[00:00:05] Hello! My name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, January 5, 2025, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
[00:00:23] This week's episode is entitled: Seeing God's Glory. And in these readings, we'll ask ourselves if we are truly willing to allow an encounter with Jesus to change us. As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following: Our culture tells us that Christmas is over, but our readings have a different message. Before we turn our attention to the Big Game or Valentine's Day, let's spend a bit more time adoring the glory of Jesus, our newborn King.
[00:00:57] Let's begin. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:02] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the many blessings you have brought us throughout this Christmas season. Help us to continually search for your Son amidst the clamor of our world so that we may see his great glory each day and allow his gentle peace to calm our hearts and minds. May the grace we receive from such an encounter make us better people… kinder, more loving, and more generous to everyone. We ask this through your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:38] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. Our Gospel this week is from Matthew 2: 1-12.
[00:01:51] “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.”’ Then Herod summoned the Wise Men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, so that I too may come and worship him.’ When they had heard the king, they went their way; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”
The Solemnity of the Epiphany is observed on different dates depending on where you are in the world… outside the United States, it takes place on January 6th; in the United States, it's a different story…
[00:03:54] Since 1970, the USCCB (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) permanently transferred this Solemnity for all dioceses in the U.S. to the first Sunday after January 1, meaning it can occur on any Sunday that falls between January 2 and January 8. The readings for Epiphany are always the same, but the Mass prayers are different…
[00:04:20] There are a set of prayers that are proper for the Vigil and another set proper for Mass During the Day. One of the most unique aspects of this Mass is the Epiphany Proclamation. The Epiphany Proclamation is chanted following a formula that's found in the Roman Missal, and it's similar to the Easter Exultet, and it takes place - in the Mass - immediately following the Gospel. The purpose of the proclamation, historically, was to present to the faithful all the movable feasts - what are called movable feasts - in the Liturgical Year… in other words, feasts that can - and do - fall on different dates each year. And those feasts are: Ash Wednesday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi (or the Body and Blood of Christ), and the First Sunday of Advent. It is, by all accounts, a very ancient practice… some sources suggest that it actually predated the Council of Nicaea (which took place in 325 AD). This chant does NOT have to be sung by a priest, but it does have to be sung from the same Ambo from which Scripture is proclaimed… the Roman Missal specifies that. In my home parish, the Proclamation is chanted by our Director of Liturgy and Music, and he always does an amazing job with it.
[00:05:53] Now, the word Epiphany can mean a lot of things, but in this context, it means divine revelation. You may remember that only Matthew and Luke have Infancy Narratives and each Evangelist has his own unique way of presenting the witnesses who encounter the newborn baby Jesus, who is the Incarnate Word of God. We heard - actually - Luke's version on Christmas… when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and the shepherds then left their flocks to see the babe for themselves. This week's Gospel is Matthew's version, and the witnesses are not shepherds, but Wise Men from the East. So, let's dive into this week's Gospel…
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,”
Okay, this Herod is Herod I, or also called Herod the Great. And he was known for many successful building projects, certainly, but just as well known for the number of people he had executed… anyone from political enemies to members of his own family.
[00:07:15] Herod was originally appointed Governor of Judea in 47 BC by Julius Caesar, and then he was elevated to King of Judea by the Roman Senate in 37 BC and he held that office until his death in 4 BC. I don't have any photos relating directly to the Epiphany, but I do have photos from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and I will post them on my Instagram this week.
[00:07:47] “And behold, Wise Men from the East”
[00:07:51] Matthew uses the words Wise Men but we often call them Magi. Remember, Matthew's audience was Jewish Christians so when he writes that these men, who came seeking the king of the Jews, were WISE MEN FROM THE EAST he is telling his audience that these men are Gentiles rather than Jews. And you'll note that the Gospel doesn't tell us how many Wise Men there were, right? We'll get to that later.
[00:08:23] “Wise Men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.’”
