Journeying to See

Scripture Reflections for the Epiphany of the Lord

Year C, Lectionary 20


God is the light of the world and we all are intrigued by it but not all of us are moved to pursue this 'star.' Like King Herod, some of us are informed of God's light and are told it is within our reach and instead of journeying toward Jesus we feel threatened by the Christ. Yet others who recognize the divine will go through long distance to come to know God incarnate. And most often we find Jesus in the people we least expect and away from our familiar, comfortable surroundings.

Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: AppreciateBirthCallChangeChristmasCommunityConnectionCourageCrossCuriosityDangerDarknessDavidDeathDependDevilDiscipleDisruptionDivisionDreamEncounterEnvironmentEpiphanyExodusExpectationFaithFocusFollowGatherGiftGoalGraceGrowthHerodHistoryHopeHumilityIncarnationInclusionInterpretationJealousJourneyKingdomLightLoveMagiMaryMissionMosesMyrrhNavigatePowerProclaimProphecyReceptiveRefugeesRepentRevelationSalvationScienceSearchSeekShepherdSightSignsSolomonStarTimeTrustTruthUnityViolenceWisdom

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13
Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12
Jan 05 ʼ25

“if there's one thing I believe wholeheartedly is that the extraordinary is very much in the ordinary. And same way too, God creator of all things, is very much present in all of creation.”


Angelo Kurbanali in "Rising star"
New
UACatholic • Jan 05 ʼ25

“We don't earn heaven, people of God, we practice it”


Fr. John Paul Forté, OP
New
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Philadelphia • Jan 03 ʼ21

“they don't do this for Herod because they're wise enough, they're wise women and men to recognize authentic leadership. They don't prostrate themselves before Herod. The Word says that they 'prostrated themselves and did Jesus homage.'”


Fr. Stephen Thorne in "I am large, I contain multitudes"
Dec 30 ʼ24

“Today as Christians, by virtue of our baptism, Jesus has entrusted us with the responsibility of being the light, the star, the GPS to lead the rest of the world to him. But what kind of star are we?”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo
Holy Name of Jesus Church & Loyola Ministry • Jan 08 ʼ23

“We can't conjure up our own epiphany but we can dispose ourselves to the epiphany if we look out for it, if we pay attention, if we look out at the things and the people and the events of our lives and look for some sign of God there”


Fr. Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ in "Epiphany 2023"
Jan 02 ʼ23

“It is very possible to be a minister who leads others to Jesus and yet not find Jesus ourselves. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem but today he continues to be born in our lives and various circumstances around us.”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo
U.S. Catholic magazine • Jan 02 ʼ23

“The Magi were set in motion by hopeful promise but the consequences of their quest come at a tremendous cost. A government-sanctioned massacre of children.”


Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández
Holy Name of Jesus Church & Loyola Ministry • Jan 07 ʼ24

“very often a spiritual quest begins with an uncomfortable question. Very often we see people in the Bible beginning their own spiritual quest with an uncomfortable question.”


Fr. Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ in "Epiphany 2024"
Jan 01 ʼ24

“as a star of Christ how bright is your light?”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo
Saint Katharine Drexel Parish - Boston, MA • Jan 03 ʼ21

“Where is this new born king? Where do we go to find him? And having found him how are we returning? Are we changed forever or do we continue looking for another or for other means to try and bring some joy and completion to these hungry hearts, to these thirsting souls?”


Fr. Oscar Pratt
Catholic Women Preach • Jan 08 ʼ17

“We should be prepared that in what our worldly and even educated minds do not anticipate, God will manifest himself”


Dr. Carolyn Woo
Dec 28 ʼ21

“as we celebrate the revelation of Jesus to the rest of the world, he has come to enlighten us. But that light also gives us responsibility”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo
Holy Name of Jesus Church & Loyola Ministry • Jan 02 ʼ22

“will you go on a journey of spiritual curiosity all the way to the feet of Jesus and when you get there will you lay down your life and leave your treasures behind? Will you go back another way and trust that the Lord will lead you all the way to a place of eternal salvation?”


Fr. Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ in "Spiritual Curiosity"
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Philadelphia • Jan 06 ʼ19

“you can't keep God's grace outside because God has no wall, no fence. God desires all people to be saved.”


Fr. Stephen Thorne in "We're In This Love Together"
St. Teresa of Avila - DC • Jan 02 ʼ22

“Christmas is bursting open with joy not just for the chosen people...for the whole world”


Monsignor Raymond East
U.S. Catholic magazine • Dec 22 ʼ21

“What was the wisdom of the Magi? That they were seeking the Christ”


Sallie Latkovich, C.S.J.
Catholic Women Preach • Dec 22 ʼ21

“Like the Magi who follow the star the asylum seekers too must follow their own star hovering over them, trusting, believing, and moving forward and onward to what is life-giving. They must choose life not death. They rise and go meet the one who comes, Jesus the Christ who gives them life.”


Genie Natividad, MM
Dec 31 ʼ20

“the news of the baby brought peace, joy and fulfillment to the Magi because they were people of good will but the same news would trouble Herod because he was not of good will”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo
Catholic Productions • Dec 31 ʼ18

“So these two books, the book of creation and the book of the scriptures, need to be read together in order for the Magi to find the Christ child”


Brant Pitre in "The Wise Men in Search of the King"
Jan 06 ʼ20

“Who is a Christian? The Christian is that one who has stopped doing his own will or her own will. Who stopped doing what he or she likes and now is doing the will of Christ and now is living in the way of Christ.”


Fr. Emmanuel Ochigbo
Overall Readings
St. Teresa of Avila - DC • Jan 05 ʼ25

“are you willing to look up and see the light of the world?”


Monsignor Raymond East
New
Dec 29 ʼ24

“So not only is Jesus the son of David, he is a new and greater Moses leading an Exodus, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the stranglehold of sin and death”


Fr. Geoffrey Plant in "Wise men from the East"
U.S. Catholic magazine • Jan 02 ʼ25

“There's a solution to following false dreams: to wake up. When we awake to God's everpresent presence in our present day our dreams move closer to reality.”


Angelo Kurbanali
New
Jan 01 ʼ23

“Unlike the chief priests and scribes, the Magi were vulnerable to loss but in that loss they discovered the pathway to becoming fully developed human beings”


Fr. Geoffrey Plant in "Magi from the East"
U.S. Catholic magazine • Jan 02 ʼ24

“Are we lost because the king is absent or because we are trying to be the king with all power and control rather than being open to the ways in which we might be called to serve?”


Emily Davis
St. Teresa of Avila - DC • Jan 08 ʼ22

“I'm marveling that 3 wise people follow the same star coming from different nations looking for the King of Kings”


Monsignor Raymond East
Catholic Productions • Dec 27 ʼ18

“He is not just the king of Israel, he's not just the Messiah, he is the one who is greater than Solomon and to that effect these wise men from the east come and fulfill the psalm about Solomon by bringing him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh”


Brant Pitre in "We Three Kings of Orient Are... From Where?"
Catholic Women Preach • Dec 27 ʼ19

“We have a choice to remain the same or to open our hearts, to open our eyes to see the light of Christ in others, to walk with those who are searching and to purify our motives and intentions for the spirit is generous to guide and accompany us on our journey of life”


Sr. Jane Wakahiu, LSOSF
Catholic Women Preach • Jan 07 ʼ18

“Each of us has a star to follow that will bring us to proclaim the Good News of a God who became one with us. A God of all peoples, nationalities, races, genders. A God who makes all things new.”


Janice McLaughlin, MM
St. Teresa of Avila - DC • Jan 07 ʼ24

“What if we stop dividing ourselves because God does not see us as divided. God sees us as one family.”


Monsignor Raymond East
Catholic Women Preach • Dec 10 ʼ18

“When the light of the Epiphany sears our souls it also casts a beam of light across and beyond any horizon that we've imagined before, calling us to a new vision”


Barbara E. Quinn, RSCJ
Catholic Women Preach • Jan 24 ʼ01

“So the message of the Epiphany is to us today to follow the star to those places around us where we will encounter the disruption of God in the lives of people that are in the margins”


Nontando Hadebe
St. Teresa of Avila - DC • Jan 03 ʼ21

“Now think about those first seekers, they knew not...the promises revealed by the prophets like Isaiah that we heard today but...if they could follow the Lord and come to the place where Jesus was...and worship him what about you and me?”


Monsignor Raymond East
Dec 31 ʼ23

“The Magi have travelled a great distance to find the newly-born King of the Jews. Herod’s wise men do nothing even though Bethlehem is just down the road”


Fr. Geoffrey Plant in "Wise men from the East"