Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: January 2, 2011

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Happy New Year everyone! To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings, studies and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle A. In the Gospel Reading, we see the visit of the Magi, non-Jewish wise men from the East, who precede and foreshadow all the Gentiles who will seek out Jesus as their king.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study”.

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Robert Barron.

Here is a Catholic Bible study podcasts on the readings from St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation (the other two studies usually featured are not available this week).

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources. Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

Opening Prayer
Holy and generous God, in your great love you have revealed yourself in creation. But you have done even more-- you have revealed yourself in your Son, our Lord Jesus. By believing in and following Him, we are led to eternal life with you. Help us not to be like King Herod, who, threatened by your revelation, tried to kill Jesus. Help us to be like the magi so that when we see your revelation, we will be filled with delight. We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

http://www.iconsexplained.com/iec/lib/02892_adoration_of_the_magi_marice_sariola.jpg

 

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Introduction

Epiphany means revelation or manifestation. Epiphany was originally an Eastern Church celebration. It was originally and primarily a celebration of baptism, the first Epiphany or manifestation. As the celebration moved westward, it took on the meaning of the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles. The central point of this celebration is that God’s salvation is intended not only for the people of Israel, but for all people.

Epiphany is now celebrated as the 12th day of Christmas and its celebration seems to predate the celebration of Christmas itself (“The 12th Night” is a familiar title of a Shakespearian play and comes from European heritage where 12th night parish parties are (or were) celebrated).The Greek word “epiphany”, meaning manifestation or appearance was used most often in ancient times to describe the king or ruler “showing himself” before the people of the nation. During epiphany we see how God “epiphanies” Himself through Jesus. It is the people of God empowered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit who reveal the risen Christ to the world through acts of creation, love, healing, and liberation. We of the Church are called to be an ever-unfolding epiphany of God’s love and power to the dark world seeking desperately for such epiphanies.

 

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1st Reading - Isaiah 60:1-6

Today’s Old Testament reading is one of Isaiah’s “Songs of the First Return” which are a lyrical description of the new Jerusalem as Israel is gathered from different places and restored.The prophet is trying to cheer the exiles by foretelling the glorious future of the new Jerusalem which is not yet rebuilt. The special radiance of God will illuminate it. Gentiles (who once despised it) will bring their riches to it. From East and West peoples will flock to it.

Here is the 1st Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

 

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From the Navarre Bible Commentary with RSV-CE text:

A Radiant New Jerusalem
-----------------------
*[1] Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. [2] For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. [3] And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

[4] Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. [5] Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. [6] A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.*

60:1-64:11. In the central section of Third Isaiah, the restored Jerusalem has a wonderful radiance; it is the dwelling place of the glory of the Lord, and from it all the nations will hear about God’s salvation. These are chapters that shine with hope and joy. In the opening verses, Jerusalem, the Lord’s spouse, is invited to leap with joy, for the glory of the Lord will light up the holy city, which will become a beacon for the nations (60:1-22). From there, too, the Lord’s herald proclaims the good news of salvation to the poor, the oppressed and all who labor under some burden (61:1-11). The holy city will radiate righteousness for all the nations to see (62:1-12). Finally, the Lord, depicted as a conqueror, enthroned in a glorious Jerusalem, is proclaimed as the sovereign lord who wilt judge and reward and punish (63:1-64:11).

60:1-22. These verses are a magnificent hymn to Jerusalem, completely restored, idealized; the prophet does not need to identify it by name. The most remarkable feature of the city is its radiance, mentioned at the start and end of the poem (vv. 1-3 and 19-22): it stems from the glory of the Lord, who has made the city’s temple his dwelling-place. The city acts as a magnet for all the nations, not only because it instructs them by means of the Law and by the word of God, as we heard at the start of the book (2:2-4; cf. Mic 4:1-3) but also because they are in awe of its splendor. The central verses of the poem rejoice in the pilgrimages that make their way to the holy city: first, those of Israelites, who had been scattered across the world: the pilgrims are most happy and they bear rich gifts for the Lord (vv. 4-9). Foreigners will come, too, and they will bring precious materials to reconstruct and embellish the city they previously destroyed. The obeisance they must do corresponds to the harm they did earlier (vv. 10-14). But the most important event is the arrival of the Lord who will bring gifts in abundance, the most precious being peace (vv. 15-10) and light (vv. 19-22). This picture of the new Jerusalem (one would expect) must have raised the spirits of those engaged in the final stages of the rebuilding of the temple.

Concluded on the next post…

 

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This poem clearly has resonances with the eschatological description of the heavenly Jerusalem in the Revelation to John (cf. Rev 21:9-27). Some of the wording is virtually the same: cf. v. 3 with Rev 21:24 (“By its light shall the nations work; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it”); v. 11 with Rev 21:25-26 (“its gates shall never be shut by day–and there will be no night there”); v. 14 with Rev 3:9 (“I will make them come and bow down before your feet”); v. 19 with Rev 21:23 (“the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb”) and 22:5 (“night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever”). The hopes harbored by the early Christians (and the consolation to which the new people of God look forward) are in continuity with the hope felt by the ancient people of Israel. The message of Isaiah and that of the book of Revelation were each (in different historical contexts) calling for firm faith in the Savior of all. The New Testament fills out the Old by openly declaring that God saves us through his Son, Jesus Christ.

60:4-9. The pilgrimage described here comes from all corners of the earth, and yet it is a familial one. It is made up of people who were scattered throughout the known world, and not just those exiled in Babylon. Those from the west come by sea (v. 5), bearing the sort of goods normally transported by sea, particularly by Greek and Phoenician merchants. Those from the east, from the Arabian peninsula (Kedar and Nebaioth) and further afield will travel in caravans bringing precious commodities typical of the area–silver, gold etc. (v. 6). The visit of the Magi, who came bearing presents to adore Jesus, is in line with the sort of commerce that was current at the time, and it is probably connected with this text of Isaiah. Certainly, when this passage is read in the liturgy on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the implication is that those rich gifts brought to the temple in honor of the Lord prefigure those that the Magi offered to him who is truly the “Lord your God”, “the Holy One of Israel” (v. 9). “Today, the wise man finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples” (St Peter Chrysologus, “Semones”, 160). And Eusebius of Caesarea comments: “The conversion of the Gentiles glorifies the Church of God in a special way. The prophecy, “I will glorify my glorious house” [60:7], is fulfilled. This promise was made to the old Jerusalem, the mother of the new city, who, as has already been said, was the community of all among the ancient people who lived righteous lives–the prophets and patriarchs, all just men, those to whom the coming of Christ was first proclaimed” (“Commentaria in Isaiam”, 60, 6-7).

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims translation:

The light of true faith shall shine forth in the Church of Christ, and shall be spread through all nations, and continue for all ages.

1 Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

Ver. 1. O Jerusalem, is not in Hebrew or St. Jerome, but in the Septuagint. Some few things may refer to the terrestrial Jerusalem, though the prophet speaks chiefly of the celestial and of the Church. — *Lord, *very great. Christ came to save us. (Calmet) — God prevents by his grace, but man must co-operate to be justified. (Worthington)

2 For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Ver. 2. People. Babylon shall suffer, while thou art relieved. (Calmet) — The Gentiles continue in darkness till they embrace the faith, ver. 3. (Haydock) — Only those who are in the Church receive the light of truth. (Worthington)

3 And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.

Ver. 3. Rising. The three wise men were the first. [Matthew ii.]
*
4 Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side.
**
Ver. 4.* *Rise up. *St. Jerome, “suck,” as the Hebrew may imply. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “shall be carried on the shoulders.” (Haydock) — This may refer to the captives and to the Church.

5 Then shalt thou see, and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee.

Ver. 5. Wonder. Hebrew and Septuagint in St. Jerome, “fear.” This sensation is often mixed with joy, Matthew xxviii. 8. — Thee. No such nations joined the Jews, as they did the Church.

6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense: and shewing forth praise to the Lord.

Ver. 6. Epha. Abraham’s grandson, who dwelt near his father, Madian, in Arabia, which was famous for camels. (Calmet) — Saba. India mittit ebur, molles sua thura Sabæi? (Geor. i.) — The Arabians embraced the gospel, but never brought their treasures to Jerusalem. (Calmet) — The three kings came on swift beasts to adore Christ, and fulfilled his prophecy, Matthew ii. (Worthington)

 

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Other thoughts and comments on this Sunday’s 1st Reading:

1 Rise up in splendor! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you: An extraordinary illumination, as though God were, by His presence in the city, radiating a dazzling light [see Deuteronomy 33:2, Malachi 4:1 (3:19 in NAB & NJB) where fiery love (the fire of judgment and refining) is described]. Like a sunrise, darkness immediately surrenders to the brilliant light, there is neither dawn nor dusk. [Verses 1-3 have been seen by some commentators as the source of Revelation 12]. The gloom of sadness and despair which enveloped the derelict Jerusalem during the exile will give way to a heavenly brightness, for God will dwell within it once more.
**
2 See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples:** The earth and the Gentile (non-Jewish) nations in general. This divine brightness is first and foremost for the Chosen People.

But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. 3 **Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance: The Gentiles will partake of this divine blessing—their kings will come to share in the light of Zion.
**
4 Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses: Literally, verse 4d reads “your daughters are carried on the hips of their nurses”. The glory of Jerusalem will be such that all nations will come to it, and the scattered children of Israel will return home also (see 49: 22).

**5 Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you: The nations of the West (the sea the Mediterranean) will bring their riches in ships.
**
6 Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah: The eastern nations will come in camel caravans, the usual way of travel through the desert, bearing their gifts.

