Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 01-07-17, The Epiphany of the Lord

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 01-07-18 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

Seeking Him with the Wise Men

Pastor’s Column

Epiphany

January 7, 2018

“The Magi were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary, his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

                             Matthew 2:1-12

The story of the Magi which we hear at Epiphany each year is not just a history lesson. Many wonder where the Magi came from, how many or who they really were. But the Magi are not the only seekers of Christ. We are all called to be seekers of Christ, to be in fact Magi! We Christians are on a journey to Bethlehem; we are all called to seek the Lord. Indeed, ultimately he is to be found at the end of every person’s journey. Let’s look for clues in the scripture of the day.

He was found at a cave, in a manger, in Bethlehem. When we seek the Lord, we will not find him in a palace or dressed in fine robes. Instead, we must come to Bethlehem, which when translated, literally means House of Bread. We will find Jesus among the humble of this world, the needy, the poor. This is where his face will be most visible. And we will especially find him in the Eucharist. This is our House of Bread. It is amid the poor and humble circumstances of our adoration chapel, that we may go on pilgrimage to Bethlehem, meet the king and find him much as the Magi did.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage. We kneel in adoration before the king whom we have discovered hidden from the proud, but available to all who have the humility to come to him and bow before him in silence. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Gold. We come before the king in prayer and offer him that which is most precious to us: our time, our obedience, our offerings of treasure or service to the poor, the treasure of our time with him, the treasure of our will which we strive to conform to his. As a great king, Jesus wants the best that we have to offer.

Frankincense. Incense is a symbol of our prayers that we lift up to God. We offer him this gift whenever we pray, whether we feel anything or not. The more of a sacrifice our prayer is, the greater will be the cloud of incense before the Lord. Our service to others is also incense before the Lord.

Myrrh. Myrrh symbolizes great sacrifice, dying to self, conversion. When I make a journey to the great King as the Magi did, I will be changed by the encounter. Myrrh represents every suffering, sacrifice or act of repentance we have made before the Lord! 

                              Father Gary

[Salvation]

Reflections from Scott Hahn

Newborn King: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

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Readings:
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-2,7-8, 10-13
Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

Today the child born on Christmas is revealed to be the long-awaited king of the Jews.

As the priests and scribes interpret the prophecies in today’s Gospel, he is the ruler expected from the line of King David, whose greatness is to reach to the ends of the earth (see Micah 5:1-3; 2 Samuel 5:2).

Jesus is found with His mother, as David’s son, Solomon, was enthroned alongside his Queen Mother (see 1 Kings 2:19). And the magi come to pay Him tribute, as once kings and queens came to Solomon (see 1 Kings 10:2,25).

His coming evokes promises that extend back to Israel’s beginnings.

Centuries before, an evil king seeking to destroy Moses and the Israelites had summoned Balaam, who came from the East with two servants. But Balaam refused to curse Israel, and instead prophesied that a star and royal staff would arise out of Israel and be exalted above all the nations (see Numbers 22:21; 23:7; 24:7,17).

This is the star the three magi follow. And like Balaam, they too, refuse to be tangled in an evil king’s scheme. Their pilgrimage is a sign – that the prophesies in today’s First Reading and Psalm are being fulfilled. They come from afar, guided by God’s light, bearing the wealth of nations, to praise Israel’s God.

We celebrate today our own entrance into the family of God, and the fulfillment of God’s plan that all nations be united with Israel as co-heirs to His Fatherly blessings, as Paul reveals in today’s Epistle.

We too, must be guided by the root of David, the bright morning star (see Revelation 22:16), and the light of the world (see Isaiah 42:6; John 8:12).

As the magi adored Him in the manger, let us renew our vow to serve Him, placing our gifts – our intentions and talents – on the altar in this Eucharist. We must offer to Him our very lives in thanksgiving. No lesser gift will suffice for this newborn King.

[Salvation]

Epiphany of the Lord: God in the flesh

(James Tissot: The journey of the Magi)

"We have come to do him homage"

Is 60: 1-6

Eph 3: 2-3, 5-6

Mt 2: 1-12

The Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/010718.cfm

Flashy magic shows are always an attraction.  Masters of illusion as they are sometimes referred to, visually create something that seems to defy the laws of nature.  Large animals may suddenly disappear; someone lies down in a box and appears to have a saw directly through their body but they seem to be unaffected.  Mind readers are another draw.  Those who seem to find a playing card you chose in the middle of a full deck or they claim to predict the future.  Such “entertainment” despite its realistic appearance, is basically a trick.  One could explain how such things are done and uncover the reality behind it. 

