January 4, 2026
Epiphany
FOCUS: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The Magi undertook an arduous journey to see Jesus. For us, sometimes even a short trip to Mass can feel like a challenge. Yet the God who set the stars in in the sky desires an intimate relationship with each of us. This year is a good time to renew our commitment to grow closer to God. A star revealed Jesus’ birth to the Magi; let us ask God to reveal himself to us today.
What's in Your Heart
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What more can I do to bring light to darkness in my own spirit as well as the hearts and minds of those around me?
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Epiphany is a kind of "second Christmas." What "gifts" do I have to offer, and how can I best use them?
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Do I do everything I can to welcome people, just as the Magi from the East were welcomed at the cradle of the infant Jesus?
Homily Stories
Every few years I like to take a long car trip somewhere all by myself. It accomplishes a lot of different things for me. Mostly, it gives me time to think. Traveling the same distance in an airplane does not afford me the same sense of distancing myself from all that I am leaving behind.
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Lost deep in my thoughts, heading toward Washington, D.C. late one night after 10 hours of driving, I was pulled over by a Virginia state trooper. I had been driving on the highway without my headlights on, and he wanted to know why. I told him honestly that I had not realized it had grown dark because I was so caught up in my own thoughts. He lectured me on the dangers of my actions and wrote a warning ticket. Much to my relief and embarrassment, I drove off still in possession of my license. I made sure my lights were always on after that. I would not let the darkness sneak up on me again.
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Too often our lives slide into darkness brought on by our being so busy or disappointed or angry or jealous or confused. And, sadly, we often are not even aware of the darkness enveloping us. If we are not careful, we can get lost in it.
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Isaiah tells us to pick ourselves up and be aware that the Lord, newborn, shines with a radiant light in our world. The same light that led the Magi to Jesus illuminates our world and leads us out of the darkness, helping us to see the beauty of God's light and love. We live in that light. This is the true gift of the Epiphany.
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Quotes
Those who are in the light do not illuminate the light but are themselves illuminated and enlightened by the light.
—Saint Irenaeus
When they reached Bethlehem, the Magi adored the divine Child and offered him symbolic gifts, becoming forerunners of the peoples and nations which down the centuries never cease to seek and meet Christ.
—Saint John Paul II