The Epiphany of the Lord (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: The light and glory of God is revealed in Jesus, our Savior.
Theme: Jesus, our Savior, is revealed when we honor Him with our time, talent and treasure.
Promise: “…He shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.” (Ps 72:12)
Reflection:
After celebrating Christmas and leaving the old year, we have been brought to the awareness that the light of God has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon all of us. What a hopeful and wonderful message as we start our faith journey for the New Year. The great solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is about God showing Himself to us in so many ways. Yet, unless our spiritual eyes are opened, we will not see and know God in the person of Christ. One of the great challenges of today is to open our hearts and invite others to open their hearts too. Sometimes, all we see is what is around us, in the physical experiences thru our limited minds. But with deep and inspired faith, we can see that God is within all creation, for He is Emmanuel – God is with us!
Epiphany reminds us of our passage into another year following the individual path which we alone are meant to travel. Life is a pilgrimage, a long journey, but we need not necessarily travel alone in the dark in search of our destination. The Gospel simply mentions a star, something that entered the horizon of the wise men; it changed their life and prompted their journey. The “star” that comes into our life can change us very powerfully as we begin to see more accurately the truth about ourselves, about others, about the community and, more importantly, about the Lord. It is a course that could and should lead us to a deeper understanding of God’s ways.
Our theme for the week tells us that – Jesus, our Savior, is revealed when we honor Him with our time, talent and treasure. In the Epiphany of the Lord, the magi were the first to offer the very best of their gifts to Jesus. Think of that special gift that you can offer to Jesus this year. Is it your time and strength in furtherance of the gospel? Is it your treasure and knowledge that will deepen the faith of others? Whatever it is, Jesus deserves that best from us giving from our willingness and obedience to His calling. We should not count the cost in serving the Lord and following His plans for us because He is our Lord and Savior. God will always give us the inspiration to persevere in this journey for as long as we walk with Him and give all our service for His greater glory.
Jesus is in the poor. He is in the hungry and homeless. He is with anyone who is in dire need of our help, care and love. He is in the victims of the recent devastating typhoon Odette. But sometimes we disregard or ignore them because we are more focused on our many self-centered undertakings. We should imitate the wise men who gave up their comfort zone to find Jesus. And they did not mind when they found a lowly baby in a manger. They were focused on the truth that He is God-sent, and then they adored and offered Him gifts worthy for the rich and the anointed.
Jesus is the True Light that brings us closer to the Father in heaven. With our Lord Jesus guiding us in our spiritual journey, we will always find our way back to God. After the long holiday enjoyment and as we are back to our usual daily grind, how did the Light of Christ affect us? Christ’s light continues to shine in our midst through the very Eucharist we celebrate. His light illumines us in the daily challenges that are ahead of us, and we remain hopeful and optimistic as we embrace His promise – “…He shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him,” (Ps 72:12).
Prayer:
God of heaven and earth, from the breath of Your great love came the creation of the world. We are amazed at the vast beauty of the night sky and at the intimate nature of Your love for us, Your children. Be our daily star, guiding our lives in journeying towards Your kingdom. May we always follow Your light of Truth in all that we do, forever trusting, hoping and believing in Your word. Lift our eyes to see Your eternal life shining brightly, leading us home. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- To be a witness using your life’s testimony, how do you respond to God’s calling?
- What best gift can you offer to Jesus this 2022?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
Jan 2, 2019 (Sun) – Is 60:1-6/ Ps 72:1, 2, 7, 8, 10-13/ Eph 3:2, 3, 5, 6/ Mt 2:1-12
Jan 3, 2019 (Mon) – 1Jn 3:22-4:6/ Ps 2:7, 8, 10-12/ Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
Jan 4, 2019 (Tue) – 1Jn 4:7-10/ Ps 72:1-4, 7, 8/ Mk 6:34-44
Jan 5, 2019 (Wed) – 1Jn 4:11 – 18/ Ps 72:1, 2, 10, 12, 13/ Mk 6:45-52
Jan 6, 2019 (Thu) – 1Jn 4:19-5:4/ Ps 72:1, 2, 14, 15, 17/ Lk 4:14-22
Jan 7, 2019 (Fri) – 1Jn 5:5-13/ Ps 147:12-15, 19, 20/ Lk 5:12-16
Jan 8, 2019 (Sat) – 1Jn 5:14-21/ Ps 149:1-6, 9/ Jn 3:22-30
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