Today’s Feast of the Lord’s Epiphany, however, is anything but an illusion.  While the story of the visiting astrologers (Magoi) not Kings according to Matthew is richly symbolic it is also rooted very likely in some historical event.  Such a story must have circulated around the early Christian community and found its way to a prominent spot in Matthew’s Gospel. 

The true point of the story is the recognition by these astrologers of the physical revelation of God in the person of Jesus.  That revelation, or “epiphany,” is at the very foundation of our Christian faith. Magicians are skilled in creating the appearance of an alternate reality but God in Christ Jesus has come from a place of the spirit to take on the world of the physical which he himself created.  So, in Jesus both a spiritual and a physical reality are joined. God in particular embraces the beauty of human nature to make it whole again; in right relationship with God and offers us the hope of eternal life.  There is no magic trick or illusion here but a deep truth and reality of what God has done in the whole event of our salvation in Christ. God in the flesh is an act divine love and mercy for all humankind. 

Still we cannot help but speculate about who these Magi were. A common explanation is that they represent the larger Gentile world; the human cultures beyond the small geographic confines of ancient Israel and there certainly is a rich truth in that.  As God reveled himself in the flesh to the Magi who recognized the unique superiority and future destiny of this child, they as non-Jews come to see him for who he is.  We in the same way are called to recognize what God has done and how he has revealed himself through a human person. 

We can make some practical applications to our own lives by their example.  I’ve always loved the fact that they were in a search mode.  Clearly, they set out; they went in search of a person whose new “star” they recognized.  Despite the challenges before them, they continued on to Jerusalem.  They were so fixed on finding this new born “King” that they came to the great Herod whose intentions were anything but benign. 

Isn’t this something of what we find in our world today?  The modern media, the earthly powers of Nations, the constant war of words and sadly much more threatening actions, the influence of technology over our lives, and the growing seduction of the secular world and its emphasis on the individual as the guide for moral choice, all present themselves to us and invite us to pledge our loyalty; to go in search of something more. Who or what is a guiding star for us? 

If it is true that God has come in the flesh, as the Magi recognized and as our Christian/Catholic tradition is built upon, then how could any other “power” pull us with the illusion of their greatness?  Yet we may have a tendency to not only put away our Christmas decorations but along with them any serious desire to continue our daily search, our daily journey, to discover where this Christ continues to be present in the flesh. 

I think a common likely unintended posture many take is to view our rich Christian faith as more of a belief system or a philosophy of life.  Many I think remove Jesus Christ from Christianity.  We see being Christian as a set of behaviors and we measure our Christianity by how moral we are or by how we treat one another. Certainly, how we live out our faith in concrete actions is indeed a measure but to do so without reference to Jesus, as in imitation of him and according to his teaching, is to live a faith without reference. 

Our behavior alone becomes the measure of our Christianity rather than how we see Jesus Christ as the measure of all things.  The other danger is to remove Christ from the Church.  It’s all about Jesus with little attachment to or acknowledgement of the place of the Church in our lives.  So it becomes Christianity without Christ or Jesus without a Church. 

The search of the Magi reminds us that they went in search of a person, not in search of a new philosophy.  Once they found that person, one can assume, as for us, we desire to know more about him and to come to know him more deeply.  That is the role of the Church where the Gospel calls us all to conversion of life.  To know Christ we can only find him in his fullness within his Church.  

The Church can reveal to us a rich spirituality that leads us to Christ, a community of faith to which we are attached through Baptism and where we feast on his Word and his sacramental presence especially in the Eucharist.  Through the Church we hear the call to mission in the world where we become a star that leads others to Christ and his Body the Church. So, it isn’t just about Jesus alone but all things are then seen in light of him.  The Magi laid down their earthly power and wealth to a greater power in Christ Jesus.

In the Church our liturgy, our sacraments, the power of Scriptures and the inspiration and support of a faith community we see Christ again over and over. The Magi did not set out as individuals but as a kind of people on search and in that community they found the Christ. We must then carry on Jesus' mission of love and mercy to make God visible to all around us in his Church and in the World. 

 “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” With those beautiful words from Isaiah the prophet our liturgy begins this Sunday. The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord is filled with the image of light. What kind of light do we bring to others? What sort of journey and I on and who or what am I looking for? Where do I hope to find him? 

For today you have revealed the mystery 

of our salvation in Christ

as a light for the nations,

and, when he appeared in our mortal nature, 

you made us new by the glory of his immortal nature. 

(Preface for Ephiphany)

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

January 7, 2018 – I Came, I Saw and I Was Conquered

07 Jan 2018

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank you for your perfect gift of yourself: coming as a humble child born of Mary. The thought of you as a helpless little babe lying in a manger fills my heart with confidence. I know that you could never be capable of deceiving me, since you have divested yourself of all greatness so that I can gaze upon you. You deserve all my hope and all my love, which I humbly offer you now.

Petition: Lord, I ask you for a heart truly receptive to your message.

1. We Saw His Star: Those who are sincere of heart find God in their life. In the case of the Magi, their sincerity is shown by what they are willing to sacrifice to attain their goal. The journey required abandoning the comforts of their homeland, the needs of their family members, and the pursuit of wealth. The intention was pure, not muddled with self-centered wants, for it was nothing less than the desire to encounter God’s living presence. Their openness of heart permitted God to speak through many things in their world—from astrology to Herod, from the star to the child in the crib. What will it take for me to find God today? I must put aside all but him and let his hand lead me to that definitive encounter with his divine presence.

2. Warned Not to Return to Herod: No star is offered to Herod or to the worldly, only darkness. The worldly may like the idea of God, and even be curious about him, but they disregard his call. They rarely leave their palace, sacrifice their time, or place themselves at the service of the divine. The prideful lovers of comfort leave their palaces and then oddly claim God is nowhere to be found in the world. They fear the loss of a comfortable world. I pray that my heart be open to all that the living Gospel requires in my life. May Christ find no obstacle in me; rather, may he find in me the will to leave my palace so that I might find and follow him.

3. Then They Opened Their Treasures: In order to give love, I must have been impacted by love. How can I hold to the demands that others place upon me? How can I keep true to my vocation and mission when little affirmation and support come my way? Every morning I need to seek out the God who gives unconditionally so that his giving may impact me. Be it at Mass, in prayer, or in the workings of divine providence, every day a necessary epiphany awaits me. It empowers me to open my coffer and bring forth the gift of self. If I do not experience this love, my life remains closed—no interior strength is found to give myself totally. John tells us: “In this is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Brothers, if God so loved us, we too ought to love each other…. We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:8, 20).

Conversation with Christ: Christ, your love for me compels me to give myself and hold nothing back. I have touched a moment in human history that overwhelms my comprehension and conquers my heart for you. May I give myself as you give yourself to me: at Mass, in prayer, and in souls you call me to serve.

Resolution: I will work to improve my charity with the members of my family today, loving them as Christ does.

[Salvation]

Epiphany Welcomes All to Worship

Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Up until now, all has been quite humble. A donkey-ride to a dusty town south of Jerusalem. Hotel rooms all booked up. Giving birth in a stable and laying the baby in an animal’s feed trough instead of a cozy cradle.

Into this scene of obscure poverty suddenly bursts an exotic entourage from a far-off land. Dignitaries in dress uniform lavish the newborn with expensive gifts that seem out of place in the humble surroundings.

This event is so significant that it is accorded its own feast in the Roman liturgy, celebrated traditionally on Jan 6, immediately after the twelve days of Christmas. This solemn feast is called Epiphany, a word that means “manifestation” or “appearance.”

For a fleeting moment, what seems to be no more than another crying baby of an indigent family “appears” for who He really is–the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The gifts he is given, prophesied in Isaiah 60:6, tell the story: gold fit for a king, incense for the worship of God, and myrrh, bitter yet precious, for the hero who will lay down his life for his people.

There are several important things to note about these prestigious visitors. They are Gentiles, not Jews. From the very beginning of his human existence, then, Jesus is clearly not just the Jewish messiah who has come to deliver the people of Israel from foreign oppression. No, he is the universal king, the ruler of all, who has come to tear down the hostile wall dividing Jew from Gentile, nation from nation.

If you’ve ever wondered what the word “Catholic” means, here we have it. Derived from Greek words meaning “according to the whole,” it means that Christ did not come to establish some local religious sect for a select few, one “cult” among many. No, the Church he founded is “catholic” or universal, spread over the whole world, welcoming the whole human race into one nation, one family, under one King.

Something else is to be noted about these illustrious visitors. As Gentiles, they are pagans. In fact the term “Magi” is clearly linked to the word “magic.” It was not in the Bible that they normally looked for wisdom (otherwise they would have known to go straight to Bethlehem). But in reward for their ardent though perhaps misguided search for truth, God led them to Christ anyhow, in His great mercy.

Ever since the days of Balaam, God has shown us that pagans can be mysteriously drawn to him and used by him, at times even through their own imperfect traditions of wisdom. If you go to the Sistine Chapel and study Michelangelo’s work, you can see evidence of this. Lining the top of one wall of the chapel are famous paintings of many of the Old Testament prophets. Opposite them are not New Testament apostles as one may expect. But rather, a row of the Sybils, the prophetesses of the ancient world, in whose oracles there were discovered shadowy allusions to a future savior-king. One of Michelangelo’s Sibyls has her mouth agape with astonishment, her eyes fixed on the fresco of the risen Christ at the back of the chapel. Indeed, the deepest desires of all peoples, the elements of truth found in all their religions and philosophies, are fulfilled in Christ.

Does this mean that all religions are equal and that we should not impose our ideas upon others? Not at all. St. Justin said that there are “seeds of the Word” scattered throughout the world. But seeds are meant to sprout, grow, and bear fruit. Hearing the full gospel and partaking in all the means of grace are ordinarily needed to make that happen. All peoples of the world have a right to this “Catholic” fullness. And it is our obligation to share it. Paul VI said it well: “others may be able to be saved without hearing the gospel, but can we be saved if we neglect to preach it?”

This column is offered as a reflection on the scripture readings for the Feast of the Epiphany, cycles ABC (Is. 60:1-6; Ps. 72; Eph. 3:2-3; 5-6; Mt. 2:1-12), and appears here by permission of the author.

[Salvation]

Scripture Speaks: The Epiphany of the Lord

Gayle Somers

In today’s Gospel, magi “from the east” ask, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” Just by asking this question, they herald the New Light that has dawned on all men.

Gospel (Read Mt 2:1-12)

Today, St. Matthew tells us that after Jesus’ birth, an event loaded with significance for the whole world took place. “Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,” looking for a king who had been recently born, the “king of the Jews.” Who were these men, and why did they ask this question?

The “magi” were likely astrologers, considered at that time to be “wise men” because of their lifelong commitment to studying the skies and finding meaning in the cosmos. They probably came from Persia, and they possibly were part of a school of wise men over which the Jewish prophet, Daniel, had been given authority hundreds of years earlier. Daniel, as a young man, had been carried off by the Babylonians into exile, along with all the other Jews. This was the punishment God meted out to Judah for her covenant infidelity in the sixth century B.C. In that strange, pagan land, Daniel resolutely kept the faith of Israel, trusting in God as his only king and refusing to participate in the rampant idolatry. God called Daniel to be His prophet there, and He also gave him an extraordinary gift of interpreting dreams and visions. Daniel interpreted one of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams that no one else in the realm could understand. In gratitude, the king made Daniel “chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon” (read Dan 2:48). If this school of wise men endured through the centuries (Daniel never returned to Judah), it was still in existence at the time of our story, although Babylon had long ago been conquered by the Persians. The school would likely have preserved a certain Jewish prophecy that would have been well-known to Daniel and of great interest to astrologers. Why?

During the Exodus (about 1500 B.C.), as Israel was making her way back to the Promised Land from bondage in Egypt, one of the kings who felt threatened by their advance commissioned a “seer” to pronounce a curse on the Israelites. Instead, he was moved by God to bless them, and he was given “the vision of the Almighty,” as well as this prophecy: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (read Num 24:17). Here we have a Gentile prophet moved by God’s Spirit to foretell the rise of a great king in Israel, but “not now.” Every Jew knew this prophecy. Every Jew also knew that, of Jacob’s twelve sons, the one who would rule with a “scepter” would be Judah: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and to him shall be the obedience of all the peoples” (read Gen 49:10, emphasis added).

We have to wonder if Daniel, the fearless, faithful Jewish prophet and wise man in Babylon, made sure to preserve these prophecies in the school over which he presided, because their fulfillment would affect not only Israel but “all the peoples.” If so, hundreds of years after Daniel lived, the magi from the east, upon seeing an unusually bright star in the night sky, knew they needed to make the long trek to Jerusalem. They wanted to pay homage to their newborn king.

See how disturbed Herod was by all this. Surely that is because another part of the prophecy about the rising star was that “Edom will be dispossessed” (Num 24:18). Herod was a non-Jew, an Edomite usurper to the throne in Jerusalem. No wonder he was worried! The wise men of Judah, when consulted by Herod concerning the place of the king’s birth, knew where to find him: Bethlehem. This, too, had been prophesied long ago (read Micah 5:2). The magi made their way there, following the star. It appeared to “stop” over one particular house, so they entered and saw “the Child with Mary, His mother.” They saw the fulfillment of the promise God had made to all people, not just the Jews, in the Garden of Eden. There He promised that “the woman” and her “seed” would take up, definitively, the battle waged against mankind by His enemy, the Serpent. The magi “prostrated themselves and did Him homage.”

