07 January 2024 – The Epiphany of the Lord

by Fr Francis Anthony

My dear friends,

Today we are practically in the last day of Christmas celebration. Tomorrow is the Baptism of the Lord, and from Tuesday onwards we will go back to the green Sundays, the Ordinary Time of the year. Now what has happened from the day we started to celebrate the Advent, the coming of Jesus? We are all worked up for four weeks and with great song, we celebrated Christmas: Holy Night, Silent Night, Joy to the world, God is with us and so forth.

And during these days, we were reminded of the closeness of God to each one of us, especially the Readings taken from the Epistle of Saint John. And in his first epistle that we were reading: the closeness of God to us.

And today, we have come to do a climax, the purpose of why God is close to us. Yes. God is a loving God, a merciful God, but at the same time, He has got a plan for us. And in the story of the Magi, the Gospel text, the wise men saw the star and through the guidance of the star made their way across their country to Bethlehem. And this is reflected beautifully in the Mass prayer that we had. The opening prayer: God, on this day You revealed Your only begotten Son to the nations.

Yes, it is no more concentrating on Christ born in Bethlehem. Yes, but what was the purpose to reveal to the nations? All these three wise men from the nations, from the gentile area, they were not the Jews. They saw the star and they moved and came.

And in the Offertory Prayer that we will be having before the consecration. The Prayer goes like this: He who by them proclaimed (that is Jesus who is proclaimed), sacrificed and received. Yes, that is the Jesus that we are going to see. Yes, the offering will come, symbolised by your money, the bread and wine offered and these gifts are placed on the altar and they are transformed. And the text here says that they are being sacrificed, received and offered.

So my dear friends, as we come to the close of Christmas season, let us be enthusiastic people. In the First Reading, the third section of Prophet Isaiah. It just simply says: Arise, shine out. Well, the context is the Jewish people have been liberated from Babylonia, they are back in their own country and it is telling them ‘Now, you arise and rejoice because God has delivered you.‘

And in the Responsorial Psalm, it goes further. It was not written at the time of Prophet Isaiah and what is being required is: You arise and shine in the world and you reach out to the others. The text here says: He shall save the poor when they cry, the needy who are helpless will have pity on the weak. Yes, arise and shine. And it is being told to each one of us. Yes, this Christmas decoration will go off during mid-week. And after that, all of us, we are to be that Christ, we are to be that Light, we are to be the people who will take the responsibility to change the world. Yes. And Saint Paul, very beautifully in the Ephesians (the Second Reading), he says: God has revealed the mystery (that is the Good News) that God is for all. He is no more a mystery but God is through us for all.

Let us ask God  the grace that we will be people who will bring Christ to others. Yes, Christmas season could come to an end but the significance continues. The star that shines, it might disappear, but we are to be the stars. We are to be the people who bring joy, who bring peace, who bring understanding, bring mercy to all.

Let us ask God to give us the strength. Yes, Christmas season may be over but that Christ, baby Jesus will disappear, but that Christ shines in the world through you and me. And that is coming to a conclusion of Christmas.

Yes, why did God become Man to be among us?
And why did He come to be among us to help us?
Yes, the star has disappeared, the Magi gone but you and I, today, make God present and that is going to be a challenge.

Let us thank God for having chosen us. Yes, we are to be the people today. He has chosen us to bring joy, to bring peace to the world.

Click below to listen to the homily and watch the video:-

Click to live-stream Mass on 07 January 2024