All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense: Two of the most valuable means of barter-trading of the time.
**
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD:** Those who are from Midian, Ephah, and Sheba are all descendants of Abraham (Genesis 25:1-4). God’s chosen people who were scattered long ago now come to participate in their ancient inheritance promised by God’s covenant with Abraham. They will come with their gifts to honor the God of Israel, forsaking their pagan idols for the true God. One day all nations will become God’s children (Romans 4:17; 8:16-17).

 

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There are no citations of the 1st Reading in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Here is a meditation on the 1st Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: The feast of the Epiphany is the feast which commemorates the manifestation of God to the Gentiles. This manifestation began when the Wise Men from the East came to Bethlehem to pay their respects and offer their gifts to the newly-born king of the Jews (see Mt. 2 in today’s gospel). Though the words of second-Isaiah were not understood by his hearers as referring to this event, it was only in the coming of the Magi, to welcome Christ, that they were really fulfilled. Jerusalem was in no sense an attraction for the nations in the intervening centuries. But the Magi at Bethlehem were the first-fruits of the thousands and millions of Gentiles who have since then seen the glory of God in the Babe of Bethlehem and who have figuratively come to Jerusalem from the West and from the East to form the new Chosen People, the new Kingdom of God.

Let us thank God today for having called us, Gentiles, to his kingdom, his Church, and for giving us the means to reach heaven. Let us never imitate the Chosen People of the Old Testament who so often forgot how good God was to them, and who often so provoked him, that he allowed them to be taken into exile as slaves of a pagan nation. We too could bring exile on ourselves, an exile much more fatal than the Babylonian one. Whatever else may be my lot, whatever hardship I may have to suffer during the few years I am on earth, God forbid that I should ever, through my unfaithfulness, cause myself to be excluded from my true home, heaven, where “the glory of the Lord will shine” forever.

 

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2nd Reading - Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

TOWARD the end of his second apostolic journey (in the year 52) Paul stayed for a while in Ephesus (Acts 18:19ff), one of the great cities of Asia Minor, where he preached and founded the Church to which this letter is addressed. Shortly after this, a distinguished personality, Apollos, appeared in Ephesus; he received instruction from Aquila and his wife Priscilla, two disciples of Paul (cf. Acts 18:24-26) and he, in his turn, prepared the ground for Paul’s preaching (54-56). Paul’s visit was not without incident (cf. Acts 19-20): He was forced to leave the city because of an uproar caused by Demetrius the silversmith.

Paul did not forget the Ephesians, and, from prison in Rome, he wrote them this letter.

Paul’s main purpose in writing seems to be to explore the great mystery of the redemption, of which Christ himself is the cornerstone (2:20), the foundation of the entire spiritual building into whom all Christians should be built. Ephesians chapter 3 is St. Paul’s definitive explanation on the universality of Christ’s redemptive mission–that he came to save not just the Jews, but all men who would by grace through the obedience of faith, would accept him as Savior.

Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for your benefit,
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 

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From the* Navarre Bible Commentary* with RSV-CE text:

St Paul’s Mission
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1-21. Christ’s saving work on behalf of the Gentiles, calling them to be with the Jews, living stones in the edifice of the Church, leads the Apostle once again to overflow in prayer (vv. 14-21). But first he considers his own position and what Christ has done in him by making him a minister or servant of the Mystery of Christ (vv. 2-13). He witnesses to the revelation he himself has received, which made this Mystery known to him (vv. 2-5); and he goes on to give a summary of the Mystery, emphasizing the call of the Gentiles to the Church through the preaching of the Gospel (v. 6); he then explains that his mission is precisely to preach the Mystery of Christ to the Gentiles (vv. 7-13).
*
[2] For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles–assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, [3] how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. [4] When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, *

1-4. What led to St Paul’s imprisonment was Jewish charges that he had preached against the Law and had brought Gentiles into the temple (they thought Trophimus, a citizen of Ephesus, was a Gentile: cf. Acts 21:28f). He did not mind so much the chains or the imprisonment or the Romans being his judges and jailers: what he wanted to make clear was that he was imprisoned for preaching to the Gentiles the salvation won by Jesus Christ.

He is very conscious of being an instrument specially chosen by God: he has been given the grace to reveal the “Mystery” (cf. Rom 1:15; 2 Cor12:2f). He is clearly referring to the vision he had on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:2) and possibly to later revelations as well. His encounter with the risen Christ, who identifies himself with his Church (cf. Acts 9:5), is the origin and basis of his grasp of God’s eternal plan, the “Mystery”, which is one of the central teachings in this letter. The fact that Christ revealed himself to Paul and chose him to be the preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles is something which Paul sees as part of the systematic implementation–the “oikonomia”—of God’s plan.

