Today, 6th of January, we celebrate
The Epiphany of the Lord
First Reading: 1 Jn 3:7–10
Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God's seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 98:1, 7-8, 9
R./ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R./ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the Lord.
R./ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The Lord comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R./ All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel Reading: Jn 1:35–42
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God."
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
"What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher),
"where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come, and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
"We have found the Messiah," which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
"You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas," which is translated Peter.
At the Name of Jesus, Every Knee Should Bend
I’ve always been struck by a custom in English-speaking countries: during Mass, every time the name of Jesus or Jesus Christ is mentioned, many people bow their heads. It’s almost an automatic gesture, yet deeply sincere. I’ve also noticed that it’s very rare for them to name a child “Jesus”—though they use “Jesse,” which is quite close. These customs are ways of “bending the knee”; in other words, they are ways of recognizing the divinity of the Name. It is a sign of respect and reverence, but it goes even deeper than that.
The angel gave Jesus His name during the Annunciation to Mary, at the very moment of the Incarnation (“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus”). In Semitic culture, a name is the same as one’s entire identity. That is why the name of God could not be spoken—because to say it would be like trying to take ownership of His identity. Jesus means “God saves.” Therefore, to speak that name is to recognize, over and over again, that we have been saved and set free by His blood. Bending the knee (or bowing the head) before that reality is only natural. It is an act of giving thanks, of proclaiming, and of declaring that we rely entirely on the salvation we have been given.
The early Christians suffered and died for “the Name.” Everything they did was in the name of Jesus. This is because the name represents the whole person. To act for the sake of His name is to act for the sake of Him—His entire being. We Christians have always started every action this way. As the old catechism used to say: upon waking up, at the start of the day, before leaving the house, when starting work, when passing by a church, before meals, at bedtime, and in every moment of need, temptation, or danger.
Saying “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” is our way of saying that everything is connected to Him. It means everything depends on Him, that we can do nothing on our own, and that we need His strength every single moment of our lives. Living this way brings salvation at every turn; it keeps the connection to His saving grace alive and constant. It also keeps us mindful that we are creatures who depend completely on our Savior.
Carmen Fernández Aguinaco
Introduction by the Celebrant
"Come and see," says Jesus to the two disciples of John who were curious about him. They came and saw their Savior and followed him. "Come and see." With that, could we say the same to the people of today and show them that Christ is present in our midst? Would they find him among us? And do we ourselves recognize Christ passing among us?
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
your Son passes among us
as the saving Lamb,
and often, we are not aware of his presence.
Give us eyes of faith,
that we may see a glimpse of him
in the love and compassion of people around us,
in their encouragement and help,
in their concern for justice.
For in their goodness you show yourself
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
General Intercessions
– For those who have heard the special call of Jesus, "Come, follow me," that they may remain faithful to their vocation, we pray:
– For those who preach the Gospel of Jesus, that their own life may be a constant invitation for people to live according to the Gospel, we pray:
– For our communities, that leaders and members may go together the way of the Lord as companions and friends, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, our Father,
you invite us to come and see
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior,
in these signs of bread and wine.
May he stay with us not only here
in this Eucharistic celebration
but in the daily events of life,
that he may brighten its drabness
with his living nearness
and that he may change
the way we look at people and things,
for he is our Lord and Savior for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, living God,
we thank you for having gathered us
around our brother Jesus Christ,
and for restoring us with the strength
of his body and blood.
Let him stay with us
as our companion in life,
that we, too, may say to those we encounter:
"Come and see Jesus alive among us.
Come and see how we try to love and serve one another.
Come and see how there is among us
justice and hope and trust."
Help us to say and live this in all sincerity
by the power of Jesus Christ, our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
"We have found the Savior," exclaims the apostle. We, too, have found him. May this be our joy and prompt us to tell others about it. May all of us find him, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Thanks be to God.
