Since we are travellers and pilgrims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our life, for the end of our roadway is our home (St Columban, 8th sermon).
In Ireland, England & Wales the Solemnity of the Epiphany is a Holy Day of Obligation and is celebrated this year on Tuesday, 6 January, the traditional date. In many countries the Epiphany is celebrated on this Sunday, 4 January. The readings below are those for the Second Sunday After the Nativity, observed in Ireland, England & Wales. You will find Sunday Reflections for the Solemnity of the Epiphany here.
Readings(English
Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales)
GospelJohn 1:1-18 or 1-5, 9-14(English Standard Version, Anglicised)
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him
was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the
light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it.
[There was a man
sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about
the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came
to bear witness about the light.]
The true light,
which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world,
and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to
his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive
him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,
but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his
glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
[John bore witness about him, and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He
who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.” ’For from his
fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the
only begotten God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.]
In The Ascent of Mount Carmel St John of the Cross writes: When [God] gave us, as he did,his Son, who is his one Word, he spoke everything to us, once and for all in that one Word. There is nothing further for him to say . . .
Consequently, anyone who today would want to ask God questions or desire some vision or revelation, would not only be acting foolishly but would commit an offence against God by not fixing his eyes entirely on Christ, without wanting something new or something besides him.
God might give him this answer, '"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." I have already told you all things in my Word. Fix your eyes on him alone, becuse in him I have spoken and revealed all. Moreover, in him you will find more than you ask or desire.'
This passage is used in the Office of Readings, Advent, Week 2, Monday.
Where the Epiphany is celebrated this year on its proper date, Tuesday 6 January, it is a holyday of obligation. This applies in England & Wales and in Ireland. In countries where the Epiphany is not a holyday of obligation it is celebrated this year on Sunday 4 January. These countries include Philippines, Scotland and the USA.
GospelMatthew 2:1-12(English Standard Version, Anglicised )
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.” ’
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.’ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
While based in Britain for two years I was able to spend Christmas with my brother and his family in Dublin, a short flight from England, in 2000 and 2001. During the holiday in 2001 I saw a documentary on RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcasting service, about Filipino nurses in Ireland. These began to arrive around 1999, initially at the invitation of the Irish government to work in government hospitals. Very quickly there was an 'invasion' of Filipino nurses and carers, now to be found in hospitals and nursing homes in every part of the country.
One of the nurses interviewed told that many Filipinos, knowing that the Irish celebrate Christmas on the 25th, unlike the Philippines where the culmination of the feast is on the night of the 24th, offered to work on Christmas Day so that their Irish companions could be with their families. This also helped to dull the pain of being away from their own families.
I was moved to tears at the testimony of one nurse, from Butuan City in Mindanao as I recall, speaking about her job and her first Christmas in Ireland in 2000. She spoke very highly of her employers, of her working conditions and of her accommodation, which she contrasted with that of the Holy Family on the first Christmas night. She spoke of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in this situation as if they were her next door neighbours or members of her own family, as in a very deep sense they are.
Here was a young woman from the East powerfully proclaiming, without being aware of it, that the Word became flesh and lived among us. The fact that she wasn't aware of it, that she was speaking about her 'next door neighbours', made her proclamation of faith all the more powerful. She would have known many in her own place, and very likely knew from her own experience, something of what Joseph and Mary went through in Bethlehem. Her faith in the Word who became flesh and lived among us wasn't something in her head but part of her very being.
For much of the last century thousands of Catholic priests, religious Sisters and Brothers left Europe and North America to preach and live the Gospel in the nations of Africa, Asia and South America. Some of the countries and regions from which they left, eg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Quebec, have to a great extent lost or even rejected the Catholic Christian faith. The Jewish people had, in faith, awaited the coming of the Messiah for many centuries. But when He came it was uneducated shepherds who first recognised him and later Simeon and Anna, two devout and elderly Jews who spent lengthy periods in prayer in the Temple.
Today's feast highlights wise men from the east, not 'believers' in the Jewish sense, led by God's special grace to Bethlehem to bring gifts in response to that grace, explaining, We . . . have come to pay him homage. They reveal to us that God calls people from every part of the world to do the same and to bring others with them.
Will nurses from the Philippines and from Kerala in India, migrants from Korea and Vietnam, from the east, bring the gift of faith in Jesus Christ once again to the many people in Western Europe and North America who no longer know him in any real sense? Will they by the lives they lead as working immigrants gently invite those in the West who have lost the precious gift of our Catholic Christian faith to once again come to pay him homage?
St Peter's Basilica, Epiphany 2020
Antiphona ad Communionem Communion Antiphon Cf Matthew 2:2
Vidimus stellam eius in Oriente,
et venimus cum muneribus adorare Dominum.
We have seen his star in the East,
and have come with gifts to adore the Lord.
Traditional Latin Mass
The Epiphany of the Lord
Celebrated 6 January everywhere
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 01-06-2026 if necessary).
‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel' (Matthew 2:6; Gospel).
GospelLuke 2:16-21(English Standard Version, Anglicised)
At that time:
The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in
a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told
them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds
told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard
and seen, as it had been told them.
And at the end
of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by
the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19).
In 2002 I spent five months in Glasgow, Scotland, doing mission appeals in different parishes for the Columbans every weekend. One day in a large shopping mall I had need to go to the men's room. It was the cleanest public toilet I had ever seen in my life. The janitor happened to be there and I told him so. His face lit up with a joy I have never forgotten.