*[5] which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; *

5. In the Old Testament the promise made to Abraham revealed that in his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (cf. Gen12:3; Sir 44:21); but how this would happen was not revealed. The Jews always thought that it would come about through their exaltation over other nations. Through the revelation Jesus made to him, St Paul has discovered that God has chosen another way–that of bringing the Gentiles into the Church, the body of Christ, on equal terms with the Jews. This is the “Mystery”, the plan of God as revealed by the mission Christ gave his apostles or envoys (cf. Mt 28:19), of whom St Paul is one (cf. 3:8). Once again, as in 2:20, prophets are mentioned together with apostles; this may mean either the Old Testament prophets who announced the coming Messiah, or the New Testament prophets, that is, the Apostles themselves and other Christians who had insight, through revelation, into God’s saving plans for the Gentiles and who proclaimed them under the inspiration of the Spirit. The context and other passages in Ephesians and elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28f; Acts 11:27; etc.) would suggest that he is referring to New Testament prophets. The Holy Spirit has revealed the Mystery to them “that they might preach the Gospel, stir up faith in Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and bring together the Church” (Vatican II, “Dei Verbum”, 17). St Paul does not see himself as the only person to whom it has been given to know the Mystery revealed in Jesus Christ. All that he is saying is that, by the grace of God, it has been made known to him and that its preaching has been entrusted to him in a special way, just as it was given to St Peter to preach it to the Jews (cf. Gal 2:7).

St Paul attributes to the Holy Spirit the revelation of the Mystery, recalling, no doubt, how he himself came to know it after his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:17). It is the Spirit also who acts in the apostles and prophets (cf. Acts 2:17), and it is he who on an on-going basis vivifies the Church, enabling it to proclaim the Gospel. “The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It is he who explains to the faithful the deep meaning of the teaching of Jesus and of his mystery. It is the Holy Spirit who, today just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by him. The Holy Spirit places on his lips the words which he could not find himself, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the Kingdom being proclaimed” (Paul VI, “Evangelii Nuntiandi”, 75).

[6] that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with Douay-Rheims translation:

The mystery hidden from former ages was discovered to the apostle, to be imparted to the Gentiles…
*
2 If yet you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me towards you:*

**Ver. 2. **If yet you have heard. If yet doth not imply a doubt, but is the same as, for you have heard the dispensation. This word, dispensation, is divers times taken by St. Paul to signify the manner by which a thing is done, or put in execution; the sense therefore here is, for you have heard how by the grace of God I have been made your apostle. (Witham)

3 How that, according to revelation, the mystery hath been made known to me, as I have written above in brief:

Ver. 3. The mystery, &c. By this mystery, he means what he has already mentioned in the last chapter and what he continues to speak of, to wit, that by the coming of Christ, and the preaching of his gospel, all both Jews and Gentiles, all nations should be united into one Church, by one and the same faith. (Witham) — Mystery, &c. Revelation, the same as he mentions Galatians i. 12.; where speaking of his gospel, he says, For neither did I receive it of man, nor did I learn it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation seems to have regarded principally three things: 1. The redemption and justification of man by Jesus; 2. the vocation of the Gentiles; and thirdly, a positive command to announce the gospel to them. He speaks particularly of the second and third. (Estius) — *Made known to me *by revelation, and to the other apostles and prophets. (Witham)

*4 As you reading, may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ:

5 Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles, and prophets, in the Spirit.*

Ver. 5. As it is now revealed. St. Paul, as both St. Jerome and St. Chrysostom take notice, does not absolutely say that this mystery was not known, but only not known as it was afterwards to the apostles. For whether by this mystery we understand the incarnation of Christ, or the uniting of the Jews and Gentiles into one Church, we cannot doubt but both were revealed to Abraham, to David, to many prophets and just men in the time of the law; but now it was revealed and made known to all. (Witham)

6 That the Gentiles should be co-heirs, and of the same body, and joint partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus, by the gospel:

**Ver. 6. **That the Gentiles should be coheirs, &c. This is the mystery which was heretofore unknown, and now revealed. This is what the greatest part of the Jews could never be brought to believe, that the Gentiles should be equally sharers with them of God’s promises and blessings. They were strangely scandalized that St. Peter should receive Cornelius, an uncircumcised man, into the same communion. On the like account they persecuted St. Paul. (Witham)

 

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Other thoughts and comments on the 2nd Reading for this Sunday:

**2 if, as I suppose, you have heard: **A possible indication that some readers did not know Paul directly.

of the stewardship: The administrative tasks of a servant in charge of the household and finances of his master. Paul is a steward of divine mysteries (1 Cor 4:1), chosen to manage the household affairs of the Church (1 Tim 3:15). The grace of God has come to him on it’s way to others—the “Gentiles” and “the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit: This mission to bring the knowledge of Christ to the Gentiles Paul counted as a special grace from God, which it was, both for him and for his converts (see also Rom. 1: 5; 15: 15; Gal. 2: 9).

3 (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation: His mission was revealed to him when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9: 15; 22: 21).

