Matthew 2:1-12.
After Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. ,Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked. ‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was perturbed and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together the chief priests and the scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ was to be born. ‘At Bethlehem in Judea,’ they told him, ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah;
You are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
For out of you will come a leader to shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them to calculate the exact date on which the star had appeared, and sent them on to Bethlehem. ‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said, ‘and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’
Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star rising; it went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house, they saw the child with its mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection on the Gospel.

The story of the wise men is an amazing one – that they follow a star to find a King… that they look for him first in a palace; that eventually they have him revealed as a baby of lowly parents; amazing that these men should bow down to him, ‘filled with delight’, recognising him as a king; and finally that they should be warned in a dream not to return home via Herod’s palace.

They must have been men with a deep sense of mystery – to be guided by dreams, hopes and stars - but the whole story of Christ is one of great mystery, of the amazing love of God who chooses to be set free from distance becoming a baby, all vulnerability and dependence; God who made the stars and who breathes life into all creation; who existed before time, to allow us to meet him as a human being who shares our joys and sorrows; God who takes the downwards path of humility and who loves us beyond our imagination; God who enters into all our sorrows and who transforms them with his risen life. Amazing!!

Let us give thanks
For the ways our lives are guided and supported day by day;

May our eyes be open to the wonder of the mystery of God in our daily routine.
May we remember that the light of Christ
shines in the darkness
And that the darkness can never put it out.
May the love we know in Christ flow in us
and through us
to all those who also need to know of it.

So that Jesus may be revealed
And his Kingdom reign
Amen

A Prayer of Epiphany

For the unexpected wonder
of love and life and laughter
bursting through our world
like an explosion of stars.
For the wonder of each person.
For the people and the journey that have  brought us to this place here and now.
For hope and wonder and awe at the future
at all the adventures the years may contain.

In all these things
God has blessed us richly.

Lord,
Help us to realise this every day of our lives
And to treasure all these amazing things
as signs of Your love for us.
Amen

Think about the Gold , Frankincense and Myrrh in your life:

Gold is a precious metal, highly valued and sought after. What are your gold treasures? Add your own treasure to the list below:
The people you love and who love you,  
Friends
Happy memories
Your special gifts and talents
Times of success when all has gone well.

Myrrh is a spice that was used to anoint a body after death. It represents pain and sorrow. We know that through his death, Jesus showed us how much we are loved by God and that he saved us. Sometimes the difficult times in life are places that God meets us and we realise how much we need him. Ask God to meet you in these places:
In times of illness
In times of stress or pressure
When we fail and get things wrong
In sadness or difficulty.

Frankincense is a substance that is burnt with charcoal to give off a sweet smelling smoke. As it rises, it represents our prayers and offerings to God and links the ordinary to the holy. When we offer to God the ordinariness of our daily life, we can make all things holy:
Going to school/work
Housework and chores
Helping others
Just being with friends and family.

Offering all these things to God makes them special because they become ways that God comes into the world through us and in our lives.

Hail  Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen