HOMILY: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (A)
Isaiah 60:1–6 | Ephesians 3:2–3a, 5–6 | Matthew 2:1–12
4 January 2026
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA
A few nights ago, while many of us were welcoming the New Year with fireworks, loud celebrations, and tables filled with food and drinks, a tragedy quietly entered the life of a family we know well. A fire broke out in Pook Malinis and in an instant, everything changed for Jayson and his family. His wife and child are now in the hospital, fighting for their lives. When something like this happens, words fail us. No explanation seems sufficient. No prayer seems strong enough. There is only silence… tears… and a question whispered deep within the heart: “Lord, where are You?”
Today’s Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord reminds us that God chose to manifest Himself to His people; He shows up for us in the real world. At Christmas, God took on human form so we could truly see, hear, and touch Him. By welcoming the Magi from different eastern nations, He showed that His love is for everyone, everywhere. The Gospel tells us that the Magi followed a star — not a bright road, not a clear map — just a small light in the darkness. They did not wait for everything to make sense. As stars only appear when the night is deep they began their journey in darkness. They trusted that the light they had was enough for the next step. To this day, we still encounter God personally, usually not in grand gestures, but in the quiet, unassuming moments where our pain, anger, fear and confusion can cause us to miss His presence.
Many of us are walking difficult roads today. Some of us might be carrying a quiet grief, a lingering fear, or just the weight of being very, very tired and feeling a lack of direction. But even in the shadows, there is a hidden grace at work. There are people — some we love, and some we have never met — holding us in their thoughts and prayers. There are those who will step out of their own way just to offer us a hand. This is the true ‘star’ of the season: not a magic cure for our pain, but the steady, quiet light that reminds us we are not walking alone.
The Magi did not know what they would find. In search of a future king, one might expect to find symbols of wealth, power and influence — a palatial home surrounded by guards and a multitude of servants probably preparing a huge celebration for the birth of a royal heir. lnstead they found a child — small, fragile and poor. God chose to be found not in strength, but in vulnerability, not in control, but in closeness. Perhaps this is where God is today — in hospital rooms, in jail cells, in battlefields, on streets where we find the homeless. God makes Himself real and present especially for tired hearts and for silent tears offered in faith.
The Gospel ends with a simple but powerful line: “They went home by another way.” (Matthew 2:12) In the literal sense, it may seem that they simply wanted to protect the location of the Christ Child from Herod but on a deeper level, it could mean that they experienced a profound change after encountering the incarnate God. Life did not become easy because God had entered the world. In the past 2000 years we have seen darkness and affliction with the fall of nations, annihilations of a people, tragedy from calamity and inventions that have brought humanity more harm than good. Undoubtedly, suffering changes us, but when God walks with us through moments of difficulty, instead of ending up with hardened and embittered hearts, we find that the experience softens us, deepens us, and teaches us how to love more truly.
Faith does not mean having all the solutions to suffering; it means bravely taking the next step, even when the road is unclear, because we know God is with us. Jayson and his family are going through a very difficult time right now but God does not abandon them. He can manifest Himself to them through the support of family, friends parishioners and strangers. When we open our hearts to this suffering family, we let them know they are not alone — that their pain is held in our prayers and in the heart of God.
On this Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, may we rejoice in God’s choice to be closer to us by making Himself known. Let us rejoice that God continues to reveal His heart to the world through believers like you and me. Our willingness to be small lights for one another — quiet, steady, and faithful — ensures that we can help each other find God present. Darkness cannot overwhelm and overcome us because the light of the star will still shine, and it will shine through us.
Epiphany, a Crossroads Initiative
Sunday Gospel Reflections 