Sunday Meditation: The Epiphany of the Lord

The Feast of the Epiphany is a manifestation of Jesus’s divinity.  It is a making known that God is among us, a revelation.  The three kings come to find the King of the World.

 

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?

We saw his star at its rising

and have come to do him homage.”

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, “In 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.”

Then Herod called the magi secretly

and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said,

“Go and search diligently for the child.

When you have found him, bring me word,

that I too may go and do him homage.”

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.

~Mt 2:1-12

 

Over the years I have written often on the Feast of the Epiphany and the visit of the three magi.  You can access all those posts here.  Be sure to look through my explanation of T.S. Eliot’s great poem, “Journey of the Magi,” and my review’s of Fr. Dwight Longenecker’s book on the Magi, The Mystery of the Magi. 

For a reflection on the Gospel passage this week I found Bishop Barron’s homily very profound.

 

 

I’ll also add this nice little picture summary from Aleteia of the Three Kings story with some lovely Middle Eastern music to compliment it.

 

Meditation: “They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.”