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THE
EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD
6 JANUARY
ISAIAH 60:1-6
PSALM
72:1-7, 10-14
EPHESIANS
3:1-12
MATTHEW
2:1-12
COLLECT
Eternal God,
who by a star
led wise men to the worship of your Son.
Guide by your light the nations of the earth,
that the whole world may know your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
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A
READING FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick
darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his
glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and
kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look
around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons
shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on
their nurses' arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart
shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall
be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A
multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian
and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold
and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
ISAIAH 60:1-6
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PSALM
REFRAIN All nations shall serve him.
Give
the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the king's
son;
That
he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice;
That
the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little
hills bring righteousness. R
He
shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor
and crush the oppressor.
He
shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation
to another.
He
shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that
water the earth.
In
his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of
peace till the moon shall be no more. R
The
kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the
kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
All
kings shall bow down before him, and all the nations do him
service.
For
he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the
oppressed who has no helper. R
He
shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives
of the needy.
He
shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, and dear
shall their blood be in his sight. R
PSALM 72:1-7, 10-14
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A
READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for
the sake of you Gentiles - for surely you have already heard of
the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, and how
the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above
in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my
understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this
mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been
revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is,
the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body,
and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of
this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's
grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am
the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to
bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ,
and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden
for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church
the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to
the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in
accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in
Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness
and confidence through faith in him.
EPHESIANS 3:1-12
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THE
HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking,
"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For
we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him
homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and
all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah
was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so
it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people
Israel. '" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and
learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then
he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently
for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that
I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the
king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that
they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where
the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were
overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child
with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage.
Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream
not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another
road.
MATTHEW 2:1-12
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PRAYER
OVER THE GIFTS
Gracious God,
accept the offering of your Church,
the hearts of your people
joined in praise and thanksgiving,
in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.
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PRAYER
AFTER COMMUNION
God of all the nations of the earth,
guide us with your light.
Help us to recognize Christ as he comes to us
in this eucharist and in our neighbours.
May we welcome him with love,
for he is Lord now and for ever.
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