Catechism Links[1]
CCC 528, 724: The Epiphany
CCC 280, 529, 748, 1165, 2466, 2715: Christ the light of the nations
CCC 60, 442, 674, 755, 767, 774-776, 781, 831: The Church, sacrament of human unity
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| “Adoration of the Magi” by Bartolomeo Biscaino, c. 1650 |
Commentary:
Reading I: Isaiah 60:1-6
Commentary on Is 60:1-6
The Church sees, in the images of Isaiah’s prophecy, symbols of her universality in this section of a hymn envisioning a completely restored and radiant Jerusalem. We hear echoes of Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the coming of Christ and what that means (“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.”) Verses 5 and 6 give clear reference to the arrival of the Magi as the Prophet envisions the gifts of gold and frankincense being brought from the East in praise of the Lord.
"Today, the wise man finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples" (St Peter Chrysologus, "Semones", 160). [5]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. (cf. 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Commentary on Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Psalm 72 is one of the Royal Psalms. The psalmist exhorts God to bless the king and his dynasty ("and with your justice, the king’s son"). References are made to messianic peace which will be a perpetual blessing for a land ruled by God's justice. In the third strophe, the singer describes kings bringing gifts, and finally in the fourth strophe we see another image of the messianic kingdom of peace and justice: care for the poor. Seen in the context of the incarnation of the Messiah, the song is prophetic, announcing the coming Savior and providing an early image of the Magi.
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Reading II: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Commentary on Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6
Paul, in his Letter to the Ephesians, makes reference to the revelation by God of his Only Begotten Son through various means to all peoples. He mentions specifically that the apostles and prophets have been led to enlightenment by the Holy Spirit and now the Gentiles are also led (see Acts 9:15). The reference traces the predictive revelation from the prophets who foresaw the coming of the Messiah, to the apostles who walked with him, to Paul whose mission to the Gentiles fulfills the global mission of Jesus.
The Old Testament revealed that the nations would be blessed, but it remained unclear how this would take place (Genesis 22:16-18; Sirach 44:21; Isaiah 49:6; Zechariah 2:11). It was also not clear before the proclamation of the Gospel whether the Gentiles would be saved on an equal footing with Israel (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11). [6]
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Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
Commentary on Mt 2:1-12
Matthew's Gospel tells the story of the Magi (whom tradition holds were named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) coming to pay homage to Jesus. The story holds significance not only as a principal event in the life of Jesus, but also as a symbol of the Lord’s universal revelation. Scripture and tradition teach that the Magi were from Persia and were not Hebrew. Their participation in the revelation of the Messiah provides a global element to the coming of Christ.
Scriptural references would have held importance for the Jewish readers of St. Matthew’s Gospel. They would have recognized the reference to “his star at its rising” as being a reference to Numbers 24:17; his star rising from Jacob – a reference to the coming of the Davidic King – the Messiah. The Gospel supports this idea, citing Micah 5:1-3 which in turn is coupled with 2 Samuel 5:2, confirming the kingship of the coming Messiah.
While this story provides depth and meaning to the coming of Christ as a universal symbol of salvation, it also sets the stage for other events in the life of Jesus. Had Herod not been made aware of the prophecy, he would not later have dispatched his solders to Bethlehem to slaughter the Holy Innocents, and Joseph would not have been forced to flee to Egypt with a babe in arms.
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Homily:
Two weeks ago we were full of anticipation as we waited for the birth of “baby Jesus” and the grand celebration that took place. For most of the Christians in the United States, that day, Christmas Day, marked the beginning and end of the celebration of our Lord’s incarnation. Most Protestant traditions do not mark the feasts the Catholic Church celebrates in the Christmas season.
Lest we forget, here is what has happened so far this year:
· December 26th, Feast of St. Stephen- First martyr of the Church and one of the first deacons.
· December 27th, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph- remembering the sacrifices and trials of the earthly parents of the Savior; celebrating their lives.
· December 28th, Feast of the Holy Innocents- Memorializing the infants slaughtered in Bethlehem by Herod in an attempt to kill the newborn King.
· January 1st, The Solemnity of Mary – the Octave Day of Christmas- where we celebrate in a special way the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy and her witness to God in the world.
Following the Octave of Christmas which was packed with the power of God’s revelation, we continued our celebration of Christmas in the balance of the week remembering great saints of the Church
· Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen from the 4th century;
· St. Elizabeth Ann Seton a 19th century American saint;
· St. John Neumann who served in the U.S. a few decades after her.
While many of our brothers and sisters celebrate this weekend as a time when Christmas decorations come down, we recall another momentous sign that salvation has come into the world: the Feast of the Epiphany.
Indeed today we think about the symbol that tells the world that Jesus did not come just for the Jewish people, but for all people of all nations. Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, the Three Kings, represent all of us, and today we consider their legacy.
As we pray about the trek of Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, we are reminded how difficult that journey must have been. We forget how difficult travel was in the past. When our three “wise men” set out following the star, they did not know how long they would be gone. They did not know what difficulties they would face along the way. They must have prepared very well, not just physically, but mentally. What we know for sure is they were compelled to go by a belief in what they would find. Do you think, as they sat so many nights out in the deserted lands they passed through, they ever thought; “What am I doing here?” If they had lesser convictions in the hope they took on their journey they would have turned back or stopped.
Their success in arriving at the manger is a testament to their faith. They brought gifts of homage to help the Holy Family who would soon flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s hatred that would spill the blood of many children in that little hamlet of Bethlehem. What we know for sure, because we have seen the man Jesus would later become, is that the gift treasured most by the infant Savior was the gift of their faith in him.
We are reminded at this time of the year of the non-scriptural tale of the fourth Magi. It was written back in 1895 by Henry van Dyke (some of you may be more familiar with the film version produced in 1985). While it is a work of fiction, we think the story is a good one to relate on our feast. It tells of a fourth king (Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia) who was to join Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. According to the tale, he had also seen the signs in the heavens and wished to give his own gifts: a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price."
“However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of a child at the price of another of his treasures.
"He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40b) He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the fourth Magi found his King.”[7]
As we consider these remarkable travelers, we must also consider our journey of faith as analogous to theirs. We are on a journey of unknown duration and distance. If we are faithful in our trek, as Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar were in theirs, we will face challenges and dangers along the way. They prepared for a difficult journey and so must we.
Whatever the obstacles, we must be prepared. Our dialogue with God in prayer will help us.
Today we pause once more to remember that heartwarming scene; Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus resting in a manger, welcoming the Magi as they honor and worship the young Messiah. We think of that fourth Magi as analogous to our own journey, for we too were too late to see the newborn king in his manger. We rejoice with them, hoping our own journey will find the same great prize waiting for us at its end, our Lord, welcoming us into his heavenly kingdom.
Pax
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2] The picture is “Adoration of the Magi” by Bartolomeo Biscaino, c. 1650.
[5] The Navarre Bible: “Major Prophets”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 261.
[6] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. p. 348.
[7] Summary taken from Wikipedia.
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