Sunday, January 03, 2021

Readings for January 3, 2021 annotated, lectionary 20



This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks  will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context. 

Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue beneath each reading.

Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. 

Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do. 

Additional insights from these readings might be gleaned from Epiphany, Annotated (Readings for Jan. 6, 2019)

Reading I

Isaiah 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!  Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

light = אוֹר = 'owr 

Blue Letter Bible

light of day; light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars); day-break, dawn, morning light; luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.); bright, clear, day, light (-ning), morning, sun

glory = כָּבוֹד= kabowd

Blue Letter Bible

honour, glorious, abundance; splendor; dignity, reputation; reverence; weight, copiousness; magnificence 

 

Responsorial Psalm 

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

R.(cf. 11)  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.


R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.


R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.


R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

adore/homage = שָׁחָה= shachah

Blue Letter Bible

to bow down, prostrate oneself;before superior in homage; before God in worship; do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship; to fall to one’s knees and touch the forehead to the ground; to honor God with prayers; submit oneself. 

Serve = עָבַד= `abad

Blue Letter Bible

to work, serve; to work for another, serve another by labour; to serve as subjects; to be worked, be tilled (of land); to make oneself a servant; to be led or enticed to serve; to bestow labor on a thing; to till; to obey and serve

 

Reading II

Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6

Brothers and sisters:
You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 

Alleluia

Matthew 2:2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."


When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel." Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

homage = προσκυνω = proskyneō

Blue Letter Bible

to make obeisance, do reverence to (from pros, "towards," and kuneo, "to kiss"); the most frequent word rendered "to worship"; an act of homage or reverence; to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence; among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication; used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank; to fawn or crouch to; do reverence to, adore; express respect, make supplication 

Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

make obeisance, fall down and worship, do reverence to, prostrating oneself before; kiss, greet, welcome respectfully


What these readings tell us about God/His ways:

Your light has come

the glory of the Lord shines upon you
the LORD shines

his glory
Nations shall walk by your light

kings by your shining radiance

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you
your judgment

your justice
He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you
All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you

God's grace 

for your benefit

the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel

his star

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod
the newborn king of the Jews

his star

the child with Mary his mother

And having been warned in a dream

 

What these readings tell us to do:

Rise up 

Raise your eyes and look about

proclaiming the praises of the LORD

offer gifts

bring tribute

pay him homage

serve him

come to do him homage

come to do him homage

they set out

They prostrated themselves and did him homage

offered him 

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