A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 5, n. 6)
Epiphany of the Lord, Year C – January 7, 2007
Special Feature: Reflection on the Baptism of the Lord
“The Glory of the Lord Shines Upon You”
BIBLE READINGS
Is 60:1-6 // Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 // Mt 2:1-12
N.B. Series 5 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year C from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year C, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 2.
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
Pope John Paul II was an instrument of God’s “epiphany” in the modern world. The great pope, by his tremendous and heroic pastoral ministry, has manifested the saving love of God to all nations, cultures and races. At the funeral rites of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City, world leaders, powerful personages and an immense number of peoples from all over the world gave us a beautiful and fascinating vision of end-time restoration, communion and universal salvation. Indeed, the death of Pope John Paul II was, in a sense, an “epiphany” of the glory of the Lord God who wills that all men and women be saved.
Today is the solemn feast of the Lord’s Epiphany or “manifestation”. God sent his son, Jesus Christ, into the world to manifest radically his saving plan for the family of nations and the totality of his beloved creation. In the mystery of incarnation that leads to the fulfillment of the paschal event of Christ’s death and rising, the saving will of God is revealed and accomplished. The incredible love of our gracious God is made “manifest” in the incarnation of his eternal Son, Jesus Christ – the full “epiphany” of the glory of God.
Listening in faith to the prophetic reading (Is 60:1-6), the Christian assembly perceives in the imagery of radiant Jerusalem the glory of God that the Son of God would radiate to all peoples by his work of universal redemption on the saving cross. Lawrence Mick comments: “This first reading for the feast stresses the manifestation of God’s glory and the universal scope of salvation. It is a hymn of Jerusalem restored, a vision meant to encourage the returnees from the Babylonian exile who were struggling to rebuild their temple, their city and their nation. We tend to think of the magi as following a star, but the prophet here sees Jerusalem shining like the sun. As the dawn dispels the darkness, so the glory of the Lord will shine for all the world to see. Nations and kings will be drawn by this beacon, bringing with them the wealth of the world. The nations mentioned are peoples of the Arabian peninsula, descendants of Abraham who now return to share their ancient patrimony. It was the use of this passage for Epiphany that led to some of our common beliefs about the magi: that they were kings and that they came on camels. The Christian tradition reinterprets the passage, seeing Christ as the light that dispels the darkness, the revelation of God’s glory. Instead of Jerusalem, Jesus is the one to whom the nations come for salvation.”
The feast of Epiphany focuses on God-manifest in the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, the most beautiful word of revelation that the divine Father has ever spoken. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 1, assert: “This Epiphany is not some kind of mirage that moves farther off the closer one comes to it. When the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, we have seen his glory: the glory of an only Son coming from the Father (John 1:14). From the beginning of his ministry, at Cana, by the many signs that he accomplished, Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12), revealed his glory, which is that of God. For a moment, the darkness of the passion appeared to veil it; yet it shone forth again when Christ was raised from the tomb. The preaching of the gospel spread it to the four corners of the world and made it burn brightly in the hearts of believers (2 Cor 4:6). The mystery of the Epiphany – the showing forth – of the glory of God is both a present reality and an object of hope. Seers in the Old and New Testaments were able to briefly contemplate the splendor of the Jerusalem-to-come so that with this vision before our eyes we might join the multitude of nations marching toward the full epiphany of the Lord while singing, with them, of our faith and hope.”
The quest of the magi for the newborn king and their adoration of the child, whose star they had seen at its rising, fulfill the prophetic proclamation that nations would acknowledge the God of Israel. Together with the wise men, representatives of the nations who render homage to the savior of the world, let us endeavor to walk by the light of the Messiah’s radiant star. Filled with divine glory, the Christian disciples of today are called to be instruments of God’s “epiphany” in the here and now.
St. Thomas Villanova (1486-1555) gleans a fuller meaning from the Epiphany mystery and exhorts us: “Let us go too, my brothers and sisters, and seek the newborn Savior in the company of these wise men. Let us seek him no longer lying in a manger but enthroned in his kingdom; no longer wound in swaddling bands but crowned in glory and honor; no longer cuddled in his mother’s breast but seated at the right hand of the Father; no longer consorting with animals but ruling amid throngs of angels. Let us seek him not by the rays of a star but by the light of faith. This will be our most reliable guide along the way; this will lead us by a direct path to our Lord and Savior, and reveal our king to us in the beauty of his majesty. Whoever you may be, if you thirst for the vision of the Lord of glory in eternal happiness, and if you truly long to reach the goal of your desire, do not turn your eyes away from this radiant star.”
SPECIAL FEATURE
PERSONAL REFLECTION ON THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
(Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)
By Ivan Hernandez Melchor
Seminarian: Diocese of Fresno, CA-U.S.A.