The term “mystery” is used six times in Ephesians and 22 times in the rest of the NT. Like Jesus, who revealed the mysteries of his kingdom through parables (Mt 13:11; Mk 4:11), Paul often teaches his readers about the hidden plan of God now manifest in the reign of Christ. (Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 15:51; Eph 5:32; Col 2:2; 1 Tim 3:16). The most likely background for this notion is the Book of Daniel, where “mystery” (Aramaic, raz) appears eight times in a single chapter (Dan 2:18-19, 27-30, 47). Here the mystery is described in a dream to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who envisioned a huge statue of a human body that symbolized the great empires of the earth. Though the king himself was the “head” (Dan 2:38) of the statue who received his empire from the Lord (Dan 2:37), Daniel went on to describe how the statue would be destroyed and replaced by the messianic kingdom of God. This is the mystery of the kingdom revealed in Ephesians (Eph 1:9; 3:4; 9). It is the mystery of another body, the Church, with it’s head, Jesus Christ (CCC 772, 1066)

*(**as I have written briefly earlier.4 When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ: ***Not included in this Sunday’s 2nd Reading.)

**
5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations: **The expected Messiah of the Old Testament was understood to be for the Jews only—this was the common opinion of the Jewish people. Even the prophets, many of whom referred to the Gentiles in relation to the Messiah, had no clear understanding of him.
**
as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: **That Christ the Messiah had come for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews was revealed to the Apostles and prophets—those Christians who in the early Church had special revelations from God for the community. To the Apostles Christ gave the command after his resurrection: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28: 19; see Mk. 16: 15; 24: 47).

**6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body: **The Gentiles are equal members with the Jewish converts in the mystical body of Christ, the Church.

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel: The eternal reward promised by Christ to his followers, in the gospel, and through living up to its teaching.

The Jews are God’s chosen people, his family. The OT revealed that the nations would be blessed, but remained unclear* how *this would take place (Gen 22:16-18; Sir 44:21; Is 49:6; Zech 2:11). It was also not clear before the proclamation of the gospel whether the Gentiles would be saved on an equal footing with Israel (Gal 3:28; Col 3:11). The Gentiles are now part of this family which forms the new Israel and shares in the inheritance (Romans 8:16-17).

 

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There are no citations of the 2nd Reading in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Here are some questions for personal study and application:

1. When Paul uses the term mystery, what is he teaching about? What is the OT background of this notion? How does Daniel’s use of “mystery” apply to what Paul is teaching? Why is this significant for the Church of his time? Of our time?

1. From whom did you “inherit” your faith? Why are you a Christian and not a member of some other religion? What appreciation do you have for the value of this inheritance?

 

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Here is a meditation on the 2nd Reading for practical application from Catholic Matters:

APPLICATION: St. Paul’s thoughts in his prison in Rome are not for himself nor for the fate that awaits him. He is thinking instead of the mission Christ gave him, to evangelize the Gentile nations. He has done much already, and even in prison he does all he can to continue the good work. He writes to his Gentile converts from Rome, to remind them of their great privilege in being called to the Christian faith. They are now God’s new Chosen People, they are now members of Christ’s mystical body, they are now guaranteed heaven if they appreciate and live up to their vocation.

Today, on the feast of the Epiphany, we are celebrating the coming of the first Gentiles to the feet of Christ. They were the first of the long stream of Gentile peoples and nations that flowed steadily toward Christ’s mystical body, the Church, down through the years. We have the privilege of being part of that stream, and St. Paul, who today in heaven is as interested in us as he was in his Ephesian converts, is exhorting us, through these words of his, to appreciate the privilege which is ours. Through the grace of God and not through any merits of our own, we are Christians and are on the road to heaven. “Rejoice and persevere” is St. Paul’s advice to us today. If we truly rejoice it means we truly appreciate what the gift of the true faith means. We know where we came from, we know where we are going, and we are certain there is a place, a wonderful, eternal place, to go to. We know too how to get there. This is no mean knowledge in the world of today, where so many seem content to make this world their heaven, and let the future look after itself—if there be a future (and logically to ease their consciences they must hope there isn’t one).

Thank God, our faith and our ordinary intelligence tell us there has to be a future life—God would be a cruel joker if he gave us the nature we possess with its spiritual gifts and desires only to have them end in a grave after a few short years. We can rejoice then because we appreciate the great privilege given us, and if we appreciate it we shall hold on to it and follow the path it indicates. We may have to climb some hills and they may look as steep as Calvary, but after Calvary comes the Mount of Olives, the mount of the Ascension.

 

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Gospel - Matthew 2:1-12

Today’s Gospel reading has been called “The Worship of the Magi”. Matthew and Luke both have accounts of the conception and birth of Jesus and some of the incidents that followed the birth. Neither Mark nor John address this specific period in Jesus’ life. The unique accounts of events related in Matthew are greatly reflective of certain Old Testament texts.

The magi seek a king, and Herod consults the religious experts of Judaism to find out where they should look. Of this there is no doubt, they should look not in Jerusalem, but in Bethlehem – the city of David.

Here is the Gospel Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

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.

