Week 15 Epiphany 06/01/2024

Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world. It is a time to reflect on the mystery of Christ’s birth and to renew our commitment to following Him. For us, Epiphany is a time to recognise that Christ came for everyone and we see this reflected in the visit of the Magi and the gifts that they brought.

Day 1 – Head

On the first day of our prayer we will be reflecting on The Word of God to help us to understand our theme – Joy

We begin our prayer this morning with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Our scripture this week is the famous story of the arrival of the Magi…

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

R./Glory to you O Lord.

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the time when Herod was king. Soon afterward, some men who studied the stars came from the East to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard about this, he was very upset, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”

“In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they answered. “For this is what the prophet wrote:

‘Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
    you are by no means the least of the leading cities of Judah;
for from you will come a leader
    who will guide my people Israel.’”

So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: “Go and make a careful search for the child; and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him.”

And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the East. When they saw it, how happy they were, what joy was theirs! It went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.

Then they returned to their country by another road, since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

The Gospel of the Lord

R./ Thanks be to God

The gifts the wise men brought tell us a bit about who Jesus was going to be – do you know what the gifts all represent? If you have time take a look at this reflection.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Day 2 – Heart

On the second day of the week we focus on our hearts. How can the scripture that we looked at yesterday impact our lives, and the lives of others? What themes can we draw from the scripture?

We begin our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

The Magi (the wise men) were guided by the stars:

‘We saw his star when it came up in the east, and we have come to worship him.‘

Let’s spend some time examining our hearts and thinking about what guides us in our lives. If you’re comfortable then you are welcome to close your eyes as you consider these questions:

• What does the star represent in your life?
• What guides you towards truth or purpose?
• Have you ever made a journey of faith or pilgrimage?
• Have you ever felt drawn to pursue something, even when it wasn’t easy to understand why?

When you are ready, share your reflections with the person next to you and listen to what guides them.

Let us pray,

Lord, as we journey through life to grow closer to You, help us to stay focused on your light and to honour You in all that we do.

Amen.

We end our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Day 3 – Hands

On the final day of the week we try to put into action the things we have learnt and reflected on previously in the week, hence the hands link!

We begin our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

In this week’s scripture we hear:

‘They went into the house, and when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped him. They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to him.‘

The wise men weren’t just being polite because they didn’t want to turn up empty handed – they brought meaningful gifts to Jesus:

• Gold to represent Jesus’ kingship
• Frankincense to show Jesus’ deity/ divinity as the Son of God (it was an incense that would be burnt in the Temple as a sacrifice to God)
• Myrrh to foreshadow Jesus’ death, His act of unconditional love for all

Pope Francis calls upon us to live out this part of the scriptures:

Today we are asked to imitate the Magi. They do not debate; they set out. They do not stop to look, but enter the house of Jesus. They do not put themselves at the center, but bow down before the One who is the center.

As we reflect on the Epiphany and begin a new calendar year, think about what you will do to be like the wise men who followed the light and journeyed to worship Jesus.

• Who could you visit in person/ through a heartfelt act or message?
• What gifts can you give?
• How do you celebrate and recognise the special people around you?

Share your ideas of what you will do this year to be like the Magi in the comments box!

We end our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.