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08 Jan 2012 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle B

EPIPHANY IS THE traditional day for the blessing of home and family. The ritual doesn’t require clergy and might be encouraged in your community by offering it on the parish website or printing cards with a simplified version of the ritual from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers. Surely all of us could benefit from pronouncing over our homes: “Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our concern for others may reflect your love.” It’s a way to make Epiphany not simply an abstract feast we celebrate but something we experience and fulfill with our lives. Epiphany starts with a star that sheds light on salvation history as a whole. Humanity once walked in darkness but entered a period of startling brilliance and clarity with the coming of Jesus into time. This light was visible to faraway wisdom-seekers from another culture and religious tradition altogether. The magi knew nothing of Isaiah’s prophecies or the images of today’s Psalm 72. They weren’t part of the Hebrew story and did not await a messiah of David’s line to save their nation. Yet light is light, and those who seek the light are most likely to find it. Contrast these favored foreigners with the very parochial King Herod. He was entrenched in the history of Israel and surrounded by religious scholars with ready access to the same scripture and images. He, too, stood under the light of this same star and saw nothing—or at least nothing good. He perceived only the potential threat to his own dominion, and rightly so. The newborn king would wield an authority over human history that would far outlast the edifices of stone built by a wealthy and powerful ruler whose authority would vanish with his last breath. You can go to Israel today and see all that remains of Herod’s rule: one mighty wall of the Temple mount, the ruins of a sea port, even his tomb secreted at the base of a weed-sprouting summer palace. Mighty King Herod felt compelled to hide his tomb for fear his many enemies would desecrate it. He left instructions that people in every noble household would be put to the sword on the day he died. Because he was sure no one would mourn him, he wanted to know at least there would be weeping in Israel at his death. The king Herod feared enough to seek to murder at birth would go on to be loved and adored the world over. Today you can find faithful subjects of Jesus weeping at the image of his cross or pledging their lives in service. This is the Epiphany we both celebrate and live: Once upon a time a star revealed to us the light of the world that can never be put out. Related Scripture links OT use of epiphany: Gen. 35:7; Jer. 29:14; Zeph. 2:11; 2 Macc. 3:24, 30, 5:2-4, 12:22, 14:15, 15:27 NT use (birth of Jesus): Luke 1:78-79; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 2:11 NT use (parousia): Acts 2:20; 2 Thess. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1-2, 8; Titus 2:12-13 Catechism links Theophany and epiphany: CCC 697, 707 Incarnation: CCC 456-463 Baptism of the Lord as epiphany: CCC 438; 535-37; 1223-1225 Light as symbol of manifestation: CCC 696-697; 1168; 1202

Authors Alice Camille

Epiphany magi Herod star

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03 Jan 2016 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle C

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory.” Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.” Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they found another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country (from Matthew 2). Taken from The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2014 ); actapublications.com; 800-397-2282.

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02 Jan 2011 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle A

This Sunday's gospel offers two distinct and opposite models to follow: Live like the magi, or live like Herod. While both were eager to find the newborn King, the magi brought gifts; Herod brought death. The magi were motivated by generosity; Herod was motivated by fear and lust for power and control. The magi were willing to be led by the light of a star; Herod followed nothing but his own dark inner drives. The magi gave generously; Herod hoarded greedily. The magi were willing to be changed; Herod remained hard-hearted to the end.

magi Herod Epiphany Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

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03 Jan 2010 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle C

In this country we gave up celebrating kings right around the time of the Boston Tea Party. Our national story was framed against the notion that kings are better than anybody else. That royal blood makes you a natural leader is a mythology we deliberately avoid—though we still flirt with it now and again with Adamses, Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Bushes. So maybe it’s hard for us to imagine that the world might go upside down at the birth of a royal boy-child. That leaders from around the world would set out on arduous journeys with nothing more than a star to guide them, just to pay their respects. Maybe we don’t appreciate Herod’s predicament, hearing secondhand that a new king of the Jews has just been born—and it isn’t a son of his. If we don’t know Herod’s history, we might not know just how fearful he’s been from the start of being upstaged and replaced. His hold on the throne has always been tenuous. His mother was Arabian; his father from a group of transplants never accepted as really Jewish. Herod acquired his kingdom by Roman decree but still had to go to war for three years to win it even after Rome did the paperwork. His determination to maintain power led him to execute members of his own family, including his brother, wife, and several sons. If he wasn’t above the execution of his own children, why should he care about the slaughter of anyone else’s? Herod needn’t have bothered. In the end the traitor who would do him in would be his own body in the form of disease. And a son of his, Herod Antipas, would sit on his throne after all. Worldly power is fleeting, and no matter how exaggerated the lengths we go to acquire and retain it, it will slip away in short order. What Herod didn’t grasp and what we’re all likely to forget is that there is an authority that is eternal, infinite, and unquestionable. The new king Herod feared would be the only king that ultimately matters. The kingdom coming would reduce the significance of every earthly kingdom to ashes. That knowledge is what made the Magi so wise. Despite their revered status in their own countries, they crossed long distances at great cost to bow their heads and surrender their treasure to a ruler whose authority they could read in the heavens. They valued learning, looked for signs, and paid attention to dreams. These men were wise because they knew they didn’t know everything. Humility is the only path to wisdom. And only those willing to be led will arrive at the truth. Related scripture links Christ revealed as the sun of justice: Mal. 3:20 The people who walked in darkness: Isa. 9:1 Jesus as light of the world: John 8:12 Kings from afar bearing gifts: Ps. 72:10 God will be revealed to all: Isa. 40:5 Catechism links Theophany and epiphany: CCC 697, 707 Incarnation: CCC 456-463 Baptism of the Lord as epiphany: CCC 438; 535-37; 1223-1225 Light as symbol of manifestation: CCC 696-697; 1168; 1202

Authors Alice Camille

leader Herod magi Authority Humility

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03 Jan 2010 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle C

A ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel. In changing the words of Micah’s prophecy from “one who is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:1) to “a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel,” Matthew draws on the same words God had said to David while Saul was still king: “You shall shepherd my people Israel” (2 Samuel 5:2). Such a choice of titles drives home Matthew’s view of Jesus as the new David, the messiah, the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes, and the king of the Jews who was born in Bethlehem. A tale of two journeys This Sunday’s gospel offers two distinct and opposite models to follow: Live like the magi, or live like Herod. While both were eager to find the newborn King, the magi brought gifts; Herod brought death. The magi were motivated by generosity; Herod was motivated by fear and lust for power and control. The magi were willing to be led by the light of a star; Herod followed nothing but his own dark inner drives. The magi gave generously; Herod hoarded greedily. The magi were willing to be changed; Herod remained hard-hearted to the end.

king of the jews bethlehem Messiah magi Herod

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14 Dec 2008 - Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle B

A story from the noncanonical Protevangelion of James tells how young John’s life was also threatened during Herod’s slaughter of the innocents. In his jealousy for his kingship Herod was most anxious to eliminate the sons of priests. Elizabeth snatched up her child and headed for the hills, but her elderly body could not make the climb. “O mountain of the Lord, receive the mother with the child,” she prayed. The mountain parted and she carried John inside. An angel took them into protection. Meanwhile back at the Temple, Zechariah was slain near the Holy of Holies for not divulging the whereabouts of his family. John’s long sojourn in the wilderness began on that unhappy day. Apocryphal or not, this story presents a plausible backdrop for a miracle baby born into a time of crisis. His aging parents would not have been with him long, in any event. His upbringing would have been completed by others, perhaps by the elders at Qumran as many speculate. As orphaned children often are, John would have been shaped by the knowledge of loss and the untrustworthiness of this passing world early on. He would have learned the art of plain speech, calling things as he saw them rather than dressing them up to make others comfortable. Life had never been comfortable for John; he would have seen no reason to set people at their ease with the little fictions that litter most conversations. We see the results of his wilderness formation in his unfashionable attire and unappealing diet. We hear it in his violent speech about axes and winnows and unquenchable fire. In his interrogation by the religious leaders in today’s gospel, John’s clipped replies are bold and direct. He doesn’t attempt to make his answers politically palatable. If they want to know, he’s not the Christ; not Elijah; not the Prophet of Righteousness Moses foretold. When the leaders ask then in genuine frustration just who does he think he is, John dismisses the question as irrelevant. He knows he’s not the message, just the messenger. His baptisms at the Jordan are not the show, just the warm-up. His humility is not an admirable demonstration of piety: It’s self-knowledge. And if we knew who we are-and were clear on who we are not--we’d be more humble, too. If we understood whose light we carry, we’d be honored to play the role we were born to play. Related scripture links More on John’s identity: Luke 7:24-29; John 5:31-35 Jesus as the voice of truth: John 8:31-32; 14:6; 17:17-19; 18:37-38 You are the light of the world: Matt. 5:14 I am the light of the world: John 8:12 Light and darkness: John 3:19-21; 12:35-36, 46-47 Catechism links John’s identity: CCC 696; 717-720 Grateful hearts: CCC 2638 The Christ: CCC 436; 695; 714; 716; 1286-1289 Joy: CCC 301; 523; 1829