 

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From the *Navarre Bible Commentary *with RSV-CE text:

The Adoration of the Magi
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*[1] Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, *

1. “King Herod”: four different Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. The first is Herod the Great, referred to in this passage and in the next; the second, his son, Herod Antipas, who had St. John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12) and who abused our Lord during His passion (Luke 23:7-11); the third, Herod Agrippa I, a nephew of Herod the Great, who executed the Apostle St. James the Greater (Acts 12:1-3), imprisoned St. Peter (Acts 12:4-7), and died suddenly and mysteriously (Acts 12:20-23). The fourth, Herod Agrippa II, was Herod Agrippa’s son. It was before him that St. Paul answered Jewish accusations when he was a prisoner in Caesarea (Acts 25:23).

Herod the Great, who appears here, was the son of non-Jewish parents. He came to power with the aid and as a vassal of the Romans. He was a consummate politician and among other things he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a lavish scale. Herod the Great had a persecution complex; everywhere he saw rivals to his throne. He was notorious for his cruelty: he killed over half of his ten wives, some of his children and many people of standing. This information derives largely from the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who wrote towards the end of the first century, and it confirms the cruel picture drawn in the Gospels.

“Wise men”: these were learned men, probably from Persia, who devoted themselves to the study of the stars. Since they were not Jews, they can be considered to be the very first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ. The adoration of the wise men forms part of the very earliest documented tradition: the scene is already depicted at the beginning of the second century in the paintings in the catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome.

*saying, [2] “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East, and have come to worship Him.” *

2. The Jews had made known throughout the East their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew about this expected Messiah, king of the Jews. According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his significance in world history, would have a star connected with his birth. God made use of these ideas to draw to Christ these representatives of the Gentiles who would later be converted.

“The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews. In this way the birth of Jesus would be known to all” (St. John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St. Matthew”, 7).

St. John Chrysostom also points out that “God calls them by means of the things they are most familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star so that they would be impressed by its size and beauty” (“Hom. on St. Matthew”, 6). God called the wise men in the midst of their ordinary occupations, and He still calls people in that way. He called Moses when he was shepherding his flock (Exodus 3:1-3), Elisha the prophet ploughing his land with oxen (1 Kings 19:19-20), Amos looking after his herd (Amos 7:15)… “What amazes you seems natural to me: that God has sought you out in the practice of your profession! That is how He sought the first, Peter and Andrew, James and John, beside their nets, and Matthew, sitting in the custom-house. And–wonder of wonders!–Paul, in his eagerness to destroy the seed of the Christians” ([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 799).

“Like the Magi we have discovered a star–a light and a guide in the sky of our soul. `We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ We have had the same experience. We too noticed a new light shining in our soul and growing increasingly brighter. It was a desire to live a fully Christian life, a keenness to take God seriously” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 32).

*[3] When Herod the kind heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. *

Continued on the next post…

 

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**4. **In all Jewish circles at the time of Jesus, the hope was widespread that the Messiah would come soon. The general idea was that he would be a king, like a new and even greater David. Herod’s worry is therefore all the more understandable: he governed the Jews with the aid of the Romans and cruelly and jealously guarded his crown. Due to his political ambition and his lack of a religious sense, Herod saw a potential King-Messiah as a dangerous rival to his own worldly power.

In the time of our Lord, both Herod’s monarchy and the occupying Romans (through their procurators) recognized the Sanhedrin as the representative body of the Jewish people. The Sanhedrin was, therefore, the nation’s supreme council which ruled on day-to-day affairs, both religious and civil. The handling of the more important questions needed the approval of either the king (under Herod’s monarchy) or the Roman procurator (at the time of the direct Roman occupation of Palestine). Following Exodus 24:1-9 and Numbers 11:16, the Sanhedrin was composed of 71 members presided over by the high priest. The members were elected from three groupings: 1) the chief priests, that is, the leaders of the principal priestly families; it was these families who appointed the high priest (the chief priests also included anybody who had formerly held the high priesthood); 2) the elders, or the leaders of the most important families; 3) the scribes, who were teachers of the Law or experts on legal and religious matters; the majority of these scribes belonged to the party or school of the Pharisees.

In this passage of St. Matthew only the first and third of the above groups are mentioned. This is understandable since the elders would have no authority in the matter of the birth of the Messiah–a purely religious question.

[5] They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: [6] `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.’”

5-6. The prophecy referred to in this passage is Micah 5:1. It is worth noting that Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as predicting the Messiah’s exact place of birth and as referring to a particular person. The second text thus teaches us once more that the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

*[7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; [8] and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him." *

**8. **Herod tried to find out exactly where the Child was–not, of course, to adore Him, as he said, but to dispose of Him. Such was Herod’s exclusively political view of things. Yet neither his shrewdness nor his wickedness could prevent God’s plans from being fulfilled. Despite Herod’s ambition and his scheming, God’s wisdom and power were going to bring salvation about.

Concluded on the next post…

 

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[9] When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was.

