Feast of the Epiphany
January 4, 2026
Matthew 2:1-12
From childhood you have probably sung “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” The kings, or rather Magi, represent Gentiles from the known ancient world–Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East–or people in their youth, prime, and old age. This carol also teaches the relevance of the gifts to the Christ Child: gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh for a sacrificial victim.
Little did anyone know that the Holy Family would soon become refugees in Egypt, where gold could help support them. The sons of Jacob had sold their brother Joseph to a caravan going to Egypt (Gen. 37.26-28). Later, Joseph would save the Egyptians and his family from famine, and Christ would save the world from sin (Matt. 2.13-15).
During the Exodus, the Israelites were commanded to mix frankincense with spices and burn them before the Arc of the Covenant in the Meeting Tent (Exod. 30.34-38). Thus, Moses is a type of Christ interceding for His people.
During His Passion, Jesus refused to drink “wine mixed with myrrh” because it would dull the pain of the crucifixion (Mark 15.23). Nicodemus brought “a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds” to preserve Jesus’ corpse (John 19.38).
There is a custom of writing with chalk on the door of your house the initials of Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar in between the first and last two numbers of the current year: “20 + C + M + B + 26.” Another interpretation is that “C + M + B” is an abbreviation for “Christus mansionem benedicat” or “May Christ bless this house.”
May the feast of the Epiphany fill us as Gentiles with gratitude for the gift of faith. May the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt move us to support refugees and immigrants in thought and deed.
Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
The Gospel of the Lord
Meet Sister Anne Mary O’Donnell, SNDdeN
