A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 4, n. 7)
Epiphany, Year B – January 8, 2006
“The Lord Shines Upon You …”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 60:1-6 // Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 // Mt 2:1-12
N.B. This new series of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY presents a biblico-liturgical study of the Old Testament reading of each Sunday Mass to serve as background for a better understanding of the Gospel proclaimed in the liturgy. For a biblico-liturgical study of the Gospel for each Sunday, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
The ancient feast of Epiphany celebrates three events in the life of Jesus that manifest various aspects of his glory: the adoration of the newborn Child by the wise men in which Jesus was revealed as the glorious life-giving Light of all the nations; the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan in which the heavenly voice revealed Jesus’ glorious identity as the Son-Servant of Yahweh; and the wedding at Cana in which Jesus worked the first of his miraculous “signs” that manifest his paschal destiny and glory.
Our celebration of Epiphany in the Western Church focuses on the visit of the magi who represent a non-Jewish or Gentile people and so prefigure the acceptance of Jesus by all peoples of the world. Indeed, the magi represent all peoples to whom God showed himself in Jesus. In the Gospel episode of the magi kneeling in awe and wonder before the mystery of Jesus, the evangelist Matthew wanted to underline the truth that Jesus is the “epiphany” of the universal, inclusive and all-embracing love of God, through all frontiers and ages.
The beautiful significance of Jesus Savior as “epiphany” of the Father’s compassionate love, can be gleaned from the following words of St. Leo the Great: “Dearly beloved, the day on which Christ first showed himself to the Gentiles as the Savior of the world should be held in holy reverence among us. We should experience in our hearts the same joy as the three wise men felt when the sign of the new star led them into the presence of the king of heaven and earth, and they gazed in adoration upon the one in whose promised coming they had put their faith … God’s bounty toward us has been multiplied, so that even in our times we daily experience the grace which belonged to those first beginnings … Three men came from the east in search of God, but we see the same thing taking place even more clearly and extensively in the enlightenment of all those whom God calls at the present time … Whenever a shaft of light newly pierces darkened hearts, its source is the radiance of the same star, which impresses the souls it touches by the miracle of its appearance and leads them forward to worship God.”
The feast of Epiphany is a celebration of the mystery and the power of light, Jesus Christ, who is also the luminous, kindly star who leads us through our journey of faith. In the biblical understanding, light is the fullest expression of God’s work in the world. Light cannot be self-contained; it pours through every crack and is self-dispelling. In the same way, it is the very nature of God to manifest himself and shine forth with life-giving power and energy. As a festival of light, the feast of Epiphany and specifically, its Gospel reading acquire greater meaning when seen against the context of the prophetic reading taken from Third-Isaiah (Is 60:1-6), which talks of the glorious splendor of the renewed city of God – Jerusalem.
The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 1, explain: “When we hear the prophets read over and over throughout the years, the meaning of their announcements and visions gradually becomes clear to us. We seem to view God’s plan anew, especially in the light of the mystery of Christ and the Christian faith. The liturgical contexts of these texts help to make clear their entire meaning and importance. This is particularly true of Isaiah’s prophecy that is proclaimed on Epiphany. The prophet’s gaze focuses on Jerusalem, towards which he sees a long and joyous procession of her children who come from afar, led from the Exile from which God has delivered them. On the summit of Zion, the newly reconstructed Temple blazes with the light of candelabra. What a marvelous and glorious spectacle! … In his ecstatic view, all is changed. The city appears to him brightly illumined, ablaze with the glory of the Lord upon it, while the rest of the world remains in darkness. Toward this glittering light, it is no longer the throng of exiles or the procession of the feast of Tabernacles that is marching up, but the countless multitudes of nations and kings from every land. They bear their offerings – gold, incense, riches - while singing the praises of the Lord. The prophet sees this transfigured Jerusalem, and he lets us see what looms beyond the horizon of history, the point toward which all eyes look, the assembly place for all the nations, marching toward the full manifestation – Epiphany – of the Lord.”
