TEXT: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, January 4, 2026
January 4, 2026 Father De Celles Homily
Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
January 4, 2026
Homily by Fr. John De Celles
St. Raymond of Peñafort Catholic Church
Springfield, VA
For the last few weeks–both in Advent and during the Christmas season–
almost all of the people we’ve encountered in the Scriptures at Mass
have been Jews living in Israel,
most of whom are of humble origin and state.
But today we find a radically different sort of people–Magi from the East:
They were extremely well-educated, wealthy,
and perhaps even priests in their own pagan religion.
Yet, the Scriptures tell us that when they arrive in Bethlehem,
after a long and arduous trip of hundreds of miles,
these great wise men “prostrate themselves and do homage”
to a tiny vulnerable peasant child.
And they offer Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
While these gifts are generous and full of meaning,
they are not the greatest gift given that day.
The greatest gift was not from the Magi at all,
but from God to the magi, and to the whole Gentile world:
He gave the gift of His Epiphany,
of God’s manifesting, or showing Himself to the world,
as the human baby Jesus.
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Still, while today’s Gospel is principally a reminder
of God’s Epiphany to the Gentiles,
it also reminds us of Christ’s coming to His chosen people–the Jews.
On Thursday, on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God,
we read from St. Luke’s Gospel about the Jewish shepherds
coming to adore the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
Today St. Matthew tells us about another Jew
discovering the birth of the Messiah–King Herod.
Herod is a Jew, but not by race.
That is, Herod was not a descendant of the patriarch Jacob,
who was also called “Israel,”
and whose descendants are called the “Israelites” or “Jews.”
Rather, his family was Idumæan, but converted to the Jewish religion
about 100 years before the birth of Christ.
So, he was technically a Jew by religion, but not by race.
But how different this Jew reacts to news of the Messiah
than the way the Jewish shepherds react.
So caught up in his enjoyment of power and riches
allowed him by his Roman masters,
Herod hears of the birth of the Messiah
and, instead of immediately going to worship Him with the Magi,
he sends them on alone while he waits behind,
planning to kill the child.
Since the days of the Apostles, the Church has seen herself
as the fulfillment of the promises to Israel under the Old Covenant;
she views herself as the continuation of the Chosen People,
the New Israel, the New Jerusalem, under the New Covenant.
In that sense, we can see those who do not believe in Christ today
as sort of “New Gentiles,” those who are not part of God’s people.
The Magi were Gentiles,
but they were also the first to join the Church, the New Israel.
They became the first converts.
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As a cradle Catholic, I’ve always been amazed and awed by converts,
especially those who come from among the New Gentiles,
non-Christians.
I’m especially amazed by the new Gentile “magi” of our day
who come to Christ not from birth but by diligent search for the truth.
And of course,
I’m delighted by the cradle Catholics and other cradle Christians
who, like the Jewish shepherds,
humbly accept the gift promised to their ancestors
and handed on to them as a rich inheritance.
But what about those of us cradle Catholics who act less like
the Jewish shepherds and more like Jewish King Herod,
who was a member of God’s people,
yet treated the fulfillment of God’s great promise
as if it were news of the plague?
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Now, many of us go back and forth between being shepherds and Herods.
And we live in a world that is more and more
like the world that the Magi came from
than the world that the shepherds came from:
We live in a world filled with Gentiles, or New Gentiles.
But still, Christ remains the light of that world.
The prophesy of Isaiah is still true:
“Jerusalem! Your light has come…See, darkness covers the earth…
But upon you the Lord shines…Nations shall walk by your light
…Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you.”
Amid growth in the darkness
of non-Christian and even anti-Christian values and culture,
a culture that we Christians too often let dominate our lives,
Christ is still the light that shines on us.
And if we look, we will see millions of people
who are gathering to come to the light.
Like the Magi, the Wise Men, Gentiles following that bright star
piercing the darkness over ancient Bethlehem,
every day we encounter New Gentiles who are searching for the truth,
for wisdom, for salvation, for the Savior—the Christ.
When we meet them, do we act like the humble shepherds,
leading them to Christ and His Church
as they once led their sheep to the manger?
Or do we meet them as King Herod did?
When the Magi came to him searching for Christ,
Herod sent them on alone to Bethlehem.
How many times do we have the opportunity to lead someone
who is looking for the fullness of the truth about Jesus,
and we either send them on their way
or allow them to go on searching without giving them anything
but the most cursory help?
Herod points to Bethlehem and says,
“When you have found him, bring me word…”
Herod should have led the way to Bethlehem!
And so should we, today!
But to do that today is difficult
because it involves a sacrifice of time and energy.
It involves an act of giving of ourselves.
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Today’s Gospel tells us that the Magi gave gifts to the Baby Jesus,
and Tradition tells us that each of these gifts has a special meaning:
The gold represented the kingly riches
that the newborn King deserved;
the frankincense represented the incense
which should be burned before Jesus as God,
symbolic of our prayers to Him;
and the myrrh–a spice used in ancient times
for the preparation of the dead for burial–
tells us that Jesus the King and God
came into the world to suffer and die.
When Gaspar laid down his gold before Christ,
Herod should have been there to offer his gold crown to Christ,
and offer him all the protection
that his worldly kingship could provide,
instead of grasping after his power
in fear that the child would take it from him.
We too should offer Christ our gold,
all the worldly gifts and talents and power He has given us
to help those who seek Him.
When Melchior offered his incense,
Herod should have offered to carry the Christ-child to the temple
to let him sleep in the Holy of Holies, His rightful home on earth,
where incense and the prayer it symbolizes
could be offered to Him day and night.
We too should offer Christ our incense and prayers
—our prayers of adoration to Him,
and prayers of intercession for those who are struggling to find Him.
When Balthazar laid down the myrrh,
Herod should have offered to suffer with Jesus,
to suffer the loss of Caesar’s respect,
and to die to all the power and comfort that it brought.
We too should offer Christ our suffering,
opening ourselves to the ridicule that often comes
–and which we so often fear–
when we share our faith in Christ and His Church with others.
Perhaps we should even open ourselves to loss of friends,
and in some cases, even employment
–Herod didn’t want to lose his friend Caesar
or his cushy job as King of Judea.
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We are Christ’s Church–His people on earth–the new Israel.
In Advent, we prepared for Christ’s coming to us,
and during Christmas we celebrate that coming
–the dawn of the light that shatters the darkness.
As the end of our celebration of this season approaches,
we turn from our celebration of His coming to us,
and we remember that He came not only to us, but to the whole world.
Today, we begin to focus on our vocation to assist Christ
in carrying His light to a world filled with so much darkness.
To those who don’t know Him at all
and to those who know Him well, but incompletely.
And as He manifests Himself to the world,
not simply as a star in the dark sky,
but as the wondrous light that shatters the darkness of our souls,
let us offer Him our gold, all our worldly gifts.
Let us offer Him our incense, our prayers rising up to Him.
Let us bring Him our myrrh, uniting our suffering to His suffering;
And let us boldly proclaim His arrival to all we meet
–with prudence and charity–
but also with the clarity of the light,
and without concern for worldly pride, pleasure, or comfort.
And with the Magi and the shepherds, and with the entire Church,
“Come let us adore him.”
Let us prostrate ourselves [before Him,] and do Him homage.