For Sunday, January 2, 2022; Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ps 84, Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a; Luke 2:41-52
Then
shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall
be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give
them gladness for sorrow. [Jeremiah 31:13]
For the LORD God is both sun and shield; he
will give grace and glory; no good thing will the LORD withhold from those who
walk with integrity. O LORD of Hosts, happy are they who put their trust in
you. [Ps 84:10-12]
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ...may give you a
spirit of wisdom and revelation...so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,
you may know...the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his
glorious inheritance...the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who
believe. [Ephesians 1:17-19a]
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was
born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem asking,
“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed
his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” [Matthew 2:1-2]
This Sunday is not the Sunday of Epiphany! The
official date is January 6th and it marks the visit of the Magi (or
the Wise Men or 3 Kings from the East) to the stable to see the Child Jesus. They saw his
star in the East and were moved to make the journey to find him to pay homage
and bring gifts that are at once extremely valuable and are also symbolic. The
short version of the symbolism is: Gold for royalty as to a King, Frankincense as
to a God, and Myrrh as to a Mortal.*
And while this isn’t THE date, the Gospel for this Sunday is the same Gospel
for the official celebration of this event.
The word Epiphany is the name used in
the western Christian churches; in the eastern orthodox Christian churches it
is known as Theophany. For the Orthodox, the feast of Theophany celebrates
the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In western Christian Churches,
the feast of Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus as God Incarnate to the Jews but also to the Gentiles, as the
Magi were not Jewish. The word Epiphany means a revelation of a divine
being; also a sudden insight or intuitive understanding. The word Theophany is
the appearance of God to a human. Whether Epiphany or Theophany, Christ was
revealed to the Jewish and Gentile worlds as the Son of God.
The feast is an important date on the Church
Calendar. EPIPHANY IS BIG! It brings us a bright shiny and HOLY revelation! But
unless it falls on a Sunday, the Feast of the Epiphany seems to be somewhat
ignored in these times. It IS the continuing and the expanding of the
celebration of the birth of our Messiah, and His importance to us all, but
perhaps we are too worn out to listen. We have come through the
four weeks of anticipation in Advent, the hustle and bustle of preparation for
gifts and food and gatherings, the familiar rush of the time of year,
followed by the pageantry and the glorious music, and then the usual “let
down.” Perhaps Epiphany, the 12th Day of Christmas, has become
an anti-climax, the end of the story, the time to take down the decorations.
Yet it is in truth a beginning. We open new chapters of the Story that will
take us from Jesus the Baby, to Christ our Redeemer. While we celebrate the birthday
with great fanfare, the Epiphany moves us into the reason for which this Child
was born, the revelation of God’s eternal purpose is upon us.
A theophany then ~ the manifestation of God visible to humans ~ a re-discovery
now.
At
the Nativity of Jesus, Luke tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds
who received the good news of great joy, but Luke never
mentions the Magi. Matthew never mentions the shepherds or even the birth
itself except for a brief phrase: "...until she had borne a son; and
he [Joseph] named him Jesus." But
Matthew did tell us of the "...wise men from the East..." They
saw a great star revealing to them the need for a journey to pay homage to a
new born king of the Jews. Herod gets involved and we begin to see the ominous
cloud moving in to shadow the glorious star. But having heard this story
so very many times are we listening as it is read again? Have we tuned out
rather than engaging with the experience? Or is it possible that we are
able to be re-awakened to the wonder of that moment and what it could mean
for each of us in our own time?
These three Kings have trekked long
distances to tell Herod, and us all, of the power and majesty this Child
brings. It is now a new dawn, another chance to listen and to hear the
message deep within ourselves. In the compression of time given in the
Gospels and the Church calendar, it is a short season indeed before we begin
the unfolding of the ministry, miracles, teaching, death, and resurrection of
Jesus. It is time again to rediscover the astonishment, the amazement, the true
adoration in this event.
In The Synthesis Commentary of 1997, there is a still significant
and timely quote in their reflection on this Gospel that brings us directly to
the need to know this story again and again:
We
understand from this familiar story how much the
Light
of Christ was needed in those early days ~ and
no
less by us today ~ as the world has hardened itself
to
the poor and needy, the young and the frail, and
where
personal egos rule kingdoms -- and hearts.
Hear the
story as if for the very first time ~ know that we have been
given an extraordinary gift, Christ, Our Lord, has been born to us! Let us
be overwhelmed with joy! Let us search diligently for
the child within us and around us. Epiphany is the time to
seek the Magi-cal moments and spiritual gifts in my own life that call me to pay homage, follow,
and live into the light and life of Christ. Our mourning turned into joy...gladness for sorrow...Our God is both sun and shield giving grace and glory, and
happy are [we] who put our trust in [God]. Let us pause and be overwhelmed
with joy as we realize the Child Jesus, who becomes our Redeemer Christ, lives
within us every moment of every day. Now that IS an Epiphany!
*For a fascinating and deeper look into the Magi's Gifts click here: Symbolism of the Magi's Gifts
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Holy
Messiah, Heartbeat of God, as we arise in the shining Light of Your glory, help
us to come together as Your people, to seek the joy that You bring to us again
and again, and to share in Your eternal promise.
Jesus, Light of Heaven
RESPONSE:
Our Strength
and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of
God, guide all nations to come to Your light, and all leaders of governments to
the brightness of Your dawn. Let us model the very compassion and peace needed
in the world to reverse the damage of violence, oppression, and
injustice in our own time. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of
God, deliver from distress all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and comfort
all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in
need… add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of
God, lift the hearts of those lost in grief and turn their mourning into joy,
as those we love are surrounded forever by the boundless treasures of eternal
life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of
God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt
thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add
your own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of
God, lavish special blessings upon the wise women and men who lead us in Your
Church, as they prayerfully bring us Your words, works, and wonders on our
life’s path toward Redemption. We pray especially for: add your
own petitions
Jesus, Light of Heaven
Our
Strength and our Redeemer
The Celebrant adds: Most
Holy Christ, God’s Eternal Purpose, grant us Your grace and glory, a spirit of
wisdom, and an enlightened heart. Guide us to know the hope to which we are
called and the immeasurable greatness of Your power for us who believe. We ask
with deep humility and trust in the Almighty Creator, our Sun and Shield; in
the Holy Spirit, the Counselor of our souls; Who together with You are One God,
now and forever. Amen.
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Nicely done!
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