THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD—YEAR A SUNDAY 4TH JANUARY 2026
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
The glory of the Lord shines upon you.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 71:1-2. 7-8. 10-13
(R.) Lord, every naon on earth will adore you.
O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king’s son your jusce,
that he may judge your people in jusce
and your poor in right judgement. (R.)
In his days jusce shall ourish
and peace ll the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
from the Great River to earth’s bounds. (R.)
The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts
shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba
shall bring him gis.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate,
all naons shall serve him . (R.)
For he shall save the poor when they cry
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor. (R.)
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:2-3. 5-6
The revelaon means that pagans now share the
same inheritance, that they are parts of the same
body.
Gospel Acclamaon: Mahew 2:2
Alleluia, alleluia!
We have seen his star in the East;
and have come to adore the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Mahew 2:1-12
We have come from the East to worship the king.
REFLECTION by Fr Michael Tate
Stars and Seekers aer Truth
Unlike the writers of the horoscope columns in
our newspapers, these Wise Men were scholar
astrologers, probably from Syria or Iraq. They
believed that the stars controlled the desny of
human beings, but they were open enough to
the Hebrew scriptures to be led to the amazing
discovery of a star-child in Bethlehem.
They knelt before this baby, doing homage,
because they realised that the stars did not
control this infant, but that there was something
of this baby which caused the night sky to
respond! They preserved the child from the
deadly schemes of Herod, and then they
returned to their home country, ‘by a dierent
way’. They were on a dierent journey aer
encountering the Child.
Who can doubt that the Holy Spirit led these
wise men from the East to the manger? In fact,
the Holy Spirit is at work in every human being,
prompng each and every one to become
seekers aer Truth.
As a person responds to this prompng and tries
to lead a good humane life, then the Church
teaches that the Holy Spirit can draw them into
the saving life of God. Thus, billions in China and
India who have never heard the Gospel, can be
saved. But, such persons do not savour the
fullness of Truth as we do with the privilege of
having the scriptures and the sacraments.
Where it is possible, we are obliged to oer
them the road map to the Truth.
We can take a moment to arm our faith in the
baby in the manger as the One of whom Dante
spoke: ‘the Love which moves the sun and other
stars’. Come, let us adore him.
The Catholic Parishes of Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos / Rylstone
DAY BY DAY
Mon 5/1 Weekday of Christmas
10am Parish Oce Opens
11am Funeral—Mudgee—
Cynthia Edwards
Tue 6/1 Weekday of Christmas
9.30am Mass —Mudgee
Wed 7/1 Weekday of Christmas
5.20pm Reconciliaon—Mudgee
5.45pm Mass — Mudgee
Thu 8/1 Weekday of Christmas
9.30am Mass - Mudgee
Fri 9/1 Weekday of Christmas
11.30am Exposion of the Blessed
Sacrament
12noon Angelus & Rosary
12.30pm Mass - Mudgee
Sat 10/1 1st Week in Ordinary Time
5.20pm Reconciliaon
6.00pm Mass - Mudgee
Sun 11/1 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
8.30am Rosary - Mudgee
9.00am Mass - Mudgee
10.30am Mass - Gulgong
11.00am Communion—Kandos
GULGONG ROSTER
11th Jan 18th Jan
Commentator P. Leoa C. Gaudry
Reader C. Leoa C. Golino
Sacristan C. Holland TBA
Leader D. Kelly
MUDGEE ROSTER
Saturday 10th/ Sunday 11th January
Commentator C. Furney M. Dunnachie
First Reader D. Cunningham L. Croake
Second Reader D. Cunningham L. Croake
EMOC Help Needed R. Croake
Altar Server Help Needed Help Needed
Welcomer D. Delahunty Mr S. Waker
Oertory Help Needed Help Needed
Sacristan K. Wall L. Browne
Counter Mon. 12th Jan E. Goodlet
Saturday 17th/ Sunday 18th January
Commentator D. Cunningham A. Myles
First Reader R. Disher O. O’Brien
Second Reader R. Disher O. O’ Brien
EMOC I. Byrne M. Dunnachie
Altar Server Help Needed Help Needed
Welcomer Help Needed A. Blazevic
Oertory L. Nicholson M. Gilbert
Sacristan D. Cunningham L. Browne
Counter Mon. 19th Jan K. O’Brien
Bells Mon - E. Goodlet
Tue - Help Needed
Wed - J. Cooper
Thu - I. Browne
Fri/Sat - I. Browne
Sun -Help Needed
MINISTRIES 2026
We are currently arranging the rosters
for next year.
We are encouraging everyone to
recommit to a ministry OR to sign up
for a new ministry
OR BOTH.
If you have help with a ministry over
the last twelve months, we thank you.
We will not assume that you would like
to connue in that same ministry.
Please ll in a new Ministry form if you
would like to connue.
The Ministry Form can be found at the
back of the Church or online hps: //
forms.gle/gcDYacx2av5cpw3p8
Thank you to everyone who help setup the
churches at Gulgong, Kandos and Mudgee for the
Christmas Masses. Thank you to all who helped
with a ministry or with the many other jobs that
are needed throughout the Christmas period.
mudgee.catholic.org.aumudgee.catholic.org.au
The Catholic Parishes of Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos / Rylstone
Text
Monday after Epiphany Sunday
Tuesday after Epiphany Sunday
Wednesday after Epiphany Sunday
Thursday after Epiphany Sunday
Friday after Epiphany Sunday
Saturday after Epiphany Sunday
MASSES AND PRAYERS REQUESTED
For the recently deceased especially:
Cynthia Edwards.
We remember the anniversaries of:
Ervine McDermo, Francis McDermo,
Tex Gillham, Patricia Hudson, John O’Brien,
Joe Turner, Shirley Moloney, Jimmy Corney,
Peter Power, Nikky Boness, Bob Pilley,
Daphne Talbot, Ted Mahon, Gwen Porter.
For the deceased:
Bev Darby, Ron Muscat, Terence Ryan,
Ronald Clayton, Anne West (Bribbaree),
Neville O’Brien, Joan Soane, Yvonne Burke,
Shirley Boyd.
For the Sick, Special Intenons and
Thanksgiving:
Connie Vasallo, Bey Clark, Mary Morton,
Eleni Roberts, Tony Spina, Keiran Micallef,
Elizabeth Donelly, Lynne Daly and all those in
our Nursing Homes.
Due to privacy legislaon, names of the sick
can only be put on the bullen with permission
of the immediate family.
ALPHA
27TH JANUARY 2026
6PM
AT ST MARY’S PARISH
To register: Call the
Parish Oce on
6372-2122 or online at
www.alpha.org.au/try
Try
Alpha
www.alpha.org.au/try
Have you thought?
Epiphany
The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the
revelaon of Jesus to humankind. The
wise men are the representaves of
humanity bearing witness to this
revelaon. However, the Epiphany
celebrates the revelaon of Jesus as not
only the Messiah of Israel but the Saviour
of the whole world. Interesngly, in this
gospel that emphasises the ‘Jewish-ness’
of Jesus, the witnesses to the birth are
genles from a foreign land. Their
inclusion is a powerful declaraon that
the revelaon of Jesus is for all people.
Regardless of the liturgical year, this
reading is always used on the feast of the
Epiphany to celebrate this pivotal
moment.
mudgee.catholic.org.aumudgee.catholic.org.au
If you havea ny Safeguarding concerns, plea
If you have any Safeguarding concerns,please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer on (02) 6334 6440 or email safeguarding@cdob.org.au
If you have any Safeguarding concerns,please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer on (02) 6334 6440 or email safeguarding@cdob.org.au
Readings for next Sunday: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD—YEAR A
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Ps 28:1-4,9-10 Acts 10:34-38 Mahew 3:13-17
Parish Priest
Fr Paul Devi VG
Postal Address
Po Box 14, Mudgee NSW 2850
Our Catholic Schools
St Mahews Catholic School Mudgee
pp.mudgee@cdob.org.au
Parish Deacon
Rev Charles Applin
Phone: 02 6372 2122
Email: oce.mudgee@cdob.org.au
Website: www.mudgee.catholic.org.au
Phone: 02 6372 1742
Principal: Mrs Angela Myles
Website: www.stmasmudgee.catholic.edu.au
Parish Secretaries
Krise Newman
Krista O’Brien
Parish Oce Hours
Mon 10.00am—4.00pm
Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri 9.00am—4.00pm
Closed for lunch 1.00pm—2.00pm
All Hallows Catholic School Gulgong
Phone: 02 6374 1582
Principal: Mr Badley Toole
Website: www.allhallowsgulgong.catholic.au
A Shining Night
A twilight concert at 5pm of Carols and Readings
at St Dominic’s Catholic Church Kandos,
presented by Dr Bernadee Harvey and friends
on Christmas Eve, was a shining success and
augers well for this to become an annual event.
An appreciave congregaon was treated to a
program conveying the deeper, reecve
signicance of the arrival of the Christ Child –
from the beaufully played opening cello solo
by Bernadee’s husband Peter Rejto of
Gounod’s Ave Maria to the rendion of the a
capella Byzanne chant O Luz Jubilosa, by the
McKillop Singers. The ensemble was joined by
ne local aust Jacqui Waddell, and presented
a joyous mix of playful, largely unheard carols
such as Torches and The Carol of the Bells, and
the congregaon joined in the more familiar
carols. The
Readings were
sensively read by
Kerry Morrisey.
A giant illuminated
6’ Star of
Bethlehem, made
by David of Lile
Rusty, hung in the
church, adding to
the joy and
solemnity of the
occasion.
Francis R Harvey
REFLECTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
by Lisa-Marie Calderone-Stewart
The astrologers in the Magi story went
through quite a journey in search of the
baby Jesus. They obviously believed in
him and had faith in the star.
Have you ever ‘followed a star’? Have
you ever gone aer a dream or an ideal
you believed in? Are you sll going aer
it? What gives you the energy to keep
going? How do you know it is worth it?
The gis brought by the Magi have
signicance.
Gold is a symbol of wealth and delity.
Frankincense is burned to purify the
atmosphere by releasing an aromac and
pleasing smell. For centuries, indigenous
people in many countries have burned
smoke in order to bless and purify
themselves, and monks have watched
incense rise to the sky as a symbol of
their prayers ascending to God.
Myrrh is a kind of resin or oil used for
anoinng and embalming. It is a symbol
of comfort and soothing (who doesn’t
enjoy a rubdown?) but it is also a
foreshadowing of death.
How were these gis
symbolic for Jesus?
What three gis
would be symbolic of
you and your life so
far? Explain the
symbolism.
© St Mary's Press
mudgee.catholic.org.aumudgee.catholic.org.au
The Catholic Parishes of Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos / Rylstone