[00:08:37] That is really quite an amazing statement when you think about it! We tend to pass over it without much thought, but let's stop and consider that for just a moment. How many of us would have been willing to leave the safety of our homes and families, risk all of the dangers inherent to travel during biblical times, in order to be led to an uncertain destination by a star in the night sky, all to locate and worship a newborn king? Not even a king who has reached his majority and is secure in his reign, but a newborn king? We tend to overlook the truly amazing nature of that statement because - for us - it's history, but for them… just wow! It's amazing!
[00:09:30] “When Herod the king”
Remember, Herod is this ruthless tyrant willing to execute anyone - even family members - who present a potential threat to his political position.
[00:09:44] “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;”
[00:09:53] Troubled has to be a tremendous understatement, right? Don't you think? They were probably petrified!
“and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people,”
[00:10:06] Notice who Matthew tells us Herod is consulting… they are all Jews! The chief priests would have been Levites, descendants of Aaron; the scribes would have been scholars of Jewish law… so, all Jews!
[00:10:23] “And he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.”
In other words, Herod is asking his Jewish advisors what they know about this? Is there some kind of prophecy these Gentiles know about that I don't know? Why do they think there's a newborn king out there somewhere? And why haven't any of you already told me? Again, imagine how terrified they must have been facing the king asking them these questions.
[00:10:55] “They told him”
And this is a prophecy:
“They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.”’”
[00:11:17] Now this quote, as I mentioned, is (mostly) from the prophet Micah… Micah 5:2.
[00:11:25] It's worth mentioning here that that last part of that quote is different in the NAB. The NAB uses the word: shepherd - WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL - not govern my people Israel. And that part of the sentence: “shepherd my people Israel” is actually from 2 Samuel 5.
[00:11:45] “Then Herod summoned the Wise Men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared;”
[00:11:55] So that's Herod's way of learning when this potential threat to his throne first arose.
“And [Herod] sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, so that I too may come and worship him.’”
The NAB uses slightly different words there. The NAB says: “do him homage” rather than “worship him.” Now that's important because homage is a public acknowledgment of respect, honor, or allegiance, where worship is reverence reserved for God alone. Truthfully, Herod was likely to offer neither, but homage - to me - seems a slightly better translation in this instance. Knowing his own political vulnerability, and the fact that the Romans considered Caesar to be a god, Herod would never have publicly worshiped anyone else.
[00:13:06] “When they heard the king they went their way; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was.”
Seeing the star still illuminating their way had to be a very positive sign for the Wise Men… that they had received good information and they were still on the right track.
[00:13:34] “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy;”
Well, of course they were filled with great joy! They had followed that star for such a tremendous distance and seeing it finally come to stop over a specific location meant - to them - that their long and arduous journey had finally reached its successful conclusion.
[00:14:01] “and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.”
Again, remember, worship is an action reserved for God. When Matthew says they WORSHIPED HIM, he is telling his audience that - in some way - they recognized Jesus' divinity and offered him the reverence that was his due.
[00:14:30] “Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
Okay, this is where we're going to talk about the number of Wise Men… as promised! As I said before, Matthew does not tell us how many Wise Men there were. We have always assumed that there were three Wise Men because there were three gifts! This is one of those occasions where our collective imaginations have filled in the details not specifically stated in Scripture. According to tradition, not only were there three Wise Men, but we have actually given them names, right? Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior! And their gifts have particular significance… gold signifies the earthly kingship of Jesus; frankincense is for his divinity, and myrrh is meant to honor his humanity.
[00:15:43] “And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,”
Dreams… that’s… that's one of those trumpet blast words in Matthew, right? Dreams are always important in Matthew because dreams and visions were important throughout Jewish history, throughout the Old Testament - from Joseph (who interpreted Pharaoh's dreams in Egypt) to Daniel (who interpreted dreams for the King of Babylon). And Jewish Christians would have understood the significance of the mention of a dream immediately.
[00:16:21] “Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”
[00:16:30] The words BY ANOTHER WAY tell us that the Wise Men were changed by their experience, transformed by their encounter with Jesus. They heeded the warning in their dream and did not report to King Herod what they found. And again, while we hear this story every year, do we really pay attention to it? And if so, what lessons are we to take away from it? The Magi followed a star in the night sky, but why did they see it - and follow it - when others didn't?
