Gathered into the Light

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, January 4th, 2026:
Epiphany of the Lord

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Isaiah
60.1-6 

​Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

“The Ingathering of the Dispersed.” In my Bible, this is the title given to this chapter in Isaiah. The reading and its title usher us into an understanding that the Light gathers, while the darkness disperses. When I take a moment to consider these effects, I find them to be true representations of my life’s experiences. 

Darkness has a divisive, isolating way about it. When I take notice of worldly scenarios that have a heavy shadow cast over them, they seem to also be characterized by people running from or hurting one another rather than drawing near and consoling. Consider a gunman in a busy area – people scatter or isolate in their homes. Plagues of infectious diseases turn us away from and even against one another. A person with a heart riddled with trauma may see darkness in everyone they encounter, severing them from the true light of love. 

Darkness leaves us cold, alone, doubt-filled, afraid, and hopeless.

One small light, though, sparked in a cold, black room, disperses the darkness. It carries intrigue, beauty.

And then, we all come closer. We gather near it. Warm our hands over it. Heat our food in it. Tell our stories around it. 

Sometimes, we simply sit quietly and watch it dance. If one person carries it, we follow along behind it. As we all add something to it, it grows, sparks, flies. We are captivated by it, drawn to it. “Not only because [we] see it, but because by it [we] see everything else” (C.S. Lewis). We need it.

The Wise Men followed a light in the sky, prophesied to appear during that dark time in history, and it led them to The Light who would draw more and more souls unto Himself. Healing them, guiding them, comforting them, gathering them around Him so they would not walk alone – so they would not be dispersed by darkness. And from the moment of His birth, that’s exactly what He did. People of all shapes and sizes, from near and far, of understanding or ignorance, came closer, so that He might warm their hearts, shine a light on His truth, make safe the darkened paths, and fill our cold, empty hands with hope.
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On this, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, may the light of the Christ Child illumine our hearts, shine through our eyes, leaven our minds, and dispel any darkness from our souls. Amen.




Lori MacDonald

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