'We have come with gifts to adore the Lord.' Sunday Reflections. The Epiphany

 

Adoration of the Magi (Bern)

Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art]

Where the Epiphany is celebrated this year on its proper date, Friday 6 January, it is a holyday of obligation. This applies in England & Wales and in Ireland. In these countries the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday 8 January this year, bringing the Christmas Season to a close, with the First Week of Ordinary Time beginning on Monday 9 January.

In countries where the celebration of the Epiphany is transferred to Sunday 8 January this year the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on Monday 9 January and Ordinary Time begins on Tuesday 9 January. These countries include Australia, Philippines, Scotland and the USA

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) 

Gospel Matthew 2:1-12 (New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)  

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

The Adoration of the Magi

Fray Nicolás Borrás [Web Gallery of Art]

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 how 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 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 members of her own family, as in a very deep sense they are, or we of their family.

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 2022

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 1-6-2023 if necessary).

Lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6. Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12.

Bethlehem of Noblest Cities / Hymn for the Epiphany

Benedict XVI on death and silence

Benedict XVI, Zagreb, Croatia, 5 June 2011

[Wikipedia; photo]

One of the most beautiful passages on death that I have ever read is from Pope Benedict's encyclical letter on hope, Spe Salvi, No 48. I have often quoted from this passage at funerals.

Spe Salvi, 48. Pope Benedict

In hope we were saved (Romans, 8:24).

The belief that love can reach into the afterlife, that reciprocal giving and receiving is possible, in which our affection for one another continues beyond the limits of death—this has been a fundamental conviction of Christianity throughout the ages and it remains a source of comfort today. Who would not feel the need to convey to their departed loved ones a sign of kindness, a gesture of gratitude or even a request for pardon?

. . . We should recall that no man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another . . . The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse. So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death. In the interconnectedness of Being, my gratitude to the other—my prayer for him—can play a small part in his purification. And for that there is no need to convert earthly time into God's time: in the communion of souls simple terrestrial time is superseded. It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain. In this way we further clarify an important element of the Christian concept of hope. Our hope is always essentially also hope for others; only thus is it truly hope for me too. 

Pope Benedict quotes above the opening line of a poem by English poet John Donne (1572-1631), No man is an island, entire of itself. Here where I live we have three funerals of Columban priests this week, those of Fr Austin McGuinness, ordained in 1965, Fr Michael Doohan, ordained in 1952 and Fr Jeremiah Cotter, ordained in 1954. The deaths of these men whom I knew, along with that of Pope Emeritus Benedict whom I greatly admired, speak to me through the words of John Donne's poem.

Read by Peter Baker

Pope Benedict loved the music of Mozart and often played it on the piano. He would have been very familiar with Mozart's Requiem, a setting of the Requiem Mass in Latin.

At the end of a performance of this work in Lucerne conductor Claudio Abbado, below, remained in prayerful silence for forty seconds before turning to the audience and allowing applause.

Benedict XVI on Silence

Here there is a first important aspect for us: we live in a society in which it seems that every space, every moment must be 'filled' with projects, activities and noise; there is often no time even to listen or to converse. Dear brothers and sisters, let us not fear to create silence, within and outside ourselves, if we wish to be able not only to become aware of God's voice but also to make out the voice of the person beside us, the voices of others.

These words are from the homily of Pope Benedict XVI in Sulmona, Italy, on 4 July 2010 marking the 800th anniversary of the birth of Pope Celestine V who resigned from the papacy in 1294 and was canonized in 1313.

The Death of St Joseph

Bernardo Cavallino [Web Gallery of Art]

Mary 'brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord.' Sunday Reflections, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

 

Adoration of the Shepherds [London]

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:16).

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Luke 2:16-21 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)  

And they 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.

Léachtaí i nGaeilge 

Adoration of the Shepherds [Munich]

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19).

In 2002 I was assigned for 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]): God, be gracious and bless us and let your 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 it, as I have often done, 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 this weekend we shall be following the shepherds who returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

May we pray in a special way at Mass for Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI who constantly reminded us that our faith as Christians is in a Person, Our Lord Jesus Christ, God who became Man, the One the shepherds adored in Bethlehem.

Carol of the Bells

I never knew until this Christmas 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.

 

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 1-1-2023 if necessary).

Epistle: Titus 2:11-15. Gospel: Luke 2:21.

Circumcision of Jesus

Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art]

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).

'Rachel weeping for her children.' Feast of the Holy Innocents

 

Joseph's Dream

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt(Mt 2:13).

Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

28 December

Gospel Matthew 2:13-18 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)

Now when the wise men 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.”

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Massacre of the Innocents

Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art]

Laudato si', No 120

Pope Francis

Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties? “If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away”.

