We wish you every blessing throughout this blessed season.
Thank you for being faithful and generous in your response to the gospel message.
We wish you all health and prosperity in the year to come.
God Bless You.
Fr Jim & Fr Barnabas.
Bishop Declan Lang
Lepra
We are pleased to highlight the charity Lepra who are celebrating their Centenary year with special events, such as a Mass for World Leprosy Day at Westminster Cathedral with our own Bishop Declan. All are welcome to the London Mass on 26th January - see details and a link .
In their message to us recently, Lepra confirmed that "over 3 million people are living with undiagnosed leprosy, which if not treated early enough may result in life-changing physical and mental health issues that can destroy people’s lives. Leprosy, although curable is sadly surrounded by myths and discrimination, which often prevent people from coming forward to seek treatment. At Lepra, working across India and Bangladesh, we aim to change the negative that surrounds the disease of leprosy and are committed to making sure that people affected by leprosy have the chance to live with dignity and their disease be of little adverse consequence to their lives. I hope this short film link is of interest. With your help, we can beat leprosy - YouTube"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpyKbz8-a6A
More information and details of how you can support Lepra can be found on their website at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/45b0f418/qOkZgdqdFkiPv-J07jz7PQ?u=http://www.lepra.org.uk/
Thank you to Deacon Vincent for your Reflections for the Epiphany of the Lord Years A,B,C.
1st Reading from the prophet Isaiah 60: 1-6.
This text is extolling the great things to come to the new people back from Babylonian exile, who would be looking at the shabby and poverty encrusted Jerusalem they had returned to. This is the third Isaiah trying to lift their spirits and encourage them to start the re-building of the city. Matthew, the most Jewish of the Gospel writers immediately draws upon the gifts from this text, brought by the wise men from the East, but we draw upon the camels from this text, in association with the story of those wise men, for Matthew does not mention camels in his Gospel passage. We unconsciously absorb these writings as we trawl through scripture, and it quietly soaks into our hearts and is recalled as we encounter the echoes contained within the Gospel writings. This is the beauty of scripture study, as we perceive the way God enlightens our minds and hearts to his wonders through the writings of the prophets and the scribes.
Psalm 71: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13.
This song is thought to have been composed for Solomon’s coronation, a similar version is quoted in 1 Kings 1: 39-40, and the King is reminded of his solemn duty to protect the poor and needy in distress. This song sits very well for the feast we are celebrating today.
2nd Reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 3: 2-3, 5-6.
At first sight this text does not seem to have anything to do with the readings for this feast, but it is deeply involved; for this “Epiphany” is God’s revelation to the Gentiles of the arrival of the “Saviour”. God enlightens the wise men through their expertise to realise something remarkable is happening, and they are led by enlightenment to Jerusalem, where they are told of the prophecy of the Saviour. They go to find, whilst the learned and scribes of Israel remain in Jerusalem. What Paul is revealing to the Ephesians is fulfilled in the Gospel of Matthew, which we are reading today. Paul has been selected especially by God to spread the message of salvation for the Gentiles; salvation is for all, not just a select group.
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 2: 1-12.
The “Magi”, (astrologers from the East), come to Jerusalem and enquire where they can find the infant King of the Jews? There is already a King in Jerusalem, namely Herod, so the readers know that trouble is brewing for this newborn King of the Jews. In my translation Herod “gathers” all the chief priests and scribes of the people. Gathered in Greek, sounds very like “synagogued”, so it is thought Matthew was taking a side swipe at the establishment’s lack of understanding and resistance to the will of God. Herod wants to know for a different reason from the Magi, who give the correct response in a desire to worship the newborn King, but Herod wants to destroy him. The chief priests and scribes certainly know the answer. “Bethlehem in Judaea”, but hey show no inclination to join the Magi and go and worship the newborn, instead they remain in Jerusalem, obsessed with the status quo, and making sure they are not sidelined, so they find themselves resisting what they know from God’s scriptures, and await to see who will come out on top. The Gentiles go to give their gifts of Gold and Frankincense, as per scripture with an addition of myrrh, a perfume used at funeral rites, reminding us of the inevitability that the authorities will try and maintain the status quo by Jesus’ death. The Magi duly pay Jesus’ homage to the amazement of Mary & Joseph. The Magi are then warned in a dream not to return to Herod and so they leave Israel by a different route. This will annoy Herod with devastating consequences for Bethlehem. Matthew is illustrating how the Gentiles respond to God’s revelation whilst the priests and scribes, the religious leaders of Israel, ignore this revelation to hang on to what they have, and close their minds to God’s invitation.
May we always be open to God’s invitation to come and pay homage to Jesus. Deacon Vincent.
