Sunday
4 January 2026 – The Epiphany of the Lord,
Mass Readings:
Is 60:1-6 Ps 72 Eph 3:2-3.5-6 Mt 2:1-12
Key Verse to Meditate:
On entering the house, they saw
the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then,
opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense,
and myrrh. (Mt 2:11).
Today we celebrate the great Solemnity of the
Epiphany of the Lord, or the manifestation of the Lord. A few days ago, we
celebrated the Nativity of the Lord, and today we celebrate the manifestation
of God to the pagans, represented by the Magi from the East. On Christmas Day,
we contemplated the Jewish shepherds, who were led to the place of Jesus’ birth
by the announcement of an angel. The visit of the Magi to Bethlehem marks the
birth of the universal Church, where even the so-called Magi from the East—those
outside the chosen people—came to see and adore the infant Jesus. Today we
celebrate the Epiphany, that is, the manifestation of Jesus to the world. All
those who prostrate themselves in adoration before Jesus are said to be
represented in the Magi (cf. Ps 71).
The Magi from the East come to Judea, looking for
the King of the Jews, saying: “Where is the child who has been born
King of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay
him homage” (Mt 2:2). In the Magi, just as in the poor shepherds,
the Gentiles offer their adoration and honour to the promised Messiah of the
world. In verse 1, we read certain details that place us in the historical
context. Jesus was born during the time of King Herod. According to Josephus,
the great historian, Herod probably died shortly before the Passover in 4 B.C.,
and therefore Jesus must have been born between 7 and 4 B.C. It is also
important to note that Herod reigned from 37 to 4 B.C.
This mystery of the birth of the Saviour is also very well portrayed in the first and second readings of today. In the first reading, we see that the visit of the wise men, or the coming of the Gentiles to the newborn King, is already foreseen: “Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and
frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD” (Is
60:5–6).
The gifts brought to this newborn King are also
mentioned here. In the second reading, St. Paul speaks about how this mystery
has been made known to him, as well as through the prophets and apostles, by
which the Gentiles are also blessed to come to know the Saviour: “the
Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the
promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (Eph 3:6).
The
Gospel Reading
From the Gospel account of the coming of the Magi
to Bethlehem, we notice three different reactions to the announcement of the
birth of Jesus: that of the Magi, that of Herod, and that of the priests.
Scripture tells us that King Herod and the whole of Jerusalem were troubled
when they heard this news from the wise men from the East. Herod confirmed with
the chief priests and scribes of the people that Bethlehem of Judea was the
place where the Messiah was to be born. He also inquired about the exact time when
the star had appeared. He asked all these questions not because he was joyful,
but because he was deeply troubled in his heart. He was anxious about his
position as king. His plan was to turn the Magi from messengers into spies.
King Herod
Another person we are called to reflect upon is
Herod, the king of Jerusalem. He had already made his choice. Between God’s
will and his own, he clearly chose his own. He saw nothing beyond his own
advantage and was determined to crush anything that threatened to disturb this
state of affairs. He was driven by what Augustine calls “the love of self,
which on occasion can reach the point of contempt for God.” He probably thought
he was doing his duty—defending his throne, his family, and the good of the nation.
The later part of the Gospel tells us that, when he came to know that the Magi
had outwitted him, he ordered the massacre of the innocent children under two
years of age. Herod was not happy about the “Epiphany” or the manifestation of
God at all. He was so full of himself that he was blinded to the light of
truth.
Herod is highlighted here because, once the Magi
departed without returning to inform him, he killed all the innocent children,
just as Pharaoh once tried to kill Moses. King Herod was also deeply disturbed
to learn that a rival king had been born and publicly proclaimed as the “King
of the Jews.” There could be only one king. Moreover, the kingdom of Jesus
already stood in contrast to the rule and kingdom of Herod. In today’s Gospel,
in verse 6, we read: “From you shall come a ruler who is to
shepherd my people Israel.” Jesus is therefore a different kind of
king. He is a king who leads his people as a shepherd leads his flock—unlike
Herod. All the tribes of Israel once said to David: “For some time, while
Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and brought it in. The
LORD said to you: You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be ruler
over Israel” (2 Sam 5:2).
To ‘Shepherd My
People Israel’
The Magi from the East
The major protagonists of
today’s solemnity are the Magi from the East and the star that guided their
journey. The Magi journeyed from the East in search of the Saviour, guided by
the star. They had to travel under precarious conditions to see the Saviour of
the world. It was not an easy journey because of harsh weather, dangers from
thieves, and wild beasts. Yet they were determined to complete their journey,
for they were deeply drawn by the star, knowing full well that it was something
unique and would lead them to the indescribable joy of seeing Christ,
worshipping him, and offering him their gifts.
To arrive at Bethlehem, the
Magi had to keep asking questions and faithfully follow the star—the sign sent
to them by God. We read that after leaving the palace of King Herod, they were
overjoyed to see the star once again in the sky. They had to make enormous
sacrifices to reach their final destination. Their greatest satisfaction came
when they worshipped the King of kings and the Lord of lords and offered him
their gifts. They experienced the joy of contemplating the face of God in that
God-promised child who had been revealed to them through the appearance of the
star. The star finally stopped over the house where they beheld the vision of
God’s only Son. Matthew adds in his Gospel: “When they entered the house,
they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped
him.” The star thus revealed to them the true light of the world, Jesus
Christ.
The Magi and Their Gifts
The Magi were able to
recognize that the child in the manger was God. In fact, the Gospel tells us
that they worshipped him—a gesture that, even in their time, was reserved for
God alone. In today’s life of the Church, we rediscover the importance of worshipping
Jesus, of kneeling before him in the Eucharist. Jesus, who is present in the
tabernacle, is the same God whom the sages once saw in Mary’s arms. Even today,
we can say that the same God is hidden in the small piece of bread consecrated
in the Eucharist.
The Magi offered him the
most precious gifts they possessed: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold
symbolises that the child is King. We, as Christians, must strive to allow
Jesus to reign in our hearts and in all our activities, seeking to please him
in everything. The Magi then offered frankincense, the perfume burned every
evening on the altar by the priest, symbolising prayer. Our prayer rising to
the Lord is like incense, and our desire to lead a holy life spreads around us
what St Paul calls “the fragrance of Christ” (2 Cor 2:15). Finally, the Magi
offered myrrh, for Christ would take upon himself our sufferings and bear our
pains. Myrrh, which recalls the passion of Jesus, is a symbol of sacrifice that
must never be absent from the Christian life.
To Return Back
The wise men returned to
their own country by another way after finding the newborn King, guided by the
star. The star guided their steps just as the Lord guided the Israelites in the
Old Testament. As we read in Exodus 13:21: “The Lord went before them by day
in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of
fire to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.”
The star became a sign for the Magi, just as a sign was given to the shepherds:
“To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,
the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands
of cloth and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:11–12).
To Gaze at the Star
To arrive at the place
where Jesus was, the Magi had to gaze at the star. Finally, the guiding star
led them to the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Bowing down, they offered him the gifts
of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These three gifts are symbols of loyalty and
submission. After their act of worship, they were warned by the Lord in a
dream, and they returned to their own country by another route.
What is signified by the
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh is this: gold signifies Jesus as King,
frankincense signifies Jesus as God, and myrrh signifies Jesus as the one who
would die. In fact, gold and myrrh were among the gifts brought to King Solomon
by foreigners, and gold and frankincense were firmly associated with the temple
he built (1 Kgs 10:2, 25; 1 Chr 29:9; 2 Chr 9:24; Neh 13:5, 9). Frankincense
and myrrh appear together only three times in the Old Testament, each time in
connection with Solomon (Song of Solomon 3:6; 4:6, 14). The presence of the
Magi thus confirms what is proclaimed in the first reading: “Arise, shine;
for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Is
60:1). Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will say: “I tell you, many will
come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the
kingdom of heaven” (Mt 8:11).
Points for Personal
Reflection
Like the Magi, we too are
called to return to our lives by taking another way. This means making life
choices that lead us to true happiness and fulfilment, enabling us to live a
more beautiful, freer, truer, and fuller life in love of God and neighbour.
This transformation can happen only when we meet Christ at the manger. Those
who truly encounter God can never return to their old, sinful ways of living.
Those who meet God at a deeper level dare to take the untrodden path.
Do we follow the signs that
God places along our life’s journey to lead us to our destination? What is the
star in my life that guides me to Christ and leads me to worship him? Do we
walk guided by a star? Do we seek guidance from others, and do we continue to
follow the star even when surrounded by doubts and failures?
What is the guiding star of
your life? To arrive at Jesus, we must keep our eyes fixed on the guiding star.
At times, film stars, sports stars, or television personalities can become our
guiding stars, but they cannot give us life or salvation.
The star does not stop or
disappear until the destination is reached. In our life of faith too, firmness,
constancy, and sacrifice are required if we are to contemplate God and offer
ourselves to him in sacrifice. Like the Magi, may our sole aim be to find
Christ, so that we may adore him and offer him our sins and brokenness,
allowing him to heal us and lead us by another road to life and salvation.
