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reading of the book of the prophet
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Isaiah arise turn on the lights
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Jerusalem for your light has come the
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glory of the Lord has appeared upon you
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behold the Earth is enveloped in
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darkness and dark clouds cover the
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people but the Lord has appeared upon
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you and His glory has appeared upon you
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peoples walk in your light and kings in
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the brightness of your Dawn lift up your
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eyes around you and see they have all
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gathered together and come to you your
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sons are arriving from afar with your
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daughters carried in their arms when you
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see them you will be radiant with your
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heart vibrating and beating strong
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because with them the riches from Beyond
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the Sea will come and they will show the
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power of their Nations a flood of camels
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and dromedaries from Midian and epha
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will cover you all Sheba will come
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bringing gold and incense and
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proclaiming the glory of the Lord word
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God reading of St Paul's letter to the
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Ephesians Brothers if you only knew the
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grace that God gave me to carry out his
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plan for you 3A and how by Revelation I
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became aware of the mystery God did not
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make this mystery known to Men of past
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Generations but he has now revealed it
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by the spirit To His Holy Apostles and
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prophet Prophets The pagans are admitted
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to the same inheritance they are members
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of the same body they are associated
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with the same promise in Jesus Christ
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through the gospel word of the Lord
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God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St Matthew Glory To
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You Lord when Jesus was born in the city
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of Bethlehem in Judea in the time of
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King Herod behold some wise men from the
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East came to Jerusalem asking where is
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the king of the Jews who has just been
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born we saw his star in the east and We
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Came To Worship Him upon learning of
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this King Herod was Disturbed as was the
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entire city of Jerusalem Gathering all
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the high priests and teachers of the law
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he asked them where the Messiah should
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be born they answered in Bethlehem in
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Judea for thus it was written by the
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and you Bethlehem land of Judah are by
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no means least among the chief cities of
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Judah for out of you will come a leader
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who will be the shepherd of Israel my
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people then Herod called the wise men in
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secret and carefully sought to know from
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them when the star had appeared then he
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sent them to Bethlehem saying go and
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seek accurate information about the
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child and when you find him tell me so
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that I too can go and worship him after
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they heard the king they left and the
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star which they had seen in the East
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went before them until it stopped over
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the place where the boy was when The
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Magicians saw the star again they felt
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great joy when they entered the house
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they saw the boy with Maria his mother
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they knelt before him and worshiped him
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then they opened their coffers and
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offered him gifts gold frankincense and
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myrr warned in a dream not to return to
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Herod they returned to their Homeland
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following another path word of Salvation
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Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
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arise Shine for your light has come with
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these vibrant words from Isaiah we are
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invited to contemplate The Mystery of
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the Epiphany the manifestation of God to
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the entire world today we celebrate one
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of the most beautiful and signif ific
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moments of our faith the day on which
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Christ was revealed to the Gentiles
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represented by the wise men from the
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East imagine that starry night when wise
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men students of the Stars saw something
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extraordinary in the sky a star unlike
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any other something in their hearts told
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them that this was no ordinary
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astronomical phenomenon it was a sign a
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Divine call that impelled them on an
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extraordinary Journey Isaiah's prophecy
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comes to life before for our eyes
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darkness covers the earth and darkness
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covers the people but the Lord Rises
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upon you and His glory shines upon you
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isn't this the reality we still live in
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today a world often enveloped in
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darkness the darkness of violence of
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selfishness of indifference but upon
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which the Light of Christ continues to
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shine The Magicians represent all of us
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in our search for meaning in our
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spiritual pilgrimage they were men of
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but they recognized that there was
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something greater than their human
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wisdom they left the comfort of their
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homes their certainties and embarked on
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a journey guided only by a star and by
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faith St Paul in his letter to the
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Ephesians reveals something
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extraordinary to us this mystery now
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revealed is that the Gentiles are joint
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heirs members of the same body and
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participants in the promise in Christ
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Jesus what a revolutionary Revelation
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God's plan of salv ation knows no ethnic
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cultural or social boundaries in Christ
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we are all called to be part of the
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family of God the Wizard's Journey was
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not easy they faced distance the unknown
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and even herod's hostility how many
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times on our own Journey of Faith have
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we encountered similar
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obstacles sometimes like the wise men in
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Jerusalem we can lose sight of our
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guiding star but God never abandons us
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he always provid provide signs to lead
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us back to the path and when they
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finally found the baby Jesus the Magi
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teach us three fundamental attitudes
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they prostrated themselves woried and
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offered gifts prostration represents our
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humility before the Divine mystery
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worship is our recognition that we stand
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before God himself and Gifts symbolize
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our total surrender to him gold
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frankincense and Mer prophetic gifts
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that reveal the identity of Jesus gold
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for the king frankincense for the God
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myr for The Man Who Would suffer what do
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we offer Christ today what gifts do we
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bring on our journey of Faith Epiphany
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reminds us that we are all pilgrims
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Seekers of the Light of Christ like the
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wise men we are called to be attentive
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to God's signs in our lives courageous
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to leave our comfort zones persevering
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in our search for truth but there is
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more we are also called to be guiding
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stars for others Isaiah proclaims the
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Nations will walk in your light as
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Christians we are called to reflect the
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Light of Christ in our world to be
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beacons of hope and love in the midst of
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Darkness the story of the wise men does
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not end in Bethlehem the gospel tells us
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that they return to their own country by
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another way the encounter with Christ
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always transforms us always makes us
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take A New Path we cannot truly
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encounter Jesus and remain the same dear
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brother s and sisters may this Feast of
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the Epiphany renew in us the spirit of
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search the courage of the journey and
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the joy of the encounter with Christ may
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we like The Magicians recognize the
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signs of God in our lives persevere in
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our search and offer the best of
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ourselves to him and that when we
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encounter Christ we are transformed into
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lights that guide others to him May our
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faith like that Star of Bethlehem shine
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in such a way that others can see and
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find the way to Jesus
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May the Light of Christ continue to
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shine in our hearts in our families and
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in our community and that like The
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Magicians we can always find new ways to
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follow the Lord amen may God bless you
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and may the star of Faith continue to
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guide your steps on the path of the
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Lord St Michael the Archangel Defender
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Us in battle be our protection against
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the wickedness and snares of the devil
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may God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
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thou oh Prince of the Heavenly Host by
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the power of God cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
