A Pastoral Ministry of the Members of the Society of St Paul

VOL. 52, NO. 09 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD - SOLEMNITY (C) - White 05 JANUARY 2025

INTRODUCTION
Dear brothers and sisters, we have come together to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. This feast
commemorates the visit of the wise men to worship the baby Jesus. These men were astrologers
who were looking for the star that would lead them to the promised Messiah. According to the
Gospel narratives, the wise men brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These
gifts are very meaningful. Gold is a precious and an expensive gift which shows how important
Jesus is. Frankincense is a sweet perfume which is often burned in the Temple to worship God. It
is a sign that Jesus should be worshipped. Myrrh was used to keep things fresh, and it was used by
the women to anoint Jesus’ body when he died. By bringing them as gifts to Jesus, the wise men
foretold his suffering and death. The Wise Men had to show great courage and diligence in order
to find the Child Jesus. They were overjoyed to find the Child and their reaction was to fall down
and worship him. Do we show the same diligence as the Wise Men did in finding Jesus?

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Cel: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive
Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
and kingship is in his grasp, and power and All: Amen.
dominion. (Mal 3:1; 1 Chr 29:12)
Cel: Lord, have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.
Cel: In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Cel: Christ, have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy.
All: Amen. Cel: Lord, have mercy. All: Lord, have mercy.

Cel: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the GLORIA
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to
Spirit be with you all. people of good will. We praise you, we bless you,
All: And with your spirit. we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only
acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the
to celebrate the sacred mysteries. (a brief silence) Father, you take away the sins of the world, have
mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world,
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand
and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are
thoughts and in my words, in what I have done the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone
and in what I have failed to do, (and, striking their are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy
breast, they say:) through my fault, through my Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I
ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and COLLECT
Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray O God, who on this day revealed your Only
for me to the Lord our God. Begotten Son to the nations by the guidance of

1 The Epiphany of the Lord (C)

a star, grant in your mercy that we, who know pity on the weak and the needy, and save the
you already by faith, may be brought to behold lives of the needy. +
the beauty of your sublime glory. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and SECOND READING
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to
God, for ever and ever. the Ephesians (3:2-3a,5-6)
All: Amen. Brethren, I assume that you have heard of the
stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me
FIRST READING for you, how the mystery was made known to
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (60:1-6) me by revelation, which was not made known
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the to the sons of men in other generations as it
glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For has now been revealed to his holy apostles and
behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the
darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same
upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. body, and partakers of the promise in Christ
And nations shall come to your light, and kings Jesus through the gospel.
to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes
The Word of the Lord.
all round, and see; they all gather together, your
All: Thanks be to God.
sons shall come from afar, and your daughters
shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see ACCLAMATION
and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned Alleluia. Alleluia. We saw his star when it
to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to rose and have come to worship him. Alleluia.
you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the (Mt  2:2)
young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those GOSPEL
from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold ! A reading from the Holy Gospel
and frankincense, and shall bring good news, according to Matthew (2:1-12)
the praises of the LORD.
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Word of the Lord. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea
All: Thanks be to God. in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise
RESPONSORIAL PSALM (72) men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
Response: All nations shall fall prostrate “Where is he who has been born king of the
before you, O Lord. Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have
come to worship him.” When Herod the king
O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem
son your justice, that he may judge your people in with him; and assembling all the chief priests
justice, and your poor in right judgement. + and the scribes of the people, he enquired of
In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace them where the Christ was to be born. They told
till the moon is no more. He shall rule from sea to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written
sea, from the River to the bounds of the earth. + by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, are by no means least among
The kings of Tarshish and the islands shall pay
the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come
him tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
bring him gifts. Before him all kings shall fall Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly
prostrate, all nations shall serve him. + and ascertained from them what time the star
For he shall save the needy when they cry, the had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem,
poor, and those who are helpless. He will have saying, “Go and search diligently for the child,

The Epiphany of the Lord (C) 2

and when you have found him, bring me word, 2. For all Christians that they may be grateful
that I too may come and worship him.” After to God for the gift of faith that they have
listening to the king, they went on their way. received and treasuring it in their hearts and
And behold, the star that they had seen when living their life according to its demands
it rose went before them until it came to rest they may give glory to God, we pray … +
over the place where the child was. When they 3. For Christians who believe there is power
saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with in the Word of God, that they may strive to
great joy. And going into the house, they saw receive and hold dear to them the Holy Bible
the child with Mary his mother, and they fell and by reading and reflecting on its teachings
down and worshipped him. Then, opening their lives may be transformed, we pray … +
their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and 4. For Diocesan organizations and religious
frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in institutes that they may carry out social and
a dream not to return to Herod, they departed humanitarian services such as education
to their own country by another way. and health care that these services may
Cel: The Gospel of the Lord. become beneficial to all sections of society,
we pray … +
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
5. For all of us who have come to celebrate the
PROFESSION OF FAITH joyous feast of the Epiphany that we too
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of through our lives and examples may manifest
heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, Christ to the people around us, especially as we
our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born live in a multi-religious country, we pray … +
of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, Cel: God our Father, we thank you for the joy You
was crucified, died and was buried; he descended bestow on us through the celebration of the Feast
into hell; on the third day he rose again from the of Epiphany. We firmly believe that You sent Your
dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the Son to save all humanity. Grant us the grace that
right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there we too, like the Wise Men, may seek and find
Christ, your Son. We make this prayer ....
he will come to judge the living and the dead. I
believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the Look with favour, Lord, we pray, on these gifts of
resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. your Church, in which are offered now not gold
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL or frankincense or myrrh, but he who by them
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, guided by a is proclaimed, sacrificed and received, Jesus
star, the Magi set out in search of the new- Christ. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
born who is the Saviour of the world. After
PREFACE (Epiphany)
having searched for the Child in the place of
the reigning king, they eventually found him It is truly right and just, our duty and our
in the manger. Let us pray that we too may salvation, always and everywhere to give
become sincere seekers of the truth that Jesus you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and
embodies, saying, eternal God.
Response: Lord, make us more diligent. For today you have revealed the mystery of our
1. For the pope, the bishops and other leaders salvation in Christ as a light for the nations,
of the Church that by making use of the and, when he appeared in our mortal nature,
newer and faster means of communication you made us new by the glory of his immortal
that modern technology puts at their nature.
disposal, they may advance the message of And so, with Angels and Archangels, with
the gospel to every people, we pray … + Thrones and Dominions, and with all the

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 Regd. No. R/N. 26565/74

hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn represent the vast humanity that remain outside
of your glory, as without end we acclaim: of the special care and protection of God.
All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts… Matthew understands the Magi as learned men
who understand the stars, who recognize the
COMMUNION ANTIPHON signs of the birth of Christ. They seek the King
We have seen his star in the East, and have because they have seen his star at its rising. The
come with gifts to adore the Lord. (Mt 2:2) idea that the births and deaths of great figures
are accompanied by astral phenomena was
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION widely accepted in antiquity.
Go before us with heavenly light, O Lord, Herod at whose palace the Wise Men arrive
always and everywhere, that we may perceive represents everything that is contrary to the latter.
with clear sight and revere with true affection News of the birth of the promised King would
the mystery in which you have willed us to certainly trouble Herod. He was a ruthless king
participate. Through Christ our Lord. who had already put two of his sons to death and
was soon to execute his oldest son, Antipater, for
LITURGY AND LIFE fear that they wanted to take over his throne. In
In the First Reading Isaiah invites the people this context the massacre of the innocent children
dwelling in Jerusalem to exult before the glory when the king felt that he was duped by the Wise
of God that is arising. The great gathering of Men becomes credible.
people of which the prophet speaks will make On finding the Child the Wise Men rejoice over
the city “a light to the nations”. They come with him. The Wise Men after having worshipped the
their children and they bring the wealth of the Child Jesus offer him gold, frankincense and
nations. They come from many distant lands, myrrh as gifts (Mt  2:11).
from Midian and Ephah, and from Sheba. The The feast of Epiphany allows us to reflect on the
gifts they bring include gold and frankincense. universality of salvation in Christ. The universal
What Isaiah visualized is actualized in the birth salvific will of God is God’s fundamental loving
of Jesus for Wise Men came from faraway places intention to save all human beings. The Magi’s
bring him gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. role as prefiguring the acceptance of Gentiles
In the Second Reading, Paul presents himself as into the Christian community points towards
the apostle to the Gentiles and as the interpreter the universal character of the gospel; it is meant
of mysteries. Paul’s apostleship is rooted in to be shared with all peoples. – AK
his encounter with the risen Lord who has
commissioned him to preach the Gospel and JANUARY 2025
revealed divine mysteries to him. Although the (After Epiphany, Year I) (Psalter Week 2)
mysteries were hidden from other generations
06 Mon (W) St André Bessette
before, they have been revealed to apostles 1 Jn 3:22–4:6/ Ps 2:7-8,10-12/ Mt 4:12-17,23-25
and prophets like himself. In this letter we see 07 Tue (W) St Raymond of Peafort
the gist of the Christian message described as 1 Jn 4:7-10/ Ps 72:1-4,7-8/ Mk 6:34-44
a mystery as well as the content of the gospel: 08 Wed (W) St Appollinaris
“This mystery is that through the gospel the 1 Jn 4:11-18/ Ps 72:1-2,10,12-13/ Mk 6:45-52
Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members 09 Thu (W) St Agato Thaumaturs
together of one body, and sharers together in 1 Jn 4:19–5:4/ Ps 72:1-2,14-15,17/ Lk 4:14-22
the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 3:6) 10 Fri (W) St Theodosius the Cenobiarch
The gospel presents the arrival of the Wise Men 1 Jn 5:5-13/ Ps 147:12-13,14-15, 19-20/ Lk 5:12-16
or the Magi. Traditionally the feast of Epiphany 11 Sat (W) St Aelred of Rievaulx
celebrates the inclusion of the Gentiles in the 1 Jn 5:14-21/ Ps 149:1-6,9/ Jn 3:22-30
salvific plan of God for the pagan wise men

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