[00:17:14] Saint Peter Chrysologus, a 5th century Bishop & Doctor of the Church, wrote in one of his sermons: “Today the Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. As they look, they believe and do not question, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die. So the Gentiles, who were the last, become the first; the faith of the Magi is the first fruits of the belief of the Gentiles.”
That is such a beautiful quote - that comes from The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew. But I think… I just had to share that quote with you because I think… it is just so beautiful. And it relates to my question… why did they see - and follow - the star when no one else did?
[00:18:32] Stars, visions, dreams… these are signs from God - flickers in the night, in the darkness - but we have to be looking for them or we can miss them! We have to be open and we have to listen. We have to be willing to risk our comfort, our safety, our security to seek after that ultimate gift. That is what the Magi did - they did risk everything… and we, in this Solemnity, are invited to do the same.
[00:19:21] If we are willing to take a bit more time to adore the glory of Jesus, then we too can be changed, transformed… but are we willing? Change is hard! We all know that… change is hard. So, are we willing to be changed?
[00:19:48] And, truth be told, that's really not how all this works… we don't always go searching for God! We go along with our own lives on a daily basis… we go to our jobs, we take care of our families, we shop, we do laundry, we clean the house, we go out with friends, and we go to Mass on Sunday… if we remember. We don't always - actively - search for God… if we're all honest with ourselves.
[00:20:20] However, again, what this Solemnity and what these readings invite us to do is to really allow ourselves to be found by the God who passionately and relentlessly seeks us… out of love! He seeks us!
[00:20:52] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Isaiah 60: 1-6.
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings in the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Mid’ian and E’phah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.”
[00:22:09] This passage is from Third Isaiah (which, of course, is chapters 56 to 66). And it was written after the return from Babylon to offer a message of hope as the people rebuild their homes and their lives after the exile. At the end of chapter 59, we hear the announcement THAT God will come to Zion as the Redeemer; this passage, then, in chapter 60 (the beginning of chapter 60) begins a lengthy and elaborate description of what God's coming and Zion's transformation will look like.
[00:22:50] So let's dive into what Isaiah has to say…
[00:22:55] “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”
The light that Isaiah is referring to here is God, and his redemption will re-establish the radiance of Zion… with that radiance, however, comes a healthy and hefty responsibility!
[00:23:20] “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;”
The darkness that Isaiah talks about here is all those peoples and nations who do not walk with God's light… who do not know the law… who do not understand the covenant and who do not live by it.
“but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings in the brightness of your rising.”
[00:23:57] So what Isaiah is saying here is that God will bring a new dawn to Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be re-established and will shine as a light to the world. All nations will see what God has done for the Jewish people, his Chosen People, through the giving of the law and the establishment of the covenant with the people. And all those peoples that are dwelling in darkness will stream towards Israel, guided by her radiance AND by the example she shows of how to serve the Lord.
[00:24:47] That's that hefty responsibility that I mentioned.
“Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you;”
Again, all nations… all peoples… all those dwelling in darkness… shall be drawn to you. And your responsibility is to welcome them! Yes, the Jews are God's Chosen People because salvation comes - or will come - from the Jews through Jesus. But all nations will see the hand of God working in the restoration of Israel. And those nations - those peoples - should be invited to join, and become part of, that new kingdom.
[00:25:36] “your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms.”
[00:25:42] Zion - Mount Zion and the city of Jerusalem built upon its summit - is personified as a woman here - a mother welcoming her children upon their return.
[00:25:59] “Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice;”
[00:26:06] Mother Zion… Lady Jerusalem… will bask in the glow of God's light. She, in turn, will radiate that light into the world. Think of a lighthouse… think of a beacon on top of a hill… how that light draws people.
[00:26:26] “because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.”
Yes, an abundance of good things will flow into Zion… wealth will be brought to Israel to serve its people, but… this is that responsibility I talked about! The people, in turn, must be fair and just.
[00:26:52] “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Mid’ian and E’phah; all those from Sheba shall come.”
[00:27:01] All the places named here - Midian, Ephah, Sheba - would be found in modern day Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Those biblical nations were to bring their wealth to help rebuild the city of Jerusalem and outfit the new temple - that place of God's worship.