One day a young man, who was sexually molested by one of his neighbors, was recalling the traumatic situation he experienced in his early life. He was confused and constantly blamed himself for what had happened to him. He was so affected that he did not believe that there was a God. “Why were you not there with me … why did you allow this to happen to me?” he often said. In the midst of his anger against God for not protecting him when he was a child, God told him, “I was with you … This person also abused me when I was there with you.” Then God embraced him and told him, “You are my beloved son.” After hearing these words, the young man was healed and deeply felt God’s presence in his life.
How many of us have felt abandoned by God in difficult and devastating situations in our lives? How often do we feel that God does not answer our prayer? That God is not with us in the problems and challenges we have to face? The Gospel of today is speaking to us about the baptism of Jesus. His baptism is the starting point of his ministerial life; it is the beginning of the proclamation of the Good News. This is also the starting point where Jesus is nourished and reaffirmed by his Father as his Son, who comes to redeem us from the power of death. After his baptism, Jesus initiates his mission and would be tempted by Satan, performs miracles, forgives sins and liberates the captives. This then is the starting point where Jesus becomes closer to the Father. The baptism of Jesus tells us many realities of our faith, spiritual journey and encounter with our Trinitarian God. Nevertheless, let us pray and focus on the words of God toward his Son, “You are my beloved Son.” This phrase is rooted in the relationship that we are called to have with God. These words speak to us about the meaning and mission of our lives. This line also tells us who we are in the sight of God and what he wants from us and for us. Today God tells us that we are his beloved sons and daughters.
We are God’s beloved children, whose mission is to become closer and closer to him until we encounter him in his heavenly kingdom. Jesus came to show us the way to our Father. Jesus is the way to the Father. We are called to follow Jesus by steps so we can come to know the Father. Therefore, just as Jesus is called “the beloved Son”, we also become God’s beloved children. Just as Jesus is nourished and affirmed by God as his chosen One, we are also the chosen ones of God. Just as Jesus starts his mission after hearing the Word of God, we are also called by his Word to start our mission.
Our mission is to return to the One to whom we belong. Our mission is to prepare ourselves for the encounter with God. In the midst of our limitation, sickness, distress and hopelessness, we are called to remember that we are God’s beloved children, whose mission is to open our hearts for his encounter. In times of trials, loneliness, and emptiness, we are called to remember that we are God’s beloved children. You and I are God’s beloved sons and daughters and he sent his only begotten Son to liberate us from death. “You are my beloved son.” These words prepared Jesus for his mission. These words also are the starting point to start our mission, a mission where we are called to die to ourselves and let God live in us. These words prepare us to go out and bring God’s love to the people we live with and also those who we may not even know. These words are the foundation of our mission because they make us God’s children, who have to act and live as true children of God.
The young fellow that I have mentioned at the beginning has become very successful after hearing these words, “You are my beloved son.” He has become very active in church and has a beautiful family. As part of his mission, he is helping and counseling people who have been sexually molested. And he always let them know that they are God’s chosen and beloved sons and daughters.
My brothers and sisters, you are God’s beloved children. Are you ready to start your mission? Are you ready to live as a beloved child of God?
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. Do we continue to contemplate with awe the Christmas-Epiphany mystery of the incarnation of the divine Word and of God “manifest” in Jesus Christ? Do we dedicate enough time and effort to glean the meaning and implication of the Christmas-Epiphany mystery in our lives?
B. Do we trust that in the midst of the “darkness that covers the earth” and the various vicissitudes and trials that afflict us day by day, the “glory of the Lord” shines upon us and that we are called to walk by his light? Are we faithful in following the light of the star – Jesus Christ?
C. Do we imitate the magi in their quest and adoration of the true King and Shepherd, Jesus Christ? Are willing to welcome God’s continuing “epiphany” of love given to us in his Son, Jesus Christ? Are we in turn willing to be instruments of God’s “epiphany” of love in today’s wounded and fragmented world? Do we commit ourselves to the mystery of a developing epiphany that is gradually revealed to us personally each day?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(Adapted from Commission Francophone Cistercienne, La nuit, le jour, cf. Days of the Lord, vol. 1, Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991, p. 263)
Assembly: Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the king of Israel! (sung)
Leader: Behold, in the depths of the night,
under our eyes a Star appears.
Someone leads us step by step toward the source of light.
Abraham the believer took this route before us;
joyous, we go toward the Child whose new Day we have seen.
The call from a distant rendezvous rings in our heart,
the Father will secretly, up till the end, lead us toward his Son.
Already the city of David appears before our eyes;
the quest in our hearts we follow in your light, Lamb of God.
Assembly: Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the king of Israel! (sung)
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” (Is 60:1-6)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. ACTION PLAN: Pray that God’s plan of universal and total salvation may be realized progressively by the laudable efforts of Christian disciples to manifest God’s unconditional love for all. Endeavor to be an “epiphany” of the gracious loving God in Jesus Christ in your daily personal encounters with people around you and in the universal world that cries out for peace and healing.
B. ACTION PLAN: To help us contemplate more deeply the implication of the loving God “manifest” in Jesus, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 3, n. 6): A Weekly Pastoral Tool.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
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