Lully, Lulla, Lullay (CoventryCarol)

Arranged by Philip Stopford, sung by Voces8

This very old carol originating in Coventry, England, tells the sorrow of the mothers of the infants massacred on the orders of Kong Herod. The history of the song and its lyrics are here.

Rachel's Vineyard

Rachel's Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.

Rachel's Vineyard, Britain.

Rachel's Vineyard, Ireland.

'The Maker of the stars and sea / Become a Child on earth for me?' Sunday Reflections, Christmas Day

 

Adoration of the Shepherds

Murillo, painted 1646-50 [Web Gallery of Art]

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger (Luke 2:12; Gospel).

The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayers and readings. Any of the four fulfils our obligation to attend Mass. These are:

Vigil Mass, celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm.

Mass During the Night, known before as 'Midnight Mass'.

Mass at Dawn.

Mass During the Day.

The readings from the Jerusalem Bible for the four Masses are all on one page but with links to each individual Mass. When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses.

 

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel (Mass During the Night) Luke 2:1-14 (English Standard Version Anglicised: India)  

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

 

The Census at Bethlehem

Pieter Bruegel the Elder [Web Gallery of Art]

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child (Luke 2:4-5; Gospel).

Léachtaí i nGaeilge 

Linus' Speech from A Charlie Brown Christmas

Linus quotes Luke 2:8-14 (Authorized [King James] Version):

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Charlie Brown finds satisfaction in Linus’ answer. He is made joyful. So why is this television special so enduring? Linus’ answer is the perfect Advent message for Christians awaiting the birth of Christ during a time taken over by commercialism [emphasis added]. That’s what Christians who watch this special take away from it. 

The above is a quotation from an article by Clemente Lisi, Why 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' Remains Beloved by both Christians and Non-believers - an article well worth reading. A very perceptive comment on the article reads: I watched the original airing of the show in 1965 as an 8-year-old. Many, many times since then. It just occurred to me as I read your story that one of the main reasons for the profundity of Linus' speech is the silence before and after he quotes Luke. No piano, no laughter, no groaning. Just silence. It sets in our minds the importance of what is about to be said and subsequently what was said [emphasis added].

Notice how Linus drops his security blanket at the angel's words Fear not.

Adoration of the Shepherds (London)

Rembrandt [Web Gallery of Art]

In his book Jesus of Nazareth, The Infancy Narratives, Pope Benedict XVI writes on pages 66-67 as follows [emphases added].

'And while they were there [Bethlehem], the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7, RSV).

'Let us begin our exegesis with the concluding words of this passage: there was no room for them in the inn. Prayerful reflection over these words has highlighted an inner parallel between this saying and the profoundly moving  verse from St John's Prologue (read in the Mass During the Day): He came to his own home, and his own people received him not (1:11). For the Saviour of the World, for him in whom all things were created (cf Col 1:16), there was no room. Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head (Mt 8:20). He who was crucified outside the city (cf Heb 13:12) also came into the world outside the city.

'This should cause us to reflect - it points toward the reversal of values found in the figure of Jesus Christ and his message. From the moment of his birth, he belongs outside the realms of what is important and powerful in worldly terms. Yet it is this unimportant and powerless child that proves  to be the truly powerful one, the one on whom ultimately everything depends. So one aspect of becoming a Christian is having to leave behind what everyone else thinks and wants, the prevailing standards, in order to enter the light of the truth of our being, and aided by that light to find the right path.'

+++

Both Rembrandt's painting above and Murillo's at the top beautifully show this unimportant and powerless child to be truly the light of the truth of our being.

2022 has been another dark year for many throughout the world, most of us feeling powerless at times in varying degrees. May the words of St John's Gospel be a beacon of hope for all of us:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).

Agus tá an solas ag taitneamh sa dorchadas, ach níor ghabh an dorchadas é (Eoin 1:5).

Extraordinary Form of the Mass

Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) 

Christmas Day.

The complete Mass in Latin and English is here. (Adjust the date at the top of that page to 12-25-2022, if necessary). Click on the circle in front of 'Missa prima', 'Missa secunda' or 'Missa tertia' for the specific Mass texts.

First Mass at Midnight

Epistle: Titus 2:11-15. Gospel: Luke 2:1-14.  

The Second Mass at Dawn

Epistle: Titus 3:4-7. Gospel: 2:15-20.

Third Mass During the Daytime

Epistle: Hebrews 1:1-12. Gospel: John 1:1-14.

Christmas

by John Betjeman (1906-1984)

from Holy Spirit Parish, Stamford, CT, USA

No love in a family dwells,

     No carolling on frosty air,

Nor all the steeple-shaking bells

     Can with this single Truth compare - 

That God was Man in Palestine

And lives to-day in Bread and Wine.

Beannachtaí na Nollag oraibh go léir.

The Blessings of Christmas on all of you.