Authors Alice Camille

innocents Herod john the baptist elizabeth orphans

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04 Jan 2009 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle B

That introduces the problem in the eternal story of powers and principalities. So doggone many earthly authorities vie for our allegiance. We try to juggle our obedience to laws both mortal and divine, splayed between church and state or personal profit and love of neighbor. We want to believe there’s a comfortable neutral zone between these multiple altars at which we offer sacrifice. We try to convince ourselves we can be basically good people and still enjoy a taste of the “bad boy” and “bad girl” once in a while. Many of us spend a lot of energy trying to split the difference between who we are and who we pretend to be. We don’t clean up our act, control our excesses, rein in self-righteousness or rage or sloppy morality because we’ve swallowed the lie that what hovers at the edges of our lives has little to do with what’s at the center. We’re convinced it’s possible to serve a lot of little kings along with the Big One. Let’s give King Herod credit in today’s story: He understands perfectly that there can be only one king over Israel. Right now that’s him and he aims to keep it that way. Isaiah had an even grander perspective: He foresaw that only one power can rule the world and so he foretold that Israel would become the light of nations that all other kingdoms acknowledged. This was because Israel alone enjoyed the indwelling presence of God which made her a lampstand for the divine radiance. But back to King Herod. He is the most self-serving king ever to land in the pages of the Bible. He assassinates most of his family members to keep them from threatening his throne, according to extrabiblical accounts. Certainly he won’t allow some unknown baby to be raised up, star or no star. While wise men bow in recognition to the one true King, in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, Herod seeks the death of this rival. In the end there can only be one king. And unbeknownst to Herod, it won’t be him. Related scripture links We walk by faith: 2 Cor. 5:7 The role of the stars: Gen. 15:5-6; Job 38:6-7; Psalm 148:3; Luke 21:25 Journey and faith: Gen. 11:1-4; Exod. 3:10; Mark 6:8; Matt. 28:19-20 Church mission shifts to Gentiles: Acts 14:16-17; Eph. 2:11-13; Rom. 11:11-29 Catechism links Theophany and epiphany: CCC 697, 707 Incarnation: CCC 456-463 Baptism of the Lord as epiphany: CCC 438; 535-37; 1223-1225 Light as symbol of manifestation: CCC 696-697; 1168; 1202

Authors Alice Camille

Obedience Herod power israel Isaiah's prophecy Epiphany

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04 Jan 2009 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle B

Whenever I hear the Christmas story told, Herod always comes across like a 2-year-old. This king of Judea is self-absorbed, jealous of anyone who might steal his spotlight, and willing to destroy anything or anyone to get his way. Such behavior is to be expected in a child moving from infancy to childhood, but it’s ugly and dangerous when it persists into adulthood. Many parents, when their kids go through a particularly selfish stage, fear the kids will get stuck there and never grow out of it. That’s a scary thought. Fortunately, in the same Christmas story, we also have the example of the Magi, three wise travelers from a distant land who were adventurous, full of faith, and generous. These spiritual seekers took big risks to follow the light wherever it would take them. Herod spent his life trapped in his own hell. The Magi were given a foretaste of heaven. From this story we learn that it’s important to guide our children to follow the light. We do that by teaching them to pray, by nurturing their generosity, by encouraging their spiritual seeking, and by leading them to Joseph, to Mary, and to Jesus, the unimpressive yet holy family whom Herod, living in darkness, so feared. They are the ones who stood in starlight to let the Magi know they had found what they’d always been seeking.

Authors Tom McGrath

Herod magi family darkness follow Light

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08 Jan 2017 - Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Cycle A

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly: It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.” Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.” Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country. From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

magi wise men Herod star

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