January 2, The Epiphany of the Lord

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.— Psalm 72: (see 11)

Mass Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12

The Light Has Come 

Christ has come — that’s what we celebrate on the feast of the Epiphany. On Christmas we rejoiced in Christ’s birth. Today, the arrival of the wise men from the east means that the good news of Christ is known to the whole world. 

Epiphany ends the Christmas season. Almost every Christmas I go to a performance of Handel’s Messiah and it always moves me. The music is sublime; the words are stirring. The whole purpose of the oratorio is to proclaim the good news that Christ has come. One of the high points happens when the chorus sings a verse taken from today’s reading from Isaiah: “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (60:1). 

Prayer: Praise to You, Lord Jesus, Savior of the world.