Basilica of the National Shrine
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Homiletic Pastoral Review
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Epiphany of Our Lord
Deacon Peter Trahan
In this beautiful passage from Matthew, we find the beginning of the journey of the Wise Men, “his star at its rising,” and their return journey, “they departed for their country by another way.” In this beginning and their departure, we also have the analogy of the Christian life. ….
Association of Catholic Priests
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Presents and Presence
During Christmas time we give presents to different people and others give presents to us. What’s it all about? It all goes back to the story of the wise men going to Bethlehem, falling down on their knees, and offering the best gifts they could afford to the Baby King. But Christmas is not just about giving presents. It’s more about being present, i.e. sharing ourselves with warmth, affection and sincerity.
Fr. Charles E. Irvin
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
In today’s scripture passages the language is epic, the imagery apocalyptic, the action dramatic. There is ominous danger from a tyrannical and insanely jealous king, a king who mercilessly slaughters innocent babies. There are worldly rulers of great power, wisdom, and wealth, on a quest. There is a great escape, a long journey into the land of the pyramids, that land wherein the waters of the great river Nile push back the boundaries of the death-dealing desert in order that humans might live. The hero-child, the God-Man baby, is saved in order to grow in wisdom, strength, and knowledge so that He may push back the boundaries of arid human living, and even death itself, that we might live in eternal life.
Fr. Jim Chern
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Light Pollution?
The first time hearing that phrase “Light pollution,” I was convinced it was a joke or something. Having been born and raised in Jersey and now in college in Pennsylvania, I was learning quickly the difference between the two states and about 75 miles could be at times, well, night and day. Being a lowly freshman, a group of upperclassmen this one evening were taking us to an establishment that had some liquid refreshments and suggested we could easily and safely walk there. It was after 11 pm and as we made our trek along a route that we had traveled pretty frequently back and forth to class over the first few weeks, it was amazing how dark it was at night. The heavy tree cover and this being the early 90’s, cell phones weren’t even something we imagined at that point – all of which made this path disorienting. Potholes, uneven parts of the sidewalk, roots from trees – all of which were easily avoidable during the day – at night it was one pitfall after another (and this was before we had anything to drink).
Dominican Blackfriars
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
After reading the Gospel on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, traditionally the Deacon proclaims in chant the date of Easter and the other moveable feasts for the coming year. This solemn proclamation explicitly links the Nativity of Christ to his Resurrection at Easter: it may be that the liturgical and calendar years open with the events surrounding the coming and manifestation of Christ, but at the heart of our liturgy and of the Christian faith are the events of Easter.
Bishop Robert Barron
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Fr. Austin Fleming
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Epiphany Trivia Quiz!
The problem here is that what we think we know about Epiphany came not from the scriptures but from our opening hymn, “We Three Kings” which poetically assumes that only royalty could afford such gifts and since there were three gifts, there must have been three “kings” and that’s what we find in art and in our nativity scenes at home.
Fr. Joe Jagodensky, SDS
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Epiphany’s Light
Three kings (whose names we can never remember), a villainous governor (whose name we all know), two tired parents (we know them), an unnamed donkey with a map and magic marker yellowing directions to Egypt, shepherds (all without names) wondering if their sheep are still in the hills, angels (no names provided) looming all about…and only one bright lone star constantly shining through all of our darknesses of fears, doubts, uncertainties, and despairs. As well as life’s joys, successes, and peace. Always hoping that the latter outweighs the former. The song “Away in the manager?” Forget about it.
Fr. George Smiga
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Following With or Without a Star
The first thing that is important from the Magi story is that we trust that God is leading us. The second is perhaps even more important. We must trust when it seems that God is not leading us. The Magi followed the star to Jerusalem, and there it disappeared. They gave their lives to the direction of that star, and then suddenly it was not there any longer. The trail had run cold. Abandoned and without directions in a strange city, the Magi did not panic. They consulted with Herod, they followed his instruction, and they set off for Bethlehem. In time the star reappeared, but not until they had traveled a significant distance without it.
