Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2,1-12
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.
Epiphany
1. The star. It represents light amid darkness. It’s the figure of God himself who accompanies and takes care of us. The star leads you to Jesus, it illuminates the way, it guides and goes along with you. That star in your life is a person, with a name and a surname. Who is the star of your life today? The star is that Christian who leads his brothers and sisters to Jesus, who accompanies them along the way. He doesn’t have all the answers, but he walks along with them. That’s what you and I have to be for others: a star that gives security and that can guide the path of many people, as no doubt there are many people who were and are a star for you. You also have to shine for your brothers and sisters at night, when they can’t see clearly. Be a star for others and help them, and let yourself be helped by people who shine, and I can assure you that you’ll find Jesus.
2. Herod. It’s the presence of the person who seeks God in a selfish way. He wants to serve God for his personal gain and not to worship Him. There are many of those around us, and even we may be one of those who use Jesus for our private affairs. “Lord, I come to you because I need you for this and that.” We want God to do what we want him to do. Moreover, we also plan to murder him, because once we achieve the goal we get rid of God, we don’t even remember him or thank him. We do away with him. We place God in a utilitarian scheme: I use you and then I throw you away. Don’t end up like Herod, powerful but alone and angry. And what’s the use of having so much if you have nothing, no peace in your heart?
3. The Magi. In them we see how God calls people who are very different, who come from different places and backgrounds, and that’s how God shows us where unity lies. That’s the meaning of Catholicism: “universal”. One of the problems in the Church is that we find it difficult to respect the charisms and gifts of others. The Wise Men were united by a star to find Jesus. Today let’s ask Jesus to help us follow the star so that there may be no division, that we may be united. May we come together in the Church and respect one another. May we respect those who evangelize in different ways, those who belong to different church groups. May there be no envy among us because we have been given different gifts. That’s where the richness lies, in being able to work together and not in uniformity. That’s how we come to Jesus.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
