Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - Year A
January 8, 2017
Gospel: Mt 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days
of King Herod, behold, magi (1) 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 (2)." When King Herod heard this, he
was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief
priests and the scribes
(3) 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(4). And having been warned in a dream not to
return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)Magi are
wise men who studied the stars.
(2)Homage is
an act of honor and respect.
(3)A scribe
is a Jewish scholar an expert in Jewish customs and writings.
(4)Myrrh is
a very expensive fragrance that was used for important occasions.
This week’s spotlight
Epiphany
The word “epiphany" comes from a Greek word
meaning "manifestation, apparition, or to make one's appearance."
Epiphany is one of the main Christian feasts of the year. It is the day that
Christians remember the kings or wise men who came from the Orient to Bethlehem
to pay homage to the baby Jesus. In doing so, they showed that Jesus is the
Messiah not just for Jews, but for the entire human family.
Gold, incense, and myrrh
The wise men (Magi) who come to see Jesus bring him
gifts - gold, incense, and myrrh. Gold is a gift that is given to kings. Jesus
Christ is a king, but his kingdom is not like other kingdoms - his is the
Kingdom of God. They also bring him incense. Sometimes incense is burned during
Mass, and its smoke goes up into the air as if it were going right to God.
Incense is the sign of the prayer that the wise men say to Jesus. Last of all,
they give him myrrh. It is a very precious perfume that people wore at the time
of Jesus. In giving this gift, the wise men show how Jesus is truly a human
being.
Reflection
The human family
In this week’s Gospel, the wise men come from far away
to adore Jesus. We call them “wise” because they knew how to track the movement
of the stars. They noticed the new star that appeared at Jesus’ birth. They
were very different from the people of Israel. They probably had different
customs, different prayers, different languages, and even very different
clothes. There is a legend that says that they were a European, an African, and
an Asian. The legend also says that one was an old man, one a middle-aged man,
and the third a young man. Thus, the three of them represent all of us, the
whole human family on earth. Their visit reminds us that Jesus, even from his
birth, came to love the entire human family, to love each of us, no matter
where we are from.
Discussion questions
1.Where was Jesus born?
2.Where are the magi from?
3.What precede them to the place where Jesus was born?
4.What did th emagi bring to Jesus?
5.Where do they go after seeing Jesus?
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. As you
guided the Magi to meet your newborn Son, guide me closer and closer to him.
May this Communion strengthen me in bearing witness to the joy of knowing you.
This week…
Celebrate your place in the
human family
Ask your parents and your grandparents about the
areas or countries they originally came from. Are there members of your family
who come from a faraway country, who lived in a foreign country, or who did a
lot of traveling?
Pray for the great human family
With the help of a world map, choose a different
country each day. Cut out a picture from a travel brochure or from a magazine
that illustrates your choice and glue it to a big piece of paper. Hang your
page up in your prayer corner and say a prayer to the Lord for the people of
each country you have chosen.
Word search
Source: usccb.org
- Magnifikid - sermons4kids.com – rclblectionary.com
–usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm