LA EPIFANÍA DEL SEÑOR 2026

Queridos hermanos y hermanas: este domingo celebramos la fiesta de la Epifanía del Señor, en la que la Iglesia manifiesta que Jesús vino al mundo no solo para salvar al pueblo de Israel, sino para ser el Salvador de toda la humanidad. La visita de los Reyes Magos se interpreta como el reconocimiento, por parte de todos los pueblos de la Tierra, de que Jesús es su Salvador.

El profeta Isaías anuncia bellamente en su profecía que Jerusalén se convertirá en el centro del mundo y que será el lugar al que todos los pueblos acudirán con sus riquezas para rendir tributo al Señor. Esta profecía se cumple con la visita de los Reyes Magos de Oriente, que llegaron de tierras lejanas para rendir tributo al Rey de las Naciones, Jesucristo recién nacido. Oremos para que Jerusalén sea de verdad un lugar de paz y de convergencia para todas las naciones.

Los magos fueron conducidos por una estrella hasta Jerusalén, donde pensaban inicialmente que el Mesías había nacido en la casa de Herodes. Al llegar y preguntar, comprendieron que no era ese el lugar, sino Belén, y allá fueron. Lo reconocieron en la sencillez de un pesebre. Los magos ofrecieron sus dones al Niño y, al regresar a sus lugares de origen, lo hicieron por otro camino para no encontrarse con el tirano Herodes, que quería matar a Jesús. Los magos se dejaron guiar por una estrella que los llevó hasta Cristo, salvador del mundo.

Antes de continuar con esta reflexión, permítanme hacerle un par de preguntas.

¿Te has perdido alguna vez cuando buscabas una dirección? ¿Qué hacías cuando no tenías un GPS o un mapa en el auto para encontrar una dirección? ¿Tienes una «estrella» que guíe tu vida? Si es así, ¿quién es? ¿Sigues a alguien en las redes sociales? ¿Hacia dónde te lleva esa persona? ¿Es capaz de darte la vida eterna? Si no es así, ¿por qué pasas más tiempo con esa persona que con Jesús?

Estoy bastante seguro, hermanos y hermanas, de que la mayoría responderá «sí» a la primera pregunta. A veces nos hemos perdido cuando buscábamos una dirección y, en los viejos tiempos, cuando no teníamos tecnología como el GPS o mapas, era común detenerse y preguntar a alguien cómo llegar a algún lugar. Hoy en día, si tienes un GPS, es casi imposible perderse, porque si te saltas una calle o giras en falso, el GPS recalcula la ruta.

En el evangelio de hoy, vemos a los magos preguntando en el lugar equivocado por el nacimiento del Mesías. Permítanme decir que su intención era buena, pero la estrella los guió hasta un lugar equivocado y una situación peligrosa.

Hoy en día es común seguir a personas famosas a través de las redes sociales, como políticos, actores, atletas, modelos, empresarios, cantantes, personas de éxito, entrenadores, youtubers, etc. Debemos preguntarnos por qué los seguimos y adónde nos llevan, si nos están haciendo mejores personas, si se preocupan por nosotros o si somos importantes para ellos. Hermanos y hermanas, necesitamos «buenas estrellas» en nuestras vidas, «buenas estrellas» que nos lleven a lugares donde seamos valorados y tratados con dignidad como seres humanos. Necesitamos seguir a personas que nos hagan mejores, que se preocupen por nuestras vidas y no solo por conseguir seguidores para aumentar sus ingresos en las redes sociales. Los magos eran buscadores que buscaban a Jesucristo y lo encontraron.

No buscaban un favor ni un milagro para ellos, sino que le llevaron regalos. Entonces, ¿qué regalo le vas a dar hoy a Jesús?

A diferencia de muchas «estrellas» para quienes solo somos un número más, Jesús te ama, se preocupa por ti, murió por ti y quiere llevarte a la vida eterna.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, al comenzar este nuevo año 2026, pidamos a Dios que su estrella siga guiando nuestros pasos por el buen camino y nos dé la gracia de reconocerlo en la humildad y sencillez de nuestra vida. Por último, ofrezcámosle nuestro tiempo y nuestro corazón como el don más precioso que queremos compartir con Él y con nuestros hermanos que están en necesidad. Amén. Feliz día de los Reyes Magos.

P. Luis Segura M.S.C.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD 2026

Dear brothers and sisters: this Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, in which the Church proclaims that Jesus came into the world not only to save the people of Israel, but to be the Savior of all humanity. The visit of the Magi is interpreted as the recognition, by all the peoples of the Earth, that Jesus is their Savior.

The prophet Isaiah beautifully announces in his prophecy that Jerusalem will become the center of the world and the place to which all nations will come with their riches to pay homage to the Lord. This prophecy is fulfilled with the visit of the Magi from the East, who came from distant lands to pay tribute to the newborn King of Nations, Jesus Christ. Let us pray that Jerusalem may truly be a place of peace and convergence for all nations.

The Magi were guided by a star to Jerusalem, where they initially thought the Messiah had been born in Herod's palace. Upon arriving and inquiring, they understood that this was not the place, but Bethlehem, and so they went there. They recognized him in the humble setting of a manger. The Magi offered their gifts to the Child and, upon returning to their homelands, they took a different route to avoid encountering the tyrant Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus. The Magi allowed themselves to be guided by a star that led them to Christ, the savior of the world.

Before continuing with this reflection, allow me to ask you a couple of questions.

Have you ever gotten lost while looking for an address? What did you do when you didn't have a GPS or a map in the car to find your way? Do you have a "guiding star" in your life? If so, who is it? Do you follow someone on social media? Where is that person leading you? Are they capable of giving you eternal life? If not, why do you spend more time with that person than with Jesus?

I'm quite sure, brothers and sisters, that most of you will answer "yes" to the first question. We've all gotten lost at some point while looking for directions, and in the old days, before we had technology like GPS or maps, it was common to stop and ask someone for directions. Nowadays, if you have a GPS, it's almost impossible to get lost, because if you miss a turn or take a wrong turn, the GPS recalculates the route.

In today's Gospel reading, we see the Magi asking in the wrong place about the birth of the Messiah. Let me say that their intentions were good, but the star led them to the wrong place and into a dangerous situation.

Today it's common to follow famous people on social media, such as politicians, actors, athletes, models, businesspeople, singers, successful individuals, coaches, YouTubers, and so on. We should ask ourselves why we follow them and where they are leading us, whether they are making us better people, whether they care about us, or whether we are important to them. Brothers and sisters, we need "guiding stars" in our lives, "guiding stars" that lead us to places where we are valued and treated with dignity as human beings. We need to follow people who make us better, who care about our lives and not just about gaining followers to increase their social media income. The Magi were seekers who searched for Jesus Christ and found him. They weren't seeking a favor or a miracle for themselves, but instead, they brought him gifts. So, what gift will you give Jesus today?

Unlike many "celebrities" for whom we are just another number, Jesus loves you, cares for you, died for you, and wants to lead you to eternal life.

Dear brothers and sisters, as we begin this new year 2026, let us ask God that His star may continue to guide our steps along the right path and grant us the grace to recognize Him in the humility and simplicity of our lives. Finally, let us offer Him our time and our hearts as the most precious gift we wish to share with Him and with our brothers and sisters who are in need. Amen. Happy Epiphany! 

Fr. Luis Segura M.S.C.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Solemnity of the Epiphany – Gifts Given and Gifts Received…

Today, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the Gospel speaks to us about the Magi who, arriving in Bethlehem, open their treasure chests and offer gold, incense and myrrh to Jesus (cf. Mt 2:11). These wise men from the East are famous because of the gifts they offered. Considering their story, however, we could say that, above all, they receive three gifts. They received three gifts, three precious gifts that regard us as well. They give gold, incense and myrrh, but what are the three gifts they received?

The first gift is the gift of the call. The Magi were not alerted because they had read the Scriptures or because they had seen a vision of angels, but they sensed it while they were studying the stars. This tells us something important: God calls us through our aspirations and our greatest desires. The Magi allowed themselves to be amazed and inconvenienced by the novelty of the star, and they set out on a journey towards the unknown. Educated and wise, they were fascinated more by what they did not know than by what they already knew. They opened themselves to what they did not know. They felt called to go beyond. They did not feel happy remaining there; they felt called to go beyond. This is important for us as well. We are called not to settle, to seek the Lord by stepping out of our comfort zone, journeying towards him with others, immersing ourselves in reality. For God calls every day, here and now. God calls us, each one of us, every day. He calls us here and he calls us today, in our world.

But the Magi speak to us about a second gift: discernment. Seeing that they are looking for a king, they go to Jerusalem to speak with King Herod, who, however, is a power-hungry man and wants to use them to eliminate the baby Messiah. But the Magi do not allow themselves to be fooled by Herod. They know how to distinguish between the goal of their journey and the temptations they find along the way. They could have remained there in Herod’s court, serene. No, they move ahead. They leave Herod’s palace and, attentive to the sign from God, do not pass that way again, but return by another route (cf. v. 12). Brothers and sisters, how important it is to know how to distinguish life’s goal from the temptations along the way! Our goal in life is one thing, the temptations on the way are another. To know how to renounce that which seduces but leads down an ugly road, to understand and to choose God’s ways! Discernment is a great gift and we should never tire of asking for it in prayer. Let us ask for this grace! Lord, grant us the ability to discern what is good from what is evil, what is better from what is not better.

Finally, the Magi speak to us about a third gift: the surprise. After a long journey, what do these high-ranking men in society find? A baby with his mother (cf. v. 11): certainly, a tender scene, but not astonishing! They do not see the angels like the shepherds did, but they meet God in poverty. Perhaps they were expecting a powerful and prodigious Messiah, and they find a baby. And still, they do not think they made a mistake; they know how to recognize him. They welcome God’s surprise and experience their encounter with him with amazement, adoring him — in his littleness, they recognize God’s face. Humanly, we are all inclined to seek greatness, but it is a gift to know how to truly find it — to know how to find greatness in the littleness that God loves so much. For the Lord is encountered like this: in humility, in silence, in adoration, in the small and in the poor. May Our Lady help us remember and treasure the gifts received. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 6 I 2023]

Rev. Jos Rajesh Peter M.S.C.

The Epiphany of the Lord 2026

According to Dictionary.com, Epiphany is “A sudden manifestation of the essence of something.”  It is, “the comprehension of an invisible reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.”  In other words, THE LIGHT BULB GOES ON !  “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come !”

My friends, our Readings today might be familiar to you because they are the same Readings for every celebration of Epiphany for each Liturgical Year  - Cycle A, B, or C.    Some interesting information about Epiphany:

Traditionally, Epiphany was celebrated on January 6th.  But, in 1970, after the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church in the United States changed the date to the 1st Sunday after January 1st.  However, it is still celebrated on January 6th in some countries, including the Vatican.

Epiphany is known by many names:

• Little Christmas

• The Twelfth day of Christmas

• The Feast of the Three Kings

• The Feast of the Three Wise Men

• The Feast of the Three Magi

Our Gospel tells us that the visitors were “Magi from the East.”  Some Scripture Scholars think they were either astronomers or astrologers because of their knowledge of the stars in the heavens.  Also the Greek word for Magi is “Magos” which suggests the visitors were from Persia.  Additionally, one of the derivatives of the word “Magi” is the English word “Magic.”

So, we don’t know for sure if they were astronomers or astrologers.  We also don’t know if there were three.  It was presumed that there were three men because of the three gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.  They were also called “Kings”  because of the valuable gifts they brought.

King Herod:  He was the king of the Jews who ruled over Israel and collaborated with the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. Herod was known for his architectural and construction accomplishments.  Herod was an evil, egotistical, paranoid man.  In addition to killing all the young males in Bethlehem and the region, history tells us that he also killed his own wife and children, accusing them of treason because he thought they were plotting against him.  Herod was jealous and resentful of anyone who might try to usurp his authority, ergo his desire to kill the “Newborn King of the Jews.”

My friends, in addition to the historical references in today’s gospel, the primary message from the Evangelist Matthew is that anyone and everyone can seek God, regardless of their country of origin, background, or religion.  This Gospel tells us that Salvation is for everyone through Christ Jesus.  No one is excluded. 

The first announcement of the birth of Jesus was made known by the angels to shepherds in Bethlehem.  Today, with the visit of the Magi, the revelation of Christ is to the entire world.

The lesson for us is that God does not “belong” any one nation or religion.  We cannot think that God only speaks to or is revealed to only Jews or Catholics or other Christians.  The Magi were from the East and presumably not Jewish.  There was no Christianity at that time either.

In his Epiphany homily on January 6, 2024 Pope Francis reminded us:  “The Magi set out to seek the newborn King. They are an image of the world’s peoples journeying in search of God, of the foreigners who now are led to the mountain of the Lord (cf. Is 56:6-7), of those who now, from afar, can hear the message of salvation (cf. Is 33:13), of all those who were lost and now hear the beckoning of a friendly voice. For now, in the flesh of the Babe of Bethlehem, the glory of the Lord has been revealed to all the nations (cf. Is 40:5) and “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Lk 3:6). This is the pilgrimage of humanity, of each of us, moving from distance to closeness.”

My friends, the Magi were struck with awe when “they saw the child with Mary, his mother.  They prostrated themselves and did him homage.”   Let us also be in awe and give homage to Jesus and pray that we may also see Him in others because each time we open our hearts and see Jesus in another person, we celebrate Epiphany.  The manifestation happens again.  The Invisible Reality becomes visible.

I think, when this happens, we are like the Wise Men after they encountered Jesus.

They went back home by another road.

When we encounter Jesus, we are changed…

We can’t return by the same road we started out on...

When we encounter Jesus, we’re never the same…..