Epiphany of the Lord

January 2, Sunday, Epiphany of the Lord
Daily Readings: Isaiah 60 1 – 6, Ephesians 3: 2 – 3a. 5 – 6, Matthew. 2: 1 – 12

Your light has come...nations shall walk by your light (Isaiah 60).

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you (Psalm 72).

The mystery was made known to me by revelation ... that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel (Ephesians 3).

They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2).

Dr. Lucien Legrand speaks of three modes of Divine light that led the three wise men to Jesus, the source of all light:

1). The first mode is the STAR. The star symbolizes nature. One has to search for God in the nature around. This star did not shine in Jerusalem (Matthew 2: 9) since there was no peace in Jerusalem because of Herod's bloodthirsty lifestyle. In conclusion, even nature cannot speak to us when our inner life is full of confusion, chaos and disorientation.

2). The second mode is the PEOPLE. When the wise men came to Jerusalem, they asked the people about the birth of the new-born king of the Jews. At the end of their journey they found Jesus with the poor couple, Mary and Joseph. God is found in the people and the places we hardly think of.

3). The third mode is SCRIPTURES. The elders and scribes opened the book of Micah and told the three wise men that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5: 2; Matthew 2: 6). They followed the instructions of the Scriptures and found Jesus. Though the three men were wise and knowledgeable, they were missing something in their life: the source of knowledge and wisdom. Their search ended when they saw the baby Jesus in the manger.

At times we are satisfied with a few sparks of truth, but we will still grope in the darkness of ignorance if we do not discover the true source of wisdom: Scriptures.