One of the themes running through today's Mass is 'light'. The alternative Entrance Antiphon, reflecting both Isaiah and Luke, opens with the words Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us. The First Reading, from the Book of Numbers, has the Blessing of Aaron, given to him by the Lord through his brother Moses: The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
This in turn is echoed by the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 66 [67]): May God be gracious and bless us and let his face shed its light upon us. The Preface furthers the theme of light with these words: For by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she conceived your Only Begotten Son, and without losing the glory of virginity, brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The magnificent opening of St John's Gospel, read on Christmas Day at the Mass During the Day and also at Mass on the last day of the year, tells us who Jesus is: In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word was God . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Many of the great artists have painted the Adoration of the Shepherds. Above are two paintings by Rembrandt, who was a master of light and darkness. In both Mary is presenting her Son to the Shepherds with utter trust. And it is clear that Rembrandt understood that Jesus is the true light, which enlightens everyone, that Mary had brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.
We see the words of the Entrance Antiphon being fulfilled in both paintings, Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us. The faces of Mary, Joseph and the shepherds represent our faces, lit up with the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord who came among us through Mary so that, in the words of the Prayer after Communion, it may lead us to eternal life.
The shepherds who visited Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not at the top of the social ladder in Judea and the janitor I met in Glasgow was not on top of the social ladder in Scotland and was probably ignored by most of those he served. I like to think that the day I met him he experienced something of the light of Christ when I thanked him for his work. I know that to this day the Lord has made his face shine upon me whenever I recall that encounter. So often the Lord Jesus makes his face shine upon us through those considered unimportant or not even noticed.
The janitor probably told his wife and family and others about this incident, as I have often spoken about it, and as did the shepherds about their experience. St Luke tells us that all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. St John's Gospel says of St John the Baptist, He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
We too are called to do the same so that all may come to know and to believe in Jesus Christ. The shepherds were the first to welcome our Saviour into the world and to proclaim him. And, in a real sense, they welcomed Mary and Joseph when they knelt down and worshipped the Child whom Mary presented to them so trustingly and whom she continues to present to us.
God touched Mary through these shepherds and she treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And Jesus invites those of us who, for whatever reason, illness, disability or age, are no longer as active as we used to be, to treasure up, as Mary did, all these things, pondering them in our hearts.
And as we take part in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we shall be following the shepherds who returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
I learned only three years ago that Carol of the Bells is of Ukrainian origin. Look at and listen to this delightful rendition of the original Ukrainian carol on the full screen.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon the people of Ukraine and give them peace.
A Great Darkness over Ireland
On the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 2019 abortion on demand up to 12 weeks became legal in the Republic of Ireland as did abortion at a later stage of pregnancy in certain circumstances. Since then the lives of around 60,000 children have been legally destroyed in their mothers' wombs. This legislation came after the people in a referendum in 2018 voted to change the Constitution to allow for legislation legalising the killing of children in the womb.
The vast majority of voters and legislators were baptised Christians, most of them Catholics, showing utter tone-deafness to the meaning of Christmas and of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Please ask Mary our Mother to lead the people of Ireland back to her Son who spent the first hours of his life in a manger in Bethlehem.
Rachel's Vineyardis a powerful location for God's healing love for women and men affected by the reality of abortion in their lives.
Away in a Manger
Sung by Libera
Traditional Latin Mass
Octave-Day of the Nativity
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 1-1-2026 if necessary).
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:21).
GospelMatthew 2:13-15, 19-23(English Standard
Version, Anglicised)
When the Magi
had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and
said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there
until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’
And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord
had spoken by the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’
But when Herod
died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for
those who sought the child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the child and
his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was
reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there,
and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went
and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets
might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
St Joseph is central in the Christmas story as St Matthew tells it. His role is to be the husband of Mary. It is as such that he names Mary’s son and so becomes his legal father (Mt 1:21). It is as husband of Mary that he took the child and his mother by night and fled to Egypt. It is as husband of Mary that he took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. It was as husband of Mary that he was afraid to go there’(Judea) and risk not only his own life but theirs and took them instead to Galilee.
The major feast of St Joseph, on 19 March, honours him as ‘Husband of Mary’. I can’t help repeating that the primary vocation of a married couple is to be spouses, not parents. It is as loving spouses that they become loving parents. This was most clearly expressed for me about 20 years ago by an 11-year-old boy at a family day of Worldwide Marriage Encounter in Bacolod City, Philippines, during an activity for the pre-teens. They were asked what they loved most about their parents. He said, ‘What I love most about my parents is that they are always together’.
A wife can fail as a spouse by giving more attention to her children than to their father. Nobody questions the love of a mother. But it can be a temptation. If a husband, who has pledged his life to his wife till death do us part thinks that he is not any more the most important person in the life of his wife he may be more easily tempted to look elsewhere, with tragic consequences for the whole family.
So many married couples in the Philippines, and elsewhere, are separated by the fact that one is working overseas, sometimes both and possibly in different countries. It is vital that they have living and vibrant communication. Modern technology has made that possible in almost every part of the globe. I knew one Filipino couple where the husband was on a scholarship overseas and who talked every night using Skype. And their children had a chance to see and talk to their father as he saw and talked to them.
Music
by Franz Xaver Gruber, original lyrics in German by Joseph Mohr
Arranged
by James Burton and sung by Voces8
A note under the video says that it will be online from 8 December to 6 January. This is my 83rd Christmas and I don't think I have ever listened to a better setting and performance of this most loved of Christmas hymns.
Traditional Latin Mass
Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity
The Complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 12-28-2025 if necessary).
Simeon
blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is set for
the fall and rising of many in Israel,and for a sign that is spoken against(and
a sword will pierce through your own soul also),that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed’ (Luke 2:34-35;
Gospel).
,%20WGA.jpg)
,%20WGA.jpg)
