Following the Magi

Feast of the Epiphany
Today’s Readings: Isa 60: 1-6; Ps 72; Eph 3: 2-6; Mt 2: 1-12

There’s a wonderful legend about the three Wise Men. On their way to Bethlehem, so the story goes, they stopped at a little Russian village. There, they spoke of the wonderful Child, the Baby King they were seeking.

The Magi were tired and hungry, but no one offered them any food or a place to stay — until a poor woman named Babushka put her home at their disposal. After they had eaten and rested, Babushka asked many questions. She, too, wanted to see this wonderful Child. But first, she had to clean and dust her house.

It was only an hour until sunset. The Wise Men explained that when it was dark, the star would appear and then they must be on their way. So they told Babushka to get ready if she wanted to come along. They said they were heading into town for some provisions, and she was to meet them shortly at the city gate.

But Babushka became so wrapped up in cleaning the house that the time of meeting went by, and the Magi left without her. Of course, she was keenly disappointed. In fact, she scolded her house! “House, I hate you! I was your slave. You made me busy, so busy that I have missed going with those good men to see the King.”

So she sold her home and all her possessions, and she bought a camel and many pretty toys for babies. She then set out after the Wise Men. But she never caught up with them.

To this day, according to the legend, she is traveling up and down the East, looking in every cradle in search of the Christ-Child. She gives each child a present. For Russian children, Babushka is their Santa Claus. But she never found the Baby Jesus.

The moral of the story is that too many Christians miss the Christ-Child because they are too busy with other things.

But on this Feast of the Epiphany, in the midst of the Christmas Season in this Third Millennium since the birth of Christ, we can resolve to turn our attention away from the baubles of the world to the King of Kings — to Jesus Christ Himself. Let the Wise Men show us the way.

In the gospel of today’s mass, we hear how the Magi prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

From ancient days, the Church has always taught that there is a wonderful symbolic meaning to each of these gifts.

Gold is evidence that Jesus is Lord. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Frankincense shows that Jesus is divine. He is God’s only begotten Son.

Myrrh was a perfume used to prepare bodies for burial, and this gift hints at Jesus’ suffering and death to come.

And how then, as we celebrate Epiphany 2007, might we bring our own gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus?

The gold is our commitment to live with Jesus as the Lord of our lives. It’s our commitment to seek the things God wants and to serve God in every area of our lives. Of course, it’s easy to nod and say, “Yes, I want to do that!” in the abstract. But it’s a lot harder “where the rubber hits the road” — in our actual daily living. In our relationships with family members, friends, and even people we meet casually at work, in business, at school, when we’re out shopping, driving on the road, sitting in the movie theatre, standing at the gas pump… Our daily effort to do God’s will and serve him in and through all these simple day-to-day events is the gold we bring to the Christ Child.

Frankincense is our effort to recognize Jesus as the Son of God he truly is. When it dawns on us who he is — who he really is — we can’t help but respond with praise and adoration and thanksgiving… in other words, with worship and prayer. Our frankincense might be a new commitment to make prayer a vital part of our daily routine. There are lots of ways to do this: saying familiar and comfortable prayers, reading the Bible slowly and prayerfully, praying the rosary, simply talking quietly with God in your own words. There are many ways to pray.

And of course, don’t forget mass! Maybe the frankincense we need to bring is a promise to be more attentive at mass… or to come to daily mass sometimes… or if your Sunday attendance is haphazard, offer the frankincense of a new commitment to come every single Sunday. Yes, our prayer and worship is the frankincense we can bring this Epiphany.

And what about the myrrh we can bring? Perhaps it is being more patient and complaining less when it comes to the inevitable sufferings in our lives. We can ask for God’s grace and the help of the Holy Spirit so we can bear our sufferings in union with Jesus. In fact, we can offer the sufferings we endure to the Lord so he can use them to redeem the world… to give more life to the world. Yes, maybe this is the myrrh we can bring today.

My friends in the Lord, the story of the Wise Men bearing gifts is more than ancient history. It is an invitation, here and now… today… to follow that mysterious star to Jesus Christ and to bring him the gift he really wants most: you!

May the blessings and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you today and always. Amen!