“They shall bring gold and frankincense,”
Seeing the words GOLD AND FRANKINCENSE make it abundantly clear why this reading was paired to go with the Gospel. Gentiles, right? Midian, Ephah, Sheba - those are all non-Jewish nations! Gentiles bring these gifts to Zion… like the Wise Men brought their gifts to the newborn baby Jesus.
[00:27:51] Remember, gold represents kingship – which, in this instance in Isaiah, indicates the superiority of Israel… their place as the Chosen People among the nations… and the gift of gold that is given to Zion acknowledges that supremacy.
[00:28:14] Frankincense, remember, represents divinity…. and, in this case in Isaiah, it means that that is the type of incense that will be used in temple worship… once the temple is properly rebuilt, properly outfitted, and sacrifices can again legitimately be offered.
[00:28:38] “[They] shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.”
The reading concludes with appropriate praise to God… the God who accomplishes all these things. But we have to keep in mind - again - that new society, the society built… or rather rebuilt… after the exile… the restored Chosen People must be just… just as the Lord is just.
[00:29:09] The new society will be built according to God's plan, not human ideas… according to God's plan! Economic, political, and social distinctions should be done away with and all peoples welcomed into the new kingdom… meaning - in this context - Gentiles should be treated with the same respect as Jews… meaning, going back to our Gospel, the Wise Men who brought gifts to Jesus should be treated with the same respect as other Jews would have been treated as the Chosen People.
[00:29:53] Or - to put this in modern terms for us - those who are outcast, the immigrant, the poor, the homeless, the aged, the mentally ill, whoever our society regards as being on the margins - they should be treated with the same degree of respect accorded anyone else in our society… from president to the governor to the mayor to a football player to a star on Broadway… it doesn't matter.
[00:30:38] Everyone deserves the same respect because of the dignity they have as God's children. And if we allow ourselves to be changed - no matter how hard change can be - if we allow ourselves to be transformed by a graced encounter with Jesus, perhaps, just perhaps, we can live up to that promise of a truly just society.
[00:31:22] Our Responsorial Psalm this week is Psalm 72. And the refrain is:
“May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!”
Now, in Catholic parishes this weekend, you will hear the phrase:
“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
[00:31:41] Okay, so the citation for the Psalm in the Lectionary says that the refrain for this week's Psalm comes from verse 11 of the Psalm. But verse 11 is what I first read to you: MAY ALL KINGS FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM, ALL NATIONS SERVE HIM and I can't find the translation: “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you” I can't find that anywhere! And I've searched! It's not in the RSV, it's not in the NRSV (the New Revised Standard Version), it's not the NAB (which is what the Church uses for the Lectionary), it's not the NABRE (which is the Revised Edition of the New American Bible), and it's also not in the Grail Psalter, which is what ICEL (which is the International Committee on English in the Liturgy - that's what ICEL stands for… I-C-E-L)… that's the direction ICEL is going - is to use the Grail Psalter for the text of Psalms in the Liturgy. So, I can't find it anywhere… and I've searched! I've searched the Vulgate, I've searched the Septuagint… I have searched everywhere, believe me, I've looked long and hard. So, the only thing I can come up with is that this refrain is just highly paraphrased, that they kind of took verse 11 and played with it until they liked how it sounded… and that's what we end up with.
At my home parish, our Director of Music and Liturgy is leaning more and more heavily on the Grail Psalter because he really has his pulse on what's happening in the Church and in the translations that are in progress for the next translation of the Lectionary.
[00:33:32] And as I said, the Grail Psalter is kind of where they're heading with this whole idea. So regardless… regardless of what refrain you happen to hear this weekend at your parish or your services, here are the verses:
“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May the kings of Tarshish and the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.”
[00:34:43] Now this is a Royal Hymn; it is a prayer of guidance and support - offered for the king - that his reign will be guided by God and therefore filled with justice and blessed with abundance, righteousness, and peace. This Psalm clearly echoes our First Reading from Isaiah 60. However, the justice implied in Isaiah is stated outright here. The superiority of Israel and the king is also stated outright here, think: MAY ALL KINGS FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM, ALL NATIONS SERVE HIM! That Psalm's pretty clear. The king and - therefore - the Chosen People are placed above other nations.
