Epiphany of the Lord

IS 60:1-6 | EHP 3:2-3A, 5-6 | MT 2:1-12

Discussion Questions

1. Do I believe that Jesus is the gift of gifts that could not be contained? If so, what might be my experience of this?
2. How important is it to me that my Church have a monopoly on the “Truth?”
3. How does my fear or pride stand in the way of allowing Jesus to be the gift of gifts?
4. How easy/difficult for me to understand God’s unending love for all of his people?
5. In my own words, what is the most important message of this passage for today’s world?
6. What does today’s message have to do with following Jesus?
7. Someone I admire of a different religion is ____  because ____  .

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Live Connected

Simple ways to keep the message alive during the week.

• In prayer, ask God to open your eyes to God’s  love for all people and to release you from a
  judgmental/prejudicial attitude.
• Put God’s people of non-Christian religions on your prayer list, especially those who are
  suffering persecution.
• Briefly research beliefs of a non-Christian religion. Discover ways that their teachings are holy and good. What might you have in common?
• If you have nieces/nephews or children/grandchildren, share something positive that you have uncovered.

Attitude/Heart Change: To put away the idea that my Church has a monopoly on the Truth and fully accept/embrace the love God has for all of His children.

Action/life Change: To make a conscious effort to acknowledge, respectfully speak about and build positive relationships with those in my family and community who are from non-Christian religions.

Epiphany: A Greek word meaning manifestation.

What is Manifestation: In Jesus, God’s love is made visible to all people, not just the Jewish community.

The baby: Jesus was the gift of gifts and could not be contained.

Scripture Focus: 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 co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

Our Church Before: In the Middle Ages, our Church wrongly taught that God’s love and salvation were only for members of the Catholic Church.

Our Church Today:  “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and life whose precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds true and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all [human beings.]” From the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.