**9. **“It might happen at certain moments of our interior life–and we are nearly always to blame–that the star disappears, just as it did to the wise kings on their journey… What should we do if this happens? Follow the example of those wise men and ask. Herod used knowledge to act unjustly. The Magi used it to do good. But we Christians have no need to go to Herod nor to the wise men of this world. Christ has given His Church sureness of doctrine and a flow of grace in the Sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 34).
*
[10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; [11] and going into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. *

**11. **The gifts they offered–gold, frankincense and myrrh–were those most valued in the East. People feel the need to give gifts to God to show their respect and faith. Since they cannot give themselves as a gift, which is what they would wish, they give instead what is most valuable and dear to them.

The prophets and the psalmists foretold that the kings of the earth would pay homage to God at the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:23). They would offer Him their treasures (Isaiah 60:5) and adore Him (Psalm 72:10-15). Through this action of the wise men and the offering of their gifts to Jesus, these prophecies begin to be fulfilled.

The Council of Trent expressly quotes this passage when it underlines the veneration that ought to be given to Christ in the Eucharist: “The faithful of Christ venerate this most holy Sacrament with the worship of latria which is due to the true God… For in this Sacrament we believe that the same God is present whom the eternal Father brought into the world, saying of Him, `Let all God’s angel worship Him’ (Hebrews 1:6; cf. Psalm 97:7). It is the same God whom the Magi fell down and worshipped (cf. Matthew 2:11) and, finally, the same God whom the Apostles adored in Galilee as Scriptures says (Matthew 28:17)” (Decree, “De SS. Eucharista”, Chapter 5).

St. Gregory of Nazianzen has also commented on this verse, as follows: “Let us remain in adoration; and to Him, who, in order to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty as to receive our body, let us offer not only incense, gold and myrrh (the first as God, the second as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake), but also spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with the eyes” (“Oratio”, 19).

[12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

**12. **The involvement of the wise men in the events at Bethlehem ends with yet another act of respectful obedience and cooperation with God’s plans. Christians also should be receptive to the specific grace and mission God has given them. They should persevere in this even if it means having to change any personal plans they may have made.

 

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From the 1859 Haydock Commentary with DRV text:

The offerings of the wise men…

*1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.

Ver. 1. King Herod the Great, surnamed Ascalonite, was a foreigner, but a proselyte to the Jewish religion. St. Jerome. — This city is called Bethlehem of Juda, to distinguish it from another Bethlehem, which was situated in the division of the tribe of Zabulon. (Haydock) Wise men. Both the Latin and Greek text may signify wise philosophers and astronomers, which is the common exposition. The same word is also many times taken for a magician or soothsayer, as it is applied to Simon, (Acts viii. 9,) and to Elymas, Acts xiii, ver. 6. and 8. Some ancient interpreters think these very men might have been magicians before their conversion. See Cornelius a Lapide, &c. —* From the east.* Some say from Arabia, others from Chaldea, others from Persia. Divers interpreters speak of them as if they had been kings, princes, or lords of some small territories. See Baron. an. i. sect. 29. Tillemont, note 12. on Jesus Christ. The number of these wise men is uncertain. St. Leo, in his sermons on the Epiphany, speaks of them as if they had been three, perhaps on account of their three-fold offerings. What is mentioned in later writers as their names, is still of less authority, as Bollandus observed. There are also very different opinions as to the time that the star appeared to these wise men, whether before Christ’s birth, or about the very time he was born, which seems more probable. The interpreters are again divided as to the year, and day of the year, when they arrived at Bethlehem, and adored the Saviour of the world. Some think not till two years after Christ’s birth. See St. Epiphanius hær. xxx. num. 29. p. 134. And St. Jerome puts the massacre of the Holy Innocents about that time in his chronicle. But taking it for granted that the wise men came to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem the same year that Christ was born, it is not certain on what day of the year they adored him at Bethlehem. It is true the Latin Church, ever since the 4th or 5th age, has kept the feast of the Epiphany on the 6th day of January. But when it is said in that day’s office, This day a star led the wise men to the manger, it may bear this sense only, this day we keep the remembrance of it; especially since we read in a sermon of St. Maximus (appointed to be read in the Roman Breviary on the 5th day within the octave of the Epiphany) these words:* What happened on this day, he knows that wrought it; whatever it was, we cannot doubt it was done in favour of us.* The wise men, by the 11th verse, found Jesus at Bethlehem, where his blessed mother was to remain forty days, till the time of her purification was expired. And it seems most probable that the wise men came to Bethlehem about that time, rather than within thirteen days after Christ’s birth: for had they come so soon after Christ was born, and been directed to go, and make diligent inquiry at Bethlehem, which was not above five miles from Jerusalem, it can scarcely be imagined that so suspicious and jealous a prince as Herod was, would have waited almost a month for their return without searching for the new-born king. But it is likely, being again alarmed by what happened when Jesus was presented in the temple at his mother’s purification, he thereupon gave those cruel and barbarous orders for the massacre of those innocent infants. (Witham)

