s mind and heart as she held the burial ointment for her newborn child. Recall that the expectation of the long-awaited Messiah was misunder-stood by most, including the apostles. They were hoping for a political king in the lineage of David to restore the house of Israel, to free them from years of oppression. Jesus is revealed as the suffering servant, the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world. By dy-ing he will restore our life. The Light of life, life eternal, is revealed to us in the events that we call the Epiphany.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Harrington, Daniel J; The Gospel of Matthew\u2014The Sacra Pagina Series; L.P.; Collegeville, MN; page 42.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The title of this great feast is a little misleading because it is not the Lord that has an Epiphany. It could be titled the Epiphany of the World. It is the three Wise Men that have the epiphany with the world looking on.
An epiphany is a revelation, a discovery. It is a revelation of a destination by way of the arrival at that destination. Although the wise men came to a specific geographic destination, the stable in Bethlehem, the physical place is symbolic of a deeper arrival. It is the arrival of a state of being. By the guidance of a star and an interior prompting; an exterior light and an inner light come together. They both lead back to the source of all light, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
The Wise Men, sometimes called Magi or Kings, were thought to be teachers in the royal courts in the East. They were a part of a royal family and so would have enjoyed all the comforts available at the time. Yet, something within them led them to go searching for something more. An inner light led them to begin a difficult and dangerous journey through the desert into the darkness of night. The inner light moved them to follow a star, an exter-nal guiding light. The star stopped in perfect alignment with the child Jesus. The light of heaven led them to the light of the world. That light was now in the world, lying in a man-ger. The light of heaven and the light of the world are now one, in the person, Jesus Christ.
All of us have access to that same inner light in the depth of our souls. St. Augustine called this inner light, divine illumination. It is the presence of the risen Lord. Jesus looks to draw us and to lead us to the Father. This is the aspect of faith that is pure gift. It is called one of the theological virtues because God is the source.
Like the Magi we are called to respond to the inner light and to seek the guidance of heavenly light to lead and guide our lives through the desert, through the darkness of this world. Dante once said, \u201cLife is like waking up in the middle of a forest standing at the fork of a road and not knowing which way to travel.\u201d We all need the guidance of the Light of the World.
Like the Magi we would be wise to journey together. We are all companions on the same journey. Together we can share light and brighten the path for each other. Many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have been a bright source of light for me over the years, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Jesus reminds us through His parables that we are called to become the light set on a lamp stand for all to see. By allowing the Light of Christ to shine in our lives we will be-come the heavenly light shining in our world. The light of heaven and the light of the world must become one in us. When this happens, it is called an Epiphany. We ask the Holy Spir-it to enlighten us as we pray, come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of us Your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Amen.<\/p>

In Christ’s Love,<\/p>

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My maternal grandparents owned a small dairy farm in an extremely remote area of the county. The farm is situated on a beautiful property with rolling hills and has two separate rivers running through it. One river forms the northern boundary, and the second river bor-ders the eastern. The two-story farmhouse and the barn were both built by my grandfather. The farmhouse and the barn were constructed about 300 yards apart positioned on the high-est hill on the property and the highest elevation in the county. On this small subsistence farm my mother and her nine brothers were raised.
As a child I have many fond memories of life on the farm. My grandmother cooked on a wood stove and the kitchen was always filled with the aroma of fresh baked bread and other delights. The home was full of love and of faith. I enjoyed spending time on the farm with my grandparents. I worked on the farm and neighboring farms through my teenage years.
One of my earliest memories on the farm took place when I was seven years old. I was helping grandpa with the milking. My job was to distribute the oats and the hay to the cows while grandpa was doing his thing on the other end. As grandpa was finishing transferring the milk cans to the cooler, he sent me back to the house.
It was an extremely cold January evening. It was well below zero. The only visible lights were the dim glow coming from the barn and a little dim light coming from the farmhouse windows. About halfway to the house I recall coming to a complete stop. Standing in that extreme cold I felt frozen in time. In every direction 360 degrees at eye level all I could see were stars, billions, and billions of stars. It seemed as if I could reach out and touch them. It was the most breathtaking sky I had ever seen and have ever seen to this day. What I experi-enced at that moment I have always had difficulty finding words to describe. I felt the em-brace and the warmth of God\u2019s love. I knew that God was real, that God loved me, and that God had a plan for my life. I remember feeling this profound connection with God and with the entire universe. I knew that I was a part of God\u2019s creation. I was overcome by the glory and the beauty and the immensity of God and of His universe. And at that moment I knew that I was an integral part of God and His creation. I knew that God did not want a universe without me. The touch of my grandfather\u2019s big hand grabbing mine brought me back to earth. I could smell the fresh baked bread as we neared the house.
Many times, in my life I have returned to that place, physically and spiritually. It would be easy to feel lost or insignificant in the experience of spans of the universe. I think that many people often do. I did not. I felt a profound connection with God and with all that He created. The heavenly light and a deep inner light within me seemed as one. I experienced the immensity and grandeur of God, perhaps the Glory of God. This was and will always remain, my Epiphany.<\/p>

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI first encountered Fr. Glenn\u2019s preaching on Ash Wednesday, 2006.\u00a0 It only took one homily, and my family and I realized that Fr. Glenn has a very special gift.\u00a0 Fr. Glenn is clearly very spiritual, and that comes through in all of his homilies and reflections.\u00a0 His spirituality is not aloof, or inaccessible.\u00a0 His holiness is authentic, grounded, accessible and on fire.\u00a0 And, that fire is shared, such that the listener also becomes on fire, and inspired to go deeper with Scripture, with God and with our neighbor.\u00a0 Fr. Glenn has inspired me to engage at the deepest level and to work to find my spiritual path, always encouraging, mentoring, coaching.\u00a0 I would strongly encourage anyone who can to attend one of his Masses, homilies, or podcasts.\u00a0 Catch the fire of the Holy Spirit working through Fr. Glenn!!!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFr. Glenn has many charisms, which he displays by his compassion, theological intelligence, spirituality, and love of God. His compassion is continually displayed when he visits the sick of the parish. His manner of prayer and conversation is definitively a gift from God. His spirituality is very evident when he preaches. His homilies are instructive, encouraging and centered on God\u2019s infinite love for each of us. Fr. Glenn is a teacher, a mentor, and a wonderful listener who encourages those around him to follow Jesus more closely. He is Spirit filled, Spirit led and Spirit giving!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Reading I Isaiah 60:1-6Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunday-readings"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2014The Epiphany of the Lord\u2014Year A - The Gratitude Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gratitudefoundation.us\/index.php\/2025\/12\/30\/the-epiphany-of-the-lordyear-a\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2014The Epiphany of the Lord\u2014Year A - The Gratitude Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Reading I Isaiah 60:1-6Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. 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Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. 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