Readings: Epiphany of the Lord 

As the Christmas season comes to a close, we celebrate today the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, which reminds us of the great homage due to our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

As we hear in today’s Gospel reading, the magi have heard of Jesus’ birth and are eagerly searching for Him. They ask the people in Jerusalem: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” As we have been reflecting on for the past several weeks, Jesus’ coming as a baby, and yet king, reveals His incredible humility. The phrase “newborn king” would have shocked anyone. In fact, as we read in the Gospel, king Herod and “all Jerusalem with him” were greatly troubled upon hearing these words from the magi. 

Jesus was not the Messiah that many of the Jews expected. A strong warrior ready for battle was often the image of the Messiah that people had in their heads. Jesus’ coming as a small helpless baby had many people baffled. And yet, His littleness and humility did not detract from His incredible majesty as King. The magi came not just to see the baby Jesus, but to “do him homage.” And so, upon their arrival, the magi “prostrated themselves” before Jesus, the newborn King of the Jews. We too are called to give such homage to our divine Savior. Whether it be outwardly prostrating ourselves before Christ in the Eucharist or silently lifting our hearts to God in prayer, we are called to give great homage to our God. He deserves our praise, worship, gratitude, and love and even if we think that is enough, nothing can compare to His great love for us.  

And so, as we celebrate this feast of the Epiphany, may we, with the magi, come to pay homage to our beloved Savior and say with the psalmist: “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.” 

Charlotte Famera, Campus Ministry Graduate Assistant 

The Campus Ministry Seasonal Reflections are offered during the liturgical seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter. We bring a variety of voices from Students, Faculty and Staff. The perspectives expressed in these reflections are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Campus Ministry.