Daily Readings - Sun Jan 06 2019

¹Rise up to be illuminated, O Jerusalem! For your light has arrived, and the glory of the Lord has risen over you²For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness will cover the peoples. Then the Lord will rise above you, and his glory will be seen in you³And the nations will walk in your light, and the kings will walk by the splendor of your rising⁴Lift up your eyes all around and see! All these have been gathered together; they have arrived before you. Your sons will arrive from far away, and your daughters will rise up from your side⁵Then you will see, and you will overflow, and your heart will be amazed and expanded. When the multitude of the sea will have been converted to you, the strength of the nations will approach you⁶A multitude of camels will inundate you: the dromedaries from Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba will arrive, carrying gold and frankincense, and announcing praise to the Lord

Ephesians

Chapter 3

²Now certainly, you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which has been given to me among you³that, by means of revelation, the mystery was made known to me, just as I have written above in a few words⁵In other generations, this was unknown to the sons of men, even as it has now been revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit⁶so that the Gentiles would be co-heirs, and of the same body, and partners together, by his promise in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel

Matthew

Chapter 2

¹And so, when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of king Herod, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem²saying: "Where is he who was born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and we have come to adore him.³Now king Herod, hearing this, was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him⁴And gathering together all the leaders of the priests, and the scribes of the people, he consulted with them as to where the Christ would be born⁵And they said to him: "In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it has been written by the prophet⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah. For from you shall go forth the ruler who shall guide my people Israel.’ ⁷Then Herod, quietly calling the Magi, diligently learned from them the time when the star appeared to them⁸And sending them into Bethlehem, he said: "Go and diligently ask questions about the boy. And when you have found him, report back to me, so that I, too, may come and adore him.⁹And when they had heard the king, they went away. And behold, the star that they had seen in the east went before them, even until, arriving, it stood still above the place where the child was¹⁰Then, seeing the star, they were gladdened by a very great joy¹¹And entering the home, they found the boy with his mother Mary. And so, falling prostrate, they adored him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh¹²And having received a response in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back by another way to their own region

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the universal call to worship and the unity of God’s people. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a vision of Jerusalem’s glory, where nations from afar come to bask in the light of the Lord. The prophet describes a time when the scattered children of God will gather together, bringing gifts and praise to the Lord. This passage, written in the context of Israel’s hope for restoration after exile, points to a future where God’s light will shine for all people, transcending the boundaries of race and nation. The Gospel reading from Matthew brings this vision to life in the story of the Magi, wise men from the East who followed a star to find the newborn King of the Jews. These Gentiles, guided by faith and curiosity, represent the nations Isaiah spoke of, coming to worship the Messiah. Their journey symbolizes the universal reach of God’s salvation, which is further explained in the second reading from Ephesians. Paul writes that the mystery of Christ, once hidden, has now been revealed: Gentiles are co-heirs with the Jews, united in the same body through Christ. This mystery is the heart of the Gospel, breaking down walls of division and creating one family in God. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How do we embody this unity and welcome in our own lives? Like the Magi, we are called to seek Christ with open hearts and minds, even when the journey is uncertain. Like Isaiah, we are called to shine the light of God’s love in a world often shrouded in darkness. And like Paul, we are called to recognize and celebrate the diversity of God’s family, where all are equal in Christ. May we, like the Magi, fall prostrate in worship before the King, offering our gifts and our lives to the One who unites us all.