Mass for Jan. 3, 2021 – Epiphany of the Lord

In this liturgy for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the voices of the Prophet Isaiah, the Apostle Paul, and the three wise men resound in one joyful chorus reminding us that Christ is our light!  He has come to dispel the darkness of sin and death and to remain with us forever.  In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah joyfully speaks of the light that emerges from darkness at the coming of the Lord.  In the second reading, Saint Paul reminds his listeners that they are all “members of the same body, and sharers in the promise of Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”  In the passage from Saint Matthew’s Gospel, the wise men from the East come seeking the long-prophesied king of the Jews.  They are led to the Christ Child by the light of the star and pay him homage offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Although King Herod tries to deceive them, they are “warned in a dream not to return to Herod” and so they travel home by another road.