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.

During the days of king Herod,' Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea,

wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem."

The birth of Jesus was felt by the wise men coming from the Far East

while the powers that be in Jerusalem were clueless.

The Light shines upon us; the glory of the Lord rises upon us!

 

＊＊＊ 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 multitude 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.

This mystery was not made known to past generations, but only now, through revelations, given to holy apostles and prophets, by the Spirit. Now, the non-Jews 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 teachers of the law, 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, one who is to shepherd my people Israel." Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions, "Go and get accurate 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 ：

"They opened their bags and offered him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh."

Lectio Divina

 

READ: Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod. The magi searched for the newborn king of the Jews. Herod, pretending to honor the child, instructed the magi to tell him once they would find the child. The magi were overjoyed as they were guided by the star. They found the child and his parents. They worshiped  the child, giving him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. But they returned home through another way.

 

REFLECT: The magi searched for Jesus. It is God himself, through a star, who guided them in their search. Our search for the Lord will not always be a smooth sailing quest. There will be difficulties and challenges. Along the way, there may be obstacles that can derail our focus. In the Gospel, these obstacles are represented by Herod. The good news, nevertheless, is that God never stops guiding us. We only need to be open to the guidance he provides. Once we allow God to guide us, we will find true joy, overcoming every hindrance that prevents us from getting closer to Jesus.

 

PRAY: Let us pray for God's continuous guidance that we may overcome whatever prevents us from getting closer to Jesus.

 

ACT: Let us think of one particular beautiful trait which will bring us closer to God. Having in mind that God always guides us, let us begin practicing such a trait, offering it to Jesus as we continue our faith journey this year.