Feast of the Epiphany

The following are prayerful resources rather than a liturgy.

The gospel for the day
(a useful commentary on the reading here)
Some optional questions for reflection
Prayers of Intercession
Cluster Prayer
The gospel of the week ahead with questions

Matthew 2: 1-12 We saw his star and have come to do the king homage.

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod,

some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east.

‘Where is the infant king of the Jews?’ they asked.

‘We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.’

When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.

He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,

and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

‘At Bethlehem in Judaea,’ they told him ‘for this is what the prophet wrote:

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah,
for out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd my people Israel.’

Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately.

He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared,

and sent them on to Bethlehem.

‘Go and find out all about the child,’ he said ‘and when you have found him,

let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.’

Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out.

And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising;

it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was.

The sight of the star filled them with delight,

and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary,

and falling to their knees they did him homage.

Then, opening their treasures,

they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

and returned to their own country by a different way.

This is the gospel of the Lord

Having used our prayer resources, you might want simply to reflect yourself on them and how that might flow into your coming week. Some people have found it very helpful to meet with others and share their thoughts.
If you are interested in joining a small group to share your thoughts and feelings about God's Word from any of the resources you have watched please email us. cluster.alpha@outlook.com

Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)

Sometimes we puzzle over the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh - for a baby??

They probably offered what they had, rather than what they had long planned to bring.

Jesus is happy to receive whatever it is we have to offer - not things, but the gift of self.

Who or what was "the star" in your faith journey, helping you to find Jesus in your life?
The Magi were strangers from another land.
How do you welcome immigrants and strangers in the name of Christ?*

* All second questions © The Pastoral Center

Prayers of Intercession

On the Feast of the Epiphany, when the light of Christ was revealed to all the nations of the world,

we turn to God our Father, confident that he will hear and answer our prayers.