Are you a star? Are you shining your light like Jesus? Are you attracting wise people who bring you gifts?

St. Sebastian Catholic Church Nativity with the Three Kings

Are you a star? Are you shining your light like Jesus? Are you attracting wise people who bring you gifts?  This Sunday the Catholic Church celebrates the Epiphany, the star guides the three wise men to Jesus as they want to worship and honor the King, they knew from the Old Testament, Isaiah almost 700 years ago, foretold of His birth, He would be the King of the Universe, the Savior of the world and they wanted to honor Him! What a blessing! Are you honoring Jesus by not sinning and living a holy and upright life? Are you being a light for others?  I pray daily that all peoples of the world will have 100% full conversion to Jesus Christ and Christianity, that they will follow, reflect, forgive, imitate, and love like Jesus! In Psalms they also talk about that today saying, Lord, every nation on earth will adore you! Wouldn't it be nice to see all countries on Earth who adore Jesus and follow Him? The Wise Men knew He was the King of the Universe, they were wise, they followed His star. The light! We too are called to be stars, to be light for others, to be like Jesus, imitating Him, being like Him, loving like Him! Like the Wise Men said, we saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage! Are you doing Jesus homage? Will you follow Him?  Will you bring Him gifts? Will you let His Spirit live in you? Will you shine like a star being a light for Jesus in this Earth School journey? 

                                  

The Epiphany of the Lord

Lectionary: 20

Reading I

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  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.
Raise your eyes and look about;
they all gather and come to you:
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,
your heart shall throb and overflow,
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

                    

R. (cf. 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace 
that was given to me for your benefit, 
namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.
It was not made known to people in other generations 
as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

                 

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 Christ 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.

                        



Seeing the star at its rising, the magi hastened on their journey. Lord Jesus, I pray that my life’s journey will lead me ever closer to You. The star that the wisemen followed stopped where they would find You with Mary. Lord Jesus, Son of God and Mary, I pray that in every place and circumstance, I will live each day in faith. Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh they gave to You in joyful homage. Lord, King, Prophet, and Priest, I pray that gifts I offer will please You, as signs of love and praise. Amen.


~From the Heard of the Nation on January 04, 2026: Prayer on the Epiphany

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