Epiphany 2024

Title

The Universal Call to Jesus - In Darkness

Outline

Jesus came and light shone into the world

This is true enough, and it is true for his second coming as well, but it is only half of the story, the half we like

Isaiah says, “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples . . .” (RSVCE) That does not sound nice, although in many ways it sounds like our age.

Then it was Rome and its culture, Herod, and the Parthians, who were contesting Roman hegemony. Now it is not only autocratic chaos in the governments around us, but a deep philosophical darkness such as neither Plato nor Aristotle would have believed possible.

Yet into that darkness the prophet can say, “Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the LORD has dawned upon you.” The Lord dawns upon his people, nations will come to the light, and there will be sons and daughters brought from afar. “Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall throb and overflow.”

It happened there without the world noticing, lost in darkness as it was, and it is happening now as the Catholic faith expands in Africa and Asia, with little notice of it being taken by many Christians in the West, let alone Western pagan culture. The “sons and daughters” who are being brought to the Church are not the right color.

This mystery was revealed by the apostles

The fact that “the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” was revealed by Jesus’ “holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,” among them Paul. But it was a mystery. The world, even parts of the Church, did not get it, then as now. Just watch as people roll their eyes at the mention of the possibility of an African pope or an Asian pope. We have yet to realize that they are our equals and in terms of practicing Christians, they are our superiors.

And so it was in the time of Jesus’ birth

The “chief priests and scribes” knew the Scriptures, but did not get the mystery and certainly did not see the implications of Magi knowing the mystery. They could give the right theological answer without stirring from Jerusalem, where the real power and worship lay.

Herod, of course, is more obviously a part of the darkness, being very threatened even by his own sons and within a couple of years of his death. He will not “get it” either, but he will respond with violence rather than indifference.

And there is us

Are we focused on our theological knowledge and traditional Western views of Christianity and where its center is that we might miss the dawning of God’s mystery being prepared for by his action in foreign lands and cultures?

Could it be that the West and much of the Church in the West will collapse as Judea and then Rome did in the first century, with the future of the people of God being elsewhere or at least from elsewhere? Could there be a new universality to the Church that only open eyes in the Church can see as God prepares from a coming of Christ? Could the future of this order even end up being beyond Western culture?

I do not know, for I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I realize that it happened before, it happened in the late first century BC, and that in some way or another the mystery of God is likely to repeat before whether long or shortly before Jesus comes a second time. It will be seen by those with open eyes, so our job is to be alert to what the Spirit is saying to us through the apostles.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2024: Epiphany

FIRST READING

Isaiah 60:1–6

1 Arise! Shine, for your light has come,

the glory of the LORD has dawned upon you.

2 Though darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds, the peoples,

Upon you the LORD will dawn,

and over you his glory will be seen.

3 Nations shall walk by your light,

kings by the radiance of your dawning.

4 Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you—

Your sons from afar,

your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

5 Then you shall see and be radiant,

your heart shall throb and overflow.

For the riches of the sea shall be poured out before you,

the wealth of nations shall come to you.

6 Caravans of camels shall cover you,

dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;

All from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and heralding the praises of the LORD.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2024: Epiphany

RESPONSE

Psalm 72:11

11 May all kings bow before him,

all nations serve him.

PSALM

Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–11, 12–13

1 Of Solomon.

2 O God, give your judgment to the king;

your justice to the king’s son;

That he may govern your people with justice,

your oppressed with right judgment,

7 That abundance may flourish in his days,

great bounty, till the moon be no more.

8 May he rule from sea to sea,

from the river to the ends of the earth.

10 May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute,

the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

11 May all kings bow before him,

all nations serve him.

12 For he rescues the poor when they cry out,

the oppressed who have no one to help.

13 He shows pity to the needy and the poor

and saves the lives of the poor.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2024: Epiphany

SECOND READING

Ephesians 3:2–3a, 5–6

2 if, as I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 [namely, that] the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier.

5 which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2024: Epiphany

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Matthew 2:2

2 saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

GOSPEL

Matthew 2:1–12

1 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:

6 ‘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.’ ”

7 Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11  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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 1-7-2024: Epiphany

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2024 | CHRISTMAS

EPIPHANY

In dioceses where Epiphany is observed on Sunday.

YEARS ABC | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

On the same date: Baptism of the Lord, First Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading Isaiah 60:1–6

Response Psalm 72:11

Psalm Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–11, 12–13

Second Reading Ephesians 3:2–3a, 5–6

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 2:2

Gospel Matthew 2:1–12