Epiphany Lessons of the Magi

Fr. L.M. Mario *

'What man knows all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ and concealed in the poverty of his flesh? Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich. When he made mortality his own and made away with death, he appeared in poverty; but he promised riches, riches that were only deferred - he did not lose riches that were taken away from him.’ This was the real light. That shines on all men, the birth of Jesus: Christmas.

But it was not enough to have the promised Saviour. We had to recognize him. We had to be led to him. God leads different people by different ways to recognize him. God led the Three Magi or the Three Kings of the East through a star, to the manifestation of baby Jesus, Epiphany, Emmanuel- God-is-with-us.

Who were the "Astrologers" who were guided to the Infant Jesus by a star? Where they come from? If we are to make sense of the story, it must be at the level of symbols. Approached in this way, we discuss in the tale five stages. The Magi or Wise men saw - they searched — they found — they worshipped — they returned home.

Let’s take each stage in turn:

They SAW: A farmer kept a flock of ten geese which freely roamed his yard, always looking down for food. One day he noticed them looking up, restless. In the sky he saw the season. It was autumn. Wild geese were flying south. The farmer’s geese flapped their wings, harked loudly but they did not fly away.

Many people are like that. Something unusual happens and raise their attention from life’s routine they became aware of greater possibilities, a higher call, but they failed to respond. The opportunity is lost. The old routine resumes. The Wise men were different. They were not content with looking up.

They SEARCHED: To do so require courage. How their friends must have mocked them "Following a star? What on earth for? Have you taken leave of your senses?" To set out in the face of ridicule, or what seemed like a fool’s errand, took courage. It always takes courage to be follower of Jesus Christ.

His standards cannot always be made reasonable or even intelligible to an unbelieving world~ At times the followers of Jesus Christ must have the courage to swim against the stream to say 'No’ when all are saying 'Yes’ or 'Yes’ when all are saying 'No’; to appear to reasonable, prudent people reckless, even crazy. The Wise men had such courage. They set out on their seemingly mad search and persevered in it until ...

They FOUND: For this they are rightly called "Wise men". To the clever people who mocked them they seemed mad. In reality they passed along with courage the truest wisdom there is: The spiritual insight to recognize the unique call of God and to follow it regardless of the cost. As their search neared its end, they were "overjoyed at seeing the star."

They had reason for joy. They were successful. They were vindicated. It was they who had been proved wise: their critics were fools. From the wisemen’s point of view the search had been all theirs. In reality it was God who was searching, seeking them. That was crucial: not only for the wise men but also for us, as we see in the Child’s story.

This child came home in tears, when the child’s mother had dried the tears, she heard the reason for them - "We played hide and seek. I hid. No one looked for me when you are there, that can be crushing, "No one looked for me."

Someone is looking for you - now, God is looking for you. He is drawing you to himself, as he drew the wise men by the star. If only you will look up and be bold, you’ll find Him. Then, like the wise men, you, too, will be overjoyed. To know that, even now, God is looking for you, drawing you to Himself, is already cause for joy.

They WORSHIPED: Their worship was not merely reciting prayers by memory or from a book. They offered the best they had. The person who has never learnt to worship like that is poor indeed. How sad when the Worship, for so many Christians is merely the boring fulfillment of a legal obligation.

No wonder such people come late and leave early, complaining that they get nothing out of it. If that is your problem, do what the wise men did. Offer God the best you have: something precious, costly. Then you will discover, even if only for a few fleeting moment, minutes, the indescribable joy of self- forgetfulness, the joy of true worship.

They RETURN HOME: When the wise men had worshipped they returned home. They go back to the people who had mocked them when they set out. But return home changed. They have been touched by their experience, touched by God. They have a message for those who thought themselves wise but turned out to be foolish.

We return home each week from Church, from our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. We, too, have been touched by God. We too, have a message for others. It is this, God is not far off. In all our temptations, sufferings, difficulties and joys, God is with us.

God is close to us always - even when we are far from Him. We imagine that we must storm heaven with our prayers to get God’s intentions. And all the time it is God who gives us the power to pray. It is God who is searching for us, leading us onward, and drawing us to Himself. That is the message. That is the Gospel- the Good news.

And when we grasp this Good news, the story begins over again - the seeing, the searching, the finding, the worshipping, they return home. This is the story of the Christian life. The royal road by which untold millions have walked, the road God wants you to walk and me for remaining 51 weeks of 2010, and for as many more weeks and years as our journey may last, until it ends in Him, and journeying and searching and struggle are over, because We are Home: where there will be no more tiredness, no more sickness, no more death, where God will wipe all tears from our eyes, where we shall see Him face to face.

Thus the birth event of Christ continues:
When the songs of the Angels are stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks;
And the work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hunger,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart!