The Magi and the Star constitute the central theme of the Feast of the Epiphany. The story of the visit of the Magi points to the fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. In the book of Numbers (22-24), there is a curious story of a soothsayer from the East named Balaam.
It was 1,200 years before the birth of Jesus that Balaam made his prophecy: “I see it, but it is not an event that will happen shortly; I behold him but not near. A star shall come forth from Jacob, a king, born of Israel, rises … One of Jacob will dominate over his enemies” (Numbers 24:17-19). Presenting to us the wise men of the East who see the star, the evangelist wants to tell his readers: the expected deliverer rose from the descendant of Jacob. It is Jesus. He is the star.
Matthew intends to tell the people what was happening in the Christian community at the end of the first century. The pagans who sought the truth with honesty and perseverance have received the light from God. They recognised and adored the star, while the Jews, waiting for so many centuries, refused him recognition.
Matthew tells us that when the Magi came to Bethlehem, “saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell and worshipped him” (Matthew 2:11). Worshipping the Lord is not easy; it does not just happen. It requires a certain spiritual maturity and is the fruit of a lengthy interior journey.
We indeed pray! But, how do we describe our prayer life! Well, we might say, “I pray before meals, I pray the rosary, I pray before going to bed….” They are all good, but we have somewhat lost the meaning of the prayer of adoration and worship because we have no time for all these. The Magi of the epiphany teaches us to learn how to contemplate on the Lord.
Three phrases can help us understand more fully what it means to be worshipers of the Lord. They are: “to lift our eyes”, “to set out on a journey”, and “to see”. Lifting our eyes to God does not mean we can keep ourselves away from life’s problems. The Magi had to undertake a long journey before meeting the infant in the manger.
The next requirement is “to go on a journey.” A journey always involves a transformation, a change. After a journey, we are no longer the same; we learn new things, encounter new people and situations, and find inner strength amid the hardships and risks. Like the Magi, we too must allow ourselves to learn from life’s journey by humbly acknowledging our falls and failures and turning them into opportunities to progress towards the Lord.
For your reflection:
The Magi teaches us “to see” the presence of the King, who presents himself amidst the filths of the manger. They were able to look beyond those lowly surroundings and recognise in that Child a royal presence. The Epiphany of the Lord calls us to look beyond what is visible. Faith is to believe in the things that are unseen.
Father Josekutty
Mathew CMF
