Reading I
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,
the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Gospel
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, the Magi (the Three Kings) demonstrate the proper response to Christ’s coming into the world. Upon seeing His star rising in the east, they did not flock to Bethlehem to beg for favors or ask for answers from this long-awaited leader. Their first desire was “to do him homage.” They longed to be in the presence of the Lord, but only so they could honor Him. They lie prostrate, and then “open their treasures” for Him, laying before the Lord the goods they enjoy, but know that He deserves all the more.
In these days following Christmas, as we enjoy our gifts and delight in Jesus’ presence, is our first instinct to seek Our Lord and offer Him praise? Do we devote our treasures to Jesus Christ? Or do we let ourselves be consumed by our discontent, always asking for more and forgetting to give of ourselves?
Our first reading for today adds another dimension to today’s feast. The words from Isaiah are addressed to Jerusalem, the land which will receive this glorious new King: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” Every year, as we celebrate Christmas, and at every Mass as we re-enter the mystery of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice, we become Jerusalem. Christ is born into our world and our hearts, and the glory of the Lord shines upon us. So we, a ‘new Jerusalem,’ are likewise made radiant by the homage paid to Christ, Our King.
Our ever-giving God allows the praise we offer Him to overflow and fill us, so that we “shall be radiant” and our hearts “shall throb and overflow.” To respond to God’s presence with praise is to cooperate in making earth “as it is in Heaven,” which we ask God to do in the “Our Father.” To praise God is to fill our lives and our world with His glory.
In imitation of the Magi, let us praise the newborn King, open our treasures to Him, and, as a ‘new Jerusalem,’ joyfully receive back His glory.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