In our lives, too, there are times where we lose direction. We begin with confidence, but then somehow lose our way. We start with clarity, but then our life becomes confused. In those moments we, like the Magi, need to continue to trust that God is with us. God is not one who begins to lead us and then abandons us. The God who sent the star is capable of continuing to lead us even without the star.
RELATED HOMILIES
Fr. Anthony Ekpunobi, C.M.
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Msgr. Joseph Pellegrino
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
The Journey
“Where am I going with my life?” we ask ourselves. Ideally, our answer should be, “I am going to Jesus, wherever He might be.” “When will I get there?” we also might ask. And we answer, “I will get there when the Lord decides that the journey of my life is complete.” For none of us has arrived at the goal of fully embracing the Lord.
We need to keep searching for Him throughout our lives. After all, our lives are journeys of love, There are always new places to find love.
We will all get to our Bethlehem’s if we are open to God’s call.
And, so, we journey, not alone, but guided, guided by an interior star, the voice of the One we love who calls to us deep within ourselves. And we go “without discerning and with no other light except for that which in our hearts is burning.”
Msgr. Charles Pope
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
There are so many wonderful details in the Epiphany story: the call of the Gentiles, their enthusiastic response, the significance of the star they seek, the gifts they bring, the dramatic interaction with Herod, and their ultimate rejection of Herod in favor of Christ.
Let’s look at the stages of their journey from being mere magi to becoming, by God’s grace, wise men.
Bishop John Louis
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Today the Church celebrates the solemn feast of the Holy Family of the child Jesus, Mother Mary and Blessed Joseph. The Holy Family is a model for all families. From their life together, we can glean some beatitudes for family life.
Fr. Michael Chua
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Tradition gives us the names of the Magi -Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior. But the fact that Matthew gives them no names is telling. They may be kings, but in this story they are merely supporting actors. They follow the true Star, the King of Kings. Only His name is important. The Feast of the Epiphany is not about the Magi–it’s all about Jesus. And just like the Bethlehem star, their very presence and gifts reveal to us who this Child is – He is our King whom we must obey and serve, He is Our Lord and God whom we must worship and finally, He is our Saviour who will die for us in expiation of our sins.
Fr. Tom Lynch
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Clergy E-Notes
“…if the family is the sanctuary of life, the place where life is conceived and cared for, it is a horrendous contradiction when it becomes a place where life is rejected and destroyed. So great is the value of a human life, and so inalienable the right to life of an innocent child growing in the mother’s womb, that no alleged right to one’s own body can justify a decision to terminate that life, which is an end in itself and which can never be considered the “property” of another human being.”
— Pope Francis
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
The Vision of Inclusion
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor prepared the following homily for Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021.
Today is the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord and central to this feast is the issue of inclusion verses exclusion…
This vision of inclusion is at the heart of our call to follow Jesus as Christians and today’s feast challenges us to become agents of inclusion in our own time and in the process discover that freedom from fear that comes from seeking to do God’s will rather than our own.
Are your words about Muslims words of inclusion or exclusion? They are the Samaritans of our day. How about people who experience same-sex attraction? The Church is — and should be — a motley group. That is part of the picture when you choose inclusion rather than exclusion, and Jesus loves us for it!
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
No one can extinguish your star
Epiphany is a feast of the universality of salvation. That is why Isaiah will insist on the fact that “The nations shall come to your light…all are assembling”. This means that people from all other countries will come to see the light. Paul in the second reading in a more religious sense insists that “Pagans now share the same inheritance the Jews”. The psalmist also insists that “All nations shall fall prostrate before you O lord”. The shining light and the star of the newborn king will shine on all nations and none can extinguish it.
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
The Perfect Gift
In his homily, Fr. Hahn encourages listeners to consider times when they’ve given or received perfect gifts, drawing parallels with giving and receiving in the spiritual sense during Christmas.
Fr. Hahn then refers to the Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Son of God as a symbol of humanity’s call to give ourselves to others. The homily emphasizes that like the Magi who were changed after encountering Christ and embarked on a new path (‘departed by another way’), people too are meant to be transformed by their spiritual encounter with Christ.
Fr. Hahn acknowledges that this journey towards self-transformation can be challenging and filled with personal struggles. However, just as the Magi persevered in their journey, people are encouraged to do so as well. In doing so, we engage in a reciprocal exchange: receiving Christ while also giving ourselves.
The homily concludes with an optimistic tone, encouraging listeners to open their hearts and minds to God’s love and transform themselves towards living more for Him.
Fr. Phil Bloom
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Three Gifts You Should Ask For: Faith, Hope and Love
Bottom line: I ask God that like the Magi – those Wise Men – a star will lead you to Jesus, that you will give Jesus your best gift. And receive from him three presents.
FAITH: Without faith one’s world would be very small – like living your life in broom closet. For example I know about the galaxies, not because I have seen them but because I believe the scientists. They also tell about subatomic particles: electrons and protons, bosons and six types of quarks. I’ve never seen them, but I take their word for it. Faith. Similarly I know about Abraham Lincoln because I believe historians. And even though I’ve never travelled to China, I’m certain that country exists. How? Because I accept the converging testimony of others.* Just so, I know about Jesus because I trust the Bible and believe the testimony of his early followers. And I have the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit. Faith – not an irrational faith, but a considered faith – takes a person out of a tiny, self-enclosed world.
Fr. Vincent Hawkswell
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
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Fr. Tommy Lane
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
The events of the Epiphany played out today
Jesus came for everyone. Today we celebrate what we call the Epiphany of Jesus, that is, the revelation or manifestation of Jesus for everyone. Jesus was revealed by the Father to the world as its Savior when the light of a star guided the wise men from the East to worship him, when the Father spoke from heaven at Jesus’ baptism declaring Jesus to be his beloved Son, and when Jesus performed his first miracle at Cana. So, we sometimes speak of three events in the epiphany or revelation of Jesus to the world as our Savior; the visit of the wise men, the baptism of Jesus, and the miracle of Cana.
Fr. John Kavanaugh, S.J.
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
First the Savor, Then the Sending
A sense of how God “shows” in each day, how grace is manifest in every numbered year, allows us to take possession of our moments gently as time flashes by. We develop a richer taste for life itself, and our thanksgiving reaches deeper into our being.
Bishop Frank Schuster
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Following Stars
Much of the star worship I see in society is different. There are a lot of people who worship stars that do not lead us to Christ. In fact there are stars that lead people to nowhere. Or worse, there are false stars that if you follow them, they will ultimately lead you to destruction. And I am not just talking about people. I am also talking about false stars like materialism, egotism, self-pity, the list goes on. So the question becomes who or what are the stars we follow? Will they lead us to Christ or into a black hole? This could be an interesting question when we consider the politics we support, the websites we follow, the circle of friends we keep, the lifestyle we lead, etc. An interesting question
for our young people, what kind of person do you want to be like when you reach adulthood? A good indicator is the answer to the question: What stars do you follow?
Fr. Michael Cummins
Epiphany of Our Lord ABC
Epiphany – You shall be radiant at what you see
“Rise up in splendor!” the prophet proclaims to us. Rise up in the grace of Christ! Rise up in your worth as a child of God! Set your life by that worth and nothing else! Rise up in defending the dignity of all our brothers and sisters against the “Herods” of our time with all their sad thoughts and fearful plans! Live by what God has set before our eyes – the future city where Christ is ruler! Don’t just take the name “Christian” but live in the Kingdom, live in Christ!
Walk! Walk with the angel Gabriel and the shepherds and the magi! Walk with Isaiah and the prophets and the great company of saints! Walk with Joseph and Mary! Walk with our Lord himself! We are meant for the Kingdom of God and only there alone will our hearts find rest.
Rise up in splendor! You shall be radiant at what you see!