Of course they did!

Possible response: Lord Jesus, the magi brought You wonderful gifts in their adoration for You. What can I give You today that is worthy to do the same?

First Reading (Read Isa 60:1-6)

The prophet, Isaiah, had to preach God’s judgment against Judah for her disobedience to Him, but he also preached great comfort to them as well. Here he speaks of a future glory in Jerusalem: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the LORD shines upon you.” We see that the “light” is the LORD Himself, and, to announce its coming, Isaiah says to the city: “Upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears His glory.” Such was the light of the star seen and followed by the magi. Isaiah also foresees a time when “the wealth of the nations shall be brought” to Jerusalem; men from outside Judah shall “come bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.” Israel’s vocation had always been to serve as a “kingdom of priests” (read Ex 19:6). God chose them for the work of declaring His glory to all the nations on earth. Their constant disobedience prevented them from fulfilling this calling for much of their history, but Isaiah sees a time when Jerusalem “shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow.” Surely this description perfectly fits what must have happened in that house in Bethlehem when the magi, under the star’s great brightness over it, entered and presented their gifts to their infant King. God’s restoration of Jerusalem, promised through Isaiah 700 years earlier, was now being fulfilled.

“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem. Your light has come.”

Possible response: Lord Jesus, grant me the perseverance of the magi to search out and follow Your light when darkness surrounds me.

Psalm (Read Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13)

The psalmist writes about, prophetically, the consummate King of Israel. King David was the man God chose to establish an enduring throne in Jerusalem. David was “a man after God’s own heart,” but although he led Israel to a kind of golden age in its history, he was only a foreshadowing of the king described in this psalm. This king is one who rules in justice and peace, who rescues the poor and has pity on the lowly. This king will receive tributes from other nations and “all kings shall pay him homage.”

The magi, representing all the nations and kings outside Judah, found this king in Bethlehem. This king would preside over an eternal kingdom “not of this world.” This king rules now over His kingdom, the Church, which includes people from every nation and tongue. Someday, when this king returns, what we say in our responsorial today will find its perfect fulfillment: “LORD, every nation on earth will adore You.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6)

St. Paul speaks of what, in his day, was truly a “mystery” to his people, the Jews. In Israel’s long history, she had been so weak in the face of the temptation to the idolatry practiced by Gentiles that those who desired to remain faithful to God kept strict separation from them. Even though Israel’s vocation had always been to mediate as priests between God and all other peoples, by St. Paul’s day, the Gentiles seemed like their enemies. However, with the coming of Jesus, all that changed. With their true king on His throne, salvation went out to all men everywhere, and St. Paul preached this Good News with gusto: “The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”

The magi in Bethlehem, as they adored their new king, were the first Gentiles to experience the unfolding of this great mystery, and St. Paul, many years later, became its first great evangelist.

Possible response: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for all people everywhere, even those who seem like Your enemies. Help me love them, too.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 1

<< Sunday, January 7, 2018 >>

Epiphany

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
View Readings

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
Matthew 2:1-12
Similar Reflections

HEROD UNDERSTOOD

The wise men "from the east arrived one day in Jerusalem inquiring, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We observed His star at its rising and have come to pay Him homage.' At this news King Herod became greatly disturbed, and with him all Jerusalem." �Matthew 2:1-3

Herod understood the significance of Jesus' birth. He knew that he had to join the wise men and "go and offer [Jesus] homage too" (Mt 2:8). Jesus' birth means we must either surrender our lives to Jesus or declare war on Him. We either live no longer for ourselves but for Him (2 Cor 5:15), or we make a violent, pathetic attempt to keep Jesus from living any longer. We die to self (see Jn 12:24) or try to make Him die.

Herod understood that the consequences of Jesus' birth would be Calvary. There is a competition for allegiance to "the newborn King of the Jews" (Mt 2:2) and of the world. We will either decide to be crucified to the world (Gal 6:14) or decide to crucify the King of the world. There's not enough room in this world for your ego and the incarnate Son of God. One or the other has got to go.

Dethrone yourself and enthrone Jesus as your King, Savior, and Lord. Be a wise man or woman. Otherwise you will have no choice other than to be a Herod. Be one of the wise men and women. Prostrate yourself and humble yourself before Jesus (Mt 2:11; 23:12). Happy Epiphany!

Prayer: "Lord, every nation on earth will adore You" (today's Psalm response).

Promise: "Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears His glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance." —Is 60:1-3

Praise: Jesus still reveals Himself to wise men and wise women. Praise You, Jesus, Wisdom incarnate (1 Cor 1:30). Alleluia!

[Salvation]