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The kingdom of God is Christ

The Epiphany of the Lord (ABC), Isaiah 60:1-6.

Today’s overture reading comes from the third part of the book of Isaiah. This part of our Bible, the last 11 chapters that come under the heading Isaiah, was written at the end of the Babylonian captivity by an anonymous member of the spiritual posterity of the great prophet who had lived some two centuries earlier.

Our reading seems to have its origin at a time shortly after the return of the exiles had begun. Although one might have expected that the people’s liberation from captivity and their homecoming would be a time of unalloyed joy, it was not so. The number of those who returned from Babylon was a trickle rather than a flood. Life in the homeland was fraught with partisan strife and economic uncertainty. Discouragement was in the air. In response to that, the prophet offers these words of hope to a wavering community.

To this prostrate people, the Lord says, "Get up and be bright!" There may be darkness everywhere, but God’s people would be a source of light, light that has its origin in the glory of the Lord, that is, in the presence of the Lord. The brilliance of God’s people will offer radiance and direction to all the nations of the earth. Jerusalem’s sons and daughters who are still far away will now return home, coddled like babies in the arms of their nannies.

But there is more. Jerusalem’s heart will be gladdened by the richness and variety of the gifts that God will bestow on her. All the wealth of the seafaring nations (like Phoenicia and Greece) would pour into her from the west. From the south and the east would come caravans of camels with luxury products from Egypt and Syria and Arabia. It will be like King Solomon’s day once more! Yet the worth of what the caravans bring will be mere symbols of the praise of the God of Jerusalem that will come with them. Jerusalem, God’s people, will be the spiritual center and the source of enlightenment of all the world.

This selection from Isaiah 60 is a precious passage in the church’s liturgy. In fact, before the publication of the Vatican II Lectionary, it was one of only 14 Old Testament readings that were ever proclaimed in the Eucharistic liturgy. And now, when we have a great variety of Old Testament readings over our three year cycle, we read this one each and every year on the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, almost as if to say that you haven’t really celebrated Epiphany unless you have heard this reading.

This passage, then, is more than a poem of extravagant encouragement to the depressed people of a 6th-century B.C. hill city. It is a passage that the church has looked on as describing the future not of a political kingdom, but of the kingdom of God. Darkness will give way before the beauty and brilliance of God’s kingdom. All nations will be illuminated by its brightness. People from all over the world will seek to become part of it. Every sort of riches from every quarter of the earth will be brought to the kingdom, not to bring it economic enrichment, but as a sign of the dedication of those who come from afar.

The kingdom of God, the messianic Jerusalem, of course, is Christ. He is the brightness of God who calls men and women from near and far to come and live in Him. It is He who is worthy of the riches of the sea and the wealth of nations. It is He who calls forth the flash and fragrance of praise and adoration from peoples all over the world.

The feast of the epiphany of the Lord is the feast of manifestation. On this day we celebrate the coming of the mysterious strangers from across the desert who had been following heavenly direction and who finally arrived at the source of the brilliance they had seen. The savior, the Lord, the ultimate Jerusalem, the final kingdom was manifested to them. It was the beginning of the manifestation of God that Jesus would embody for the rest of His earthy life and that He and His Church would continue for the rest of the life of the world.

In one way or another, darkness still covers the earth and thick clouds cover the peoples. Sin is everywhere and tomorrow won’t necessarily be any better than today. But, in Jesus, God says to us now what the author of our reading said to the prostrate people of his time: "Get up and be bright! Take joy in the gifts that I am giving you. Be radiant in My light and in My life. The glory of the Lord shines upon you!"

For reflection and discussion

Where do I find darkness in the world around me?

Where do I encounter the glory of the Lord?



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	*Overtures* Reflection on the first readings of the Sunday liturgy By Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk The kingdom of God is Christ The Epiphany of the Lord (ABC), Isaiah 60:1-6. Today’s overture reading comes from the third part of the book of Isaiah. This part of our Bible, the last 11 chapters that come under the heading Isaiah, was written at the end of the Babylonian captivity by an anonymous member of the spiritual posterity of the great prophet who had lived some two centuries earlier. Our reading seems to have its origin at a time shortly after the return of the exiles had begun. Although one might have expected that the people’s liberation from captivity and their homecoming would be a time of unalloyed joy, it was not so. The number of those who returned from Babylon was a trickle rather than a flood. Life in the homeland was fraught with partisan strife and economic uncertainty. Discouragement was in the air. In response to that, the prophet offers these words of hope to a wavering community. To this prostrate people, the Lord says, "Get up and be bright!" There may be darkness everywhere, but God’s people would be a source of light, light that has its origin in the glory of the Lord, that is, in the presence of the Lord. The brilliance of God’s people will offer radiance and direction to all the nations of the earth. Jerusalem’s sons and daughters who are still far away will now return home, coddled like babies in the arms of their nannies. But there is more. Jerusalem’s heart will be gladdened by the richness and variety of the gifts that God will bestow on her. All the wealth of the seafaring nations (like Phoenicia and Greece) would pour into her from the west. From the south and the east would come caravans of camels with luxury products from Egypt and Syria and Arabia. It will be like King Solomon’s day once more! Yet the worth of what the caravans bring will be mere symbols of the praise of the God of Jerusalem that will come with them. Jerusalem, God’s people, will be the spiritual center and the source of enlightenment of all the world. This selection from Isaiah 60 is a precious passage in the church’s liturgy. In fact, before the publication of the Vatican II Lectionary, it was one of only 14 Old Testament readings that were ever proclaimed in the Eucharistic liturgy. And now, when we have a great variety of Old Testament readings over our three year cycle, we read this one each and every year on the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, almost as if to say that you haven’t really celebrated Epiphany unless you have heard this reading. This passage, then, is more than a poem of extravagant encouragement to the depressed people of a 6th-century B.C. hill city. It is a passage that the church has looked on as describing the future not of a political kingdom, but of the kingdom of God. Darkness will give way before the beauty and brilliance of God’s kingdom. All nations will be illuminated by its brightness. People from all over the world will seek to become part of it. Every sort of riches from every quarter of the earth will be brought to the kingdom, not to bring it economic enrichment, but as a sign of the dedication of those who come from afar. The kingdom of God, the messianic Jerusalem, of course, is Christ. He is the brightness of God who calls men and women from near and far to come and live in Him. It is He who is worthy of the riches of the sea and the wealth of nations. It is He who calls forth the flash and fragrance of praise and adoration from peoples all over the world. The feast of the epiphany of the Lord is the feast of manifestation. On this day we celebrate the coming of the mysterious strangers from across the desert who had been following heavenly direction and who finally arrived at the source of the brilliance they had seen. The savior, the Lord, the ultimate Jerusalem, the final kingdom was manifested to them. It was the beginning of the manifestation of God that Jesus would embody for the rest of His earthy life and that He and His Church would continue for the rest of the life of the world. In one way or another, darkness still covers the earth and thick clouds cover the peoples. Sin is everywhere and tomorrow won’t necessarily be any better than today. But, in Jesus, God says to us now what the author of our reading said to the prostrate people of his time: "Get up and be bright! Take joy in the gifts that I am giving you. Be radiant in My light and in My life. The glory of the Lord shines upon you!" For reflection and discussion** Where do I find darkness in the world around me? Where do I encounter the glory of the Lord?

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