＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊　

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine, for your light has come.

The Glory of Yahweh rises upon you.  Night still covers the earth and gloomy clouds veil the peoples, but Yahweh now rises and over you his glory appears. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

 Lift up your eyes round about and see: they are all gathered and come to you, your sons from afar, your daughters tenderly carried.  This sight will make your face radiant,

your heart throbbing and full; the riches of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.

A flood of camels will cover you, caravans from Midian and Ephah. Those from Sheba will come, bringing with them gold and incense, all singing in praise of Yahweh.

 

Ps 72:1-2, 7-8. 10-11, 12-13

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6

You may have heard of the graces God bestowed on me for your sake. By a revelation he gave me the knowledge of his mysterious design, as I have explained in a few words. This mystery was not made known to past generations but only now, through revelations given to holy apostles and prophets. 

Now the non-Jewish people share the Inheritance; in Christ Jesus the non-Jews are incorporated and are to enjoy the Promise. This is the Good News.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 2:1-12

 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star in the east and have come to honor him.”

 When Herod heard this he was great­ly disturbed and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high-ranking priests and the scribes, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

 “In the town of Beth­­lehem in Judea,” they told him, “for this is what the proph­et wrote: And you, Beth­lehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a leader, the one who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

 Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction, “Go and get precise information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go and honor him.”

 After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again.

 They went into the house and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshiped him. They opened their bags and offered him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.  In a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their home country by another way.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

The birth of Jesus was felt by the wise men coming from the Far East while the powers that be in Jerusalem were clueless. Herod on knowing the news from these foreigners consulted his experts who pinpointed Bethlehem as the place of birth of the Messiah.

Giving directions and instructing the wise men to return to him once they found the child, the three set out, found the baby, knelt and worshipped and gave their gifts. Then they returned to their home country by another way.

Reflect:

The wise men are wise because they attend to things that matter. That is why it does not matter that they are far from the birthplace of the Messiah. They see His star rising and they immediately set out to see Him.

They inform the powers that be in Jerusalem, who divined the place of birth of the king. After relaying the information, the ruling king enjoined them to tell him afterwards where the newborn king is.

But wise men never walk the same path twice. So they went back home through another route. And so the world comes to know of the first Christmas.

Respond:

He or she who is aware, know of things even from afar. May we cultivate mindfulness in our daily lives so that we know things in bigger perspectives.