[00:35:41] That leads us, finally, to our Second Reading, which is from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6.
[Brothers and Sisters:] You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation. [It] was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."
[00:36:29] Okay, Ephesus is in modern day Turkey and - in Paul's time - it was a significant trading hub… it was a cosmopolitan city, and a large and thriving seaport. We know that Paul stayed in Ephesus about three years, and - despite what should have been a significant degree of closeness felt by Paul for the Ephesians - this letter has a curiously impersonal tone. It is considered to be one of the Captivity Letters, written between 61 and 63 AD, when Paul was prisoner in Rome.
[00:37:17] There is some uncertainty about this letter and some people - some scholars… biblical scholars - think it may have been addressed to the citizens of the city of Ephesus, certainly, but others think it may have actually been intended to circulate to a number of churches throughout Asia Minor. We just don't know for certain. If, however, the letter was intended to circulate throughout Asia Minor that would certainly explain its impersonal nature. Regardless of what we DON'T know about the letter, we do know that it is a powerful portrayal of the Church with Christ as her head, emphasizing unity between both Jews and Gentiles, and underscoring her mission to make God's plan of salvation known to all people.
[00:38:15] “[Brothers and Sisters:] You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation.”
[00:38:26] I'm going to take some time with this sentence, so bear with me. First, stewardship… what Paul means here is that he is a steward - or guardian - of the divine mysteries. He encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a disciple through that graced conversion and was thereby initiated into the divine mysteries.
[00:38:55] Second, grace… and my basic, go-to definition of grace is: the divine life of God shared with us… which is a great definition - but I'd like to share something a little more elaborate with you.
[00:39:11] Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a 20th century Lutheran theologian who wrote a number of books, but the one I'm going to focus on here is called: The Cost of Discipleship. In that book, Bonhoeffer talks about cheap grace and costly grace. And that's what I'd like to share with you.
“Cheap grace” writes Bonhoeffer “amounts to a denial of the living Word of God… [it] is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ… [it] is the grace we bestow on ourselves.”
[00:39:52] That is NOT the type of grace Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about what Bonhoeffer calls costly grace.
[00:40:01] “Costly grace” he writes “is the gospel which must be sought again and again… Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly… because it cost God the life of his Son… and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.”
[00:40:31] That is precisely the type of grace that Paul is talking about! He goes on to say that this grace was given to him for you - for the audience to whom Paul originally wrote - yes, of course, but it's also addressed to us. This grace was given to Paul to be dispensed to others. And what is the mystery that was made known to Paul through revelation? It is the mystery of Christ himself - the mystery of the Incarnation… God's ancient plan for salvation of all people that was kept hidden (secret) until the appointed time and which is now revealed and made manifest through Jesus Christ.
[00:41:30] “[It] was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”
The words AS IT HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED are crucial in that sentence. God's most personal and intimate revelation was through Jesus himself, and that revelation is perpetuated by - and continued through - the work of the Holy Spirit. And what is a hallmark of this revelation?
“how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
[00:42:18] Again, Paul is speaking not only TO us… but ABOUT us! He was the Apostle to the Gentiles and we are part of the Catholic Church because of his efforts. This message about the inclusion of the Gentiles is present throughout all of the readings for Epiphany and - at the heart of that message - is that we are on the same level as God's Chosen People! Fellow heirs, joint heirs, co heirs… the same promises God extended to his Chosen People have been promised to us through his Son, Jesus!
[00:42:58] This passage from Ephesians reminds us that divine revelation was not a one and done occurrence… it was a series of expanding revelations made by God throughout salvation history which has brought us to its ultimate completion in the Incarnation. A grand unifying process of revelation… by God - about God - to us… initiated by the Father, made manifest in Jesus the Son, and developed and sustained by the Holy Spirit in the Church.
[00:43:39] So, after Sunday, the Christmas season is officially over and we can turn our attention to other things… but - hopefully - with our hearts and minds changed, opened, transformed by our graced encounter with the newborn baby King.
[00:44:04] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for listening and until next we meet may God shower His blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening, and God bless.