2 Saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and we are come to adore him.

Ver. 2. We have seen his star. They knew it to be his star, either by some prophecy among them, or by divine revelation. This star was some lightsome body in the air, which at last seemed to point to them the very place where the world’s Redeemer lay. We know not whether it guided them during the whole course of their journey form the East to Jerusalem. We read nothing more in the gospel, but that it appeared to* them in the East*, and that they saw it again, upon their leaving Jerusalem to go to Bethlehem. (Witham) — The wise men, in the Syrian tongue maguscha, are supposed to have come from Stony Arabia, near the Euphrates. They might have preserved in this country the remembrance of the prophecy of Balaam, which had announced the coming of the Messias by the emblem of a star, (Numbers xxiv. 17.) which was to arise from Jacob. The star which appeared then, was the symbol of the star which Balaam had predicted. (Haydock)

Continued on the next post…

 

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3 And Herod the king hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Ver. 3. Through fear of losing his kingdom, he being a foreigner, and had obtained the sovereignty by violence. But why was all Jerusalem to be alarmed at the news of a king so long and so ardently expected? 1. Because the people, well acquainted with the cruelty of Herod, feared a more galling slavery. 2. Through apprehension of riots, and of a revolution, which could not be effected without bloodshed, as the Romans had such strong hold. They had also been so worn down with perpetual wars, that the most miserable servitude, with peace, was to the Jews an object rather of envy than deprecation. (Haydock)

*4 And assembling together all the chief priests, and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born.

5 But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda: For so it is written by the prophet:

6 And thou Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the ruler, who shall rule my people Israel.

Ver. 6. And thou Bethlehem, &c. This was a clear prophecy concerning the Messias, foretold by Micheas; (chap. v. 2,) yet the words which we read in the evangelist are not quite the same as we find in the prophet, either according to the Hebrew or to the Greek text of the Septuagint. The chief difference is, that in the prophet we read: And thou Bethlehem art little; but in the evangelist, thou art not the least. Some answer that the words of the prophet are to be expounded by way of an interrogation, art thou little? It is certain the following words, both in the prophet and in the gospel, out of thee shall come forth a leader or a captain, &c. shew that the meaning is, thou art not little. St. Jerome’s observation seems to clear this point: he tells us, that the Jewish priests, who were consulted, gave Herod the sense, and not the very words of the prophet; and the evangelist, as an historian, relates to us the words of these priests to Herod, not the very words of the prophet. (Witham) — The testimony of the chief priests proves that this text of Micheas was even then generally applied to the Messias, and that to Him alone it must be referred according to the letter. (Haydock)

*7 Then Herod privately calling the wise men, inquired of them diligently the time of the star’s appearing to them:

8 And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go, and search diligently after the child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him.

9 And when they had heard the king, they went their way: and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.

10 And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him: and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Ver. 11. And going into the house. Several of the Fathers in their homilies, represent the wise men adoring Jesus in the stable, and in the manger. yet others, with St. Chrysostom take notice, that before their arrival, Jesus might be removed into some little house in Bethlehem. — Prostrating themselves, or falling down, they adored him, not with a civil worship only, but enlightened by divine inspiration, they worshipped and adored him as their Saviour and their God. — Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Divers of the ancient Fathers take notice of the mystical signification of these offerings; that by gold was signified the tribute they paid to him, as to their king; by incense, that he was God; and by myrrh, (with which dead bodies used to be embalmed) that now he was also become a mortal man. See St. Ambrose lib. 2. in Luc. chap. ii.; St. Gregory &c. (Witham) — The Church sings, “hodie stella Magos duxit ad præsepium,” but it is not probable that the blessed Virgin should remain so long in the open stable, and the less so, because the multitude, who hindered Joseph from finding accommodations either among his relatives or in the public caravansaries, had returned to their own homes. (Estius) — They adored Him. Therefore, in the eucharist also, Christ is to be adored. For it is of no consequence under what appearance he is pleased to give himself to us, whether that of a perfect man, a speechless child as here, or under the appearance of bread and wine, provided it is evident that he is there; for in whatever manner or place he appears, he is true God, and for that alone he is to be adored. Frivolous is the objection of certain sectarists, that Christ does not give himself to us in the blessed eucharist to be adored, but to be eaten. For Christ was not in Bethlehem, nor did he descend from heaven to be adored: He tells us in the xxth chap. of Matthew, ver. 28, that the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; yet he was adored on earth, even while he was in his mortal state, by the magi, by his disciples, by the blind man that was cured of his blindness, &c. &c. “Let us imitate the magi. Thou seest him not now in the crib, but on the altar; not a woman holding him, but the priest present, and the Holy Ghost poured out abundantly upon the sacrifice.” (St. Chrysostom, hom. xxiv. in 1 Cor.; Hom. vii. de Sancto Philog.)

12 And having received an answer in sleep, that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their own country.