The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today celebrate the Epiphany that marks the invitation to all people to belong to Christ’s community.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah describes the ingathering of the dispersed from exile in Babylon.
* [60:1–9] The light the prophet proclaims to Zion symbolizes the blessing to come to her: the glory of the Lord, the return of her children, the wealth of nations who themselves will walk by her light. The passage is famous from its use in the Latin liturgy for the feast of Epiphany. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 60, n.d.)
Psalm 72 is a prayer for Guidance and Support for the King.
* [Psalm 72] A royal Psalm in which the Israelite king, as the representative of God, is the instrument of divine justice (Ps 72:1–4, 12–14) and blessing (Ps 72:5–7, 15–17) for the whole world. The king is human, giving only what he has received from God. Hence intercession must be made for him. The extravagant language is typical of oriental royal courts. (Psalms, PSALM 72, n.d.)
The reading from the Letter to the Ephesians is the Commission to preach God’s Plan to sharers in the promise.
[3:2] Stewardship: the Greek is the same term employed at Eph 1:10 for the plan that God administers (Col 1:25) and in which Paul plays a key role.
* [3:3–4] The mystery: God’s resolve to deliver Gentiles along with Israel through Christ; cf. notes on Eph 1:10; 3:9. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew describes the Visit of the Wise Men.
* [2:1] In the days of King Herod: Herod reigned from 37 to 4 B.C. Magi: originally a designation of the Persian priestly caste, the word became used of those who were regarded as having more than human knowledge. Matthew’s magi are astrologers.
* [2:2] We saw his star: it was a common ancient belief that a new star appeared at the time of a ruler’s birth. Matthew also draws upon the Old Testament story of Balaam, who had prophesied that “A star shall advance from Jacob” (Nm 24:17), though there the star means not an astral phenomenon but the king himself.
* [2:4] Herod’s consultation with the chief priests and scribes has some similarity to a Jewish legend about the child Moses in which the “sacred scribes” warn Pharaoh about the imminent birth of one who will deliver Israel from Egypt and the king makes plans to destroy him.
* [2:11] Cf. Ps 72:10, 15; Is 60:6. These Old Testament texts led to the interpretation of the magi as kings. (Matthew, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)
Sherri Brown comments that in Matthew’s vocabulary, those tuned into God’s activity in creation outside of Judaism, recognize the true manifestation of God the moment they encounter it (Matt 2:1–12). They’ve come this far resulting from their openness to how God is acting in the world and have used their political connections to pursue their vocation. Now that they encounter the truth of how God is manifesting in the world, in intimate communion with all humankind, each and every human being, they forsake their political connections with Herod and follow their consciences.
God’s question for us, on this Epiphany 2023, is how we might let go of worldly affiliations, political and otherwise, to pursue God’s vocation for us in this new year based upon our openness to God and his sustaining covenantal relationship with us through Jesus, Christ and Son, who calls us to ever deepening relationship and openness to God’s plan for the world. Paul believes that God’s grace gave him a new vocation (Eph 3:2–3a). He would argue that God does the same for all of us all of the time. Our only task is to respond. (Brown, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The glory of Christ's divinity is revealed,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).
"Let us now observe how glorious was the dignity that attended the King after his birth, after the magi in their journey remained obedient to the star. For immediately the magi fell to their knees and adored the one born as Lord. There in his very cradle they venerated him with offerings of gifts, though Jesus was merely a whimpering infant. They perceived one thing with the eyes of their bodies but another with the eyes of the mind. The lowliness of the body he assumed was discerned, but the glory of his divinity is now made manifest. A boy he is, but it is God who is adored. How inexpressible is the mystery of his divine honor! The invisible and eternal nature did not hesitate to take on the weaknesses of the flesh on our behalf. The Son of God, who is God of the universe, is born a human being in the flesh. He permits himself to be placed in a manger, and the heavens are within the manger. He is kept in a cradle, a cradle that the world cannot hold. He is heard in the voice of a crying infant. This is the same one for whose voice the whole world would tremble in the hour of his passion. Thus he is the One, the God of glory and the Lord of majesty, whom as a tiny infant the magi recognize. It is he who while a child was truly God and King eternal. To him Isaiah pointed, saying, 'For a boy has been born to you; a son has been given to you, a son whose empire has been forged on his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6).'" (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 5:1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 2:1-12 encourages us that when the road to holiness turns out to be longer than we thought it would be, or when it takes an unexpected turn, picture the Magi pressing on to Bethlehem to seek the Christ child.
The Magi were “overjoyed” when they found the Lord (Matthew 2:10). Similarly, your perseverance will be rewarded with the deep-down joy that comes from knowing the overflowing love of Jesus. Surely this is a journey worth taking!
“Jesus, help me to persevere so that I can behold your glory!” (Meditation on Matthew 2:1-12, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler discusses, in the passage from Trito-Isaiah, how the people normally excluded from community with the people of Israel are invited to join the return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The syzygy that included the alignment of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in Pisces in 7 BCE may correspond with the phenomena that brought the Magi to Bethlehem around 6 BCE. Friar Jude reminds us that gifts of the Magi and their origin in a foreign land are symbols of the invitation of Christ to be received by all peoples.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the confidence that characterizes the voice of the prophets. He affirms that a prophetic call comes to each of us in our own unique way.
It’s the prophets’ initial theophany, their initial parting of the veil that seems to become the nature of how they henceforth see reality. I want you to see that because I’d like you to look at your own spiritual autobiography and see how you were formed, how and where you were led when God showed God’s face to you. It’s at that level that you know—and you know that you know. Your prophetic charism comes from your own conversion, a transformation into the mystery of God.
Paul knew that the only way this realignment would take place was through an ego-stripping experience that tears away our false and fabricated self and leads us to a new self (Ephesians 2:15; Galatians 6:15), where all contradictions can be absorbed and overcome. It had happened in him and now he saw his life as “handing on this reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18), which was always through the coincidence of opposites called the cross. (Rohr, 2020)
We are invited to ponder the moments in our journey that have been an epiphany that confirmed that we were on the path, in response to the Spirit, that brings us into a deeper relationship with God.
References
Brown, S. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/010623-Epiphany.html
Ephesians, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/3?2
Isaiah, CHAPTER 60. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/60?1
Matthew, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2?1
Meditation on Matthew 2:1-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/01/08/578033/
Psalms, PSALM 72. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/72?1
Rohr, R. (2020, July 11). Initial Conversion. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/initial-conversion-2023-01-08/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). They Fell down and Worshiped Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan8
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