[…] behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the
newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to
do him homage.”
The magi that arrived in Jerusalem after a long and arduous journey symbolize man
seeking God without the aid of divine revelation. He is still able, with great effort and
perseverance, to journey towards the truth, even divine truth. We can compare their
journey with that of the shepherds who saw Christ shortly after his birth after hearing
word of it through the message of an angel. Those shepherds, being Jews, the
privileged recipients of divine revelation in the Old Covenant, quickly found the Christ
Child with relatively little effort. The magi, however, spent great pains to find the
“newborn king of the Jews” and yet all their learning and effort could only lead them
most of the way: to Jerusalem.
Him Whom We All are Seeking
Within Jerusalem, divine revelation is given to them via the Holy Scriptures, specifically
the prophet Micah, and they are able to continue on their journey. As they approached
their goal, the Douay-Rheims translation has that they “rejoiced with exceeding great
joy.” This moment is the great climax of their lives. They have found Him, Whom we all
are searching for. By searching among the stars, they have found Him Whom made the
stars to lead them to Himself.
What Gift Shall We Give?
St. Augustine relates the mystical meaning behind the gifts brought to the Infant King,
“Gold, as paid to a mighty King; frankincense, as offered to God; myrrh, as to one who
is to die for the sins of all.” As we are but lowly sinners and not great men from afar, we
do not have such expensive gifts to offer. Yet Jesus, the Almighty God, humbled
Himself and became as a little child that we might not fear to approach Him. We can
give Him the far more precious gift of our hearts along with consecrating this new year
to His glory and honor. As we begin this new year, have we made any spiritual
resolutions to increase our devotion and virtue? Have we sought to give the newborn
King the first fruits of this New Year by beginning practices that will open us to the
graces God wants to give us later in the year? Perhaps we can imitate the magi that
took great pains to see Our Lord by visiting Him in an adoration chapel or our parish?
(It is pertinent to note that in some countries, including the Vatican City, the feast of the
Epiphany of the Lord was celebrated yesterday, January 6, while in some other
countries, it is celebrated today, January 7. It all depends on local customs and
traditions).