The vision of renewed Jerusalem made radiant by the presence of God finds utmost fulfillment in the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, the light of the nations. Shining forth in the new Jerusalem – the Church, Jesus draws to himself the homage and sacrifice of praise of all nations. The Benedictine nun, Amiliana Lohr comments: “Behold, our Lord and King has come, and in his hand are power and authority! The ruler is here, and the world throngs toward him. That is the picture which the reading from Isaiah paints for us. The prophet’s vision unrolls before us a picture of the mysterious power which the transfigured Christ has exercised over human minds ever since his resurrection. As the being to whom alone is due, he is unique, and even the hatred of his enemies has now become a tribute. There is also a vivid picture of Christ’s second coming at the end of the world, when he will reveal himself as the mysterious power at work in the universe, the sole being in whose hands lie the threads of all human destiny and time! Our Lord and King! In that final epiphany of his divine glory, he will conquer the entire world. It is this event which is already mysteriously present to us in our celebration today.”
The Christian Epiphany, as a festival of the Lord’s manifestation in glory, challenges us to rejoice in the splendor of God, radically revealed in Jesus, the incarnate Word and the Risen Lord. It encourages us to be welcoming to all peoples, especially the poor and the marginalized, in order to become a new Jerusalem, shining for all ages. Moreover, Epiphany – God manifest in Jesus Christ - is God’s gracious initiative to instill awe and marvel in us as he breaks through our human world and limited experiences. The biblical scholar, Eugene Maly remarks: “God hoped that we would be amazed at it all, that we would react like the magi and give him ourselves as gifts, that we would be awestruck by this supreme act of love and begin to love him in return. Will he be disappointed?”
PERSONAL REFLECTION
By Luding Soriano
(Professed Member: Holy Family Institute)
Epiphany means manifestation or revelation. The revelation of Christ as God was made to the Magi, at Christ’s baptism by John in the Jordan, and at his first miracle during the wedding feast at Cana. The wise men were overjoyed “when they found the child with Mary, his mother”. “They prostrated themselves and did him homage.” They adored him.
There are moments when I fail to realize how close our Lord is to us in our lives. Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament is the same Jesus the wise men found in Mary’s arms. Being fully aware of his presence in the Eucharist, I must kneel with devotion and reverence in the moments indicated in the Holy Mass. I must prostrate in homage when the Host is exposed in the monstrance or hidden in the tabernacle. I can pay homage, too, by a simple gesture of bowing each time I pass churches or places where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. Do I marvel with joy and reverence at the great mystery of Epiphany – God manifest in Jesus Christ? How does this saving event affect my life? What do I do to delve more deeply into the meaning of this saving event and gracious act of God?
B. Do I believe and embrace with all my faculties the prophetic utterance: “The glory of the Lord shines upon you” (Is 60:1)? Do I allow this vision of hope to guide me in my daily life?
C. How will I be the “epiphany” of God’s saving love in the world in which I live today? What do I do to make the Church, the community of faith composed of believers from all peoples of the earth, a radiant sign of Christ as “the light” to the nations?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(Adapted from the Solemn Blessing of the Epiphany Mass)
Leader: God has called us out of darkness
into his wonderful light.
Assembly: May we experience his kindness and blessings.
May we be strong in faith, in hope, and in love.
Leader: We are followers of Christ,
who appeared on this day
as a light shining in darkness.
Assembly: May he make us a light
to all our brothers and sisters.
Leader: The wise men followed the star
and found Christ
who is light from light.
Assembly: May we find the Lord
when our pilgrimage is ended.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” (Is 60:1)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: On this feast of Epiphany, pray that the light of Christ may shine more brightly in the five continents of the earth and that the peoples of all nations may welcome him as the saving Lord of all. Offer some financial assistance for the Christian mission in the poor countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
B. ACTION PLAN: To celebrate the feast of Epiphany – God manifest in Jesus Christ - in a more meaningful and prayerful way and in order to give homage to Jesus Savior, Son of Mary, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 2, n. 7): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
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