God’s self manifestation

January 05, 2019 Sunday,
Epiphany of the Lord
1st Reading: Is 60:1–6 2nd
Reading: Eph 3:2–3a, 5-6 Gospel: Mt 2:1-12
WHEN Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star in the east and have come to honor him.”
When Herod heard this he was greatly disturbed and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high-ranking priests and the scribes, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
“In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a leader, the one who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction, “Go and get precise information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go and honor him.”
After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again. They went into the house and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshiped him.
They opened their bags and offered him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. In a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their home country by another way.
D@iGITAL EXPERIENCE
D@iLY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE EXPERIENCE
Both Herod and the Magi sought Jesus but for different reasons. Herod sought to have him found and killed while the Magi looked for him in order to worship him. Epiphany means God’s revelation of himself. What a joyous event to a world that never saw God face to face. But this was not the kind of joy Herod would understand. His heart was fixated on power as his only source of joy. The manic desire to hang on to power isolated him from the rest of the rejoicing world. Afraid of being dethroned, he saw no wiser option than ordering the killing of all children in Bethlehem aged 2 years old and below to make sure the “new born king” foretold by Scriptures was dead.
One good moral lesson we can draw from today’s feast is that not all who look for Jesus intend to worship him. As members of the Church we need to ask ourselves the following question: Are we in the Church to worship God as the Magi did, or like Herod are we in the Church to gain power? —(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM . Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.