Amazing Story

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” 

Matthew 2:2

Today is the feast of the Epiphany. The story of the astrologers or magi traveling from a far away land to pay homage to the newborn king of the Jews is the stuff of legends and amazing stories. Imagine, they actually followed a star that moved, that went ahead of them, leading the way, until it remained stationary above the manger where Jesus was born! Then there is the prerequisite villain, a powerful King who pretends to want to know where the baby is, to pay Him homage, but actually wants to destroy the baby!

The Magi, men from an ancient tribe, were the first Gentiles to worship Jesus and give Him gifts. Saint Paul says in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians that God's secret plan is now revealed. That we Gentiles are now co-heirs with the Jews, and sharers of all the promises given to them! 

There are many Herods in the world today who stifle their conscience and choose  to follow their own nefarious schemes, even if they know about Jesus. Should we not choose to be one of the Magi, the wise men, who left their homeland and all that was familiar and comfortable in search of a far better kingdom, tribe and family? We are wise indeed if we spend our whole life in search of our King, in search of the One foretold in ancient scriptures, and finding Him, follow His way.  And just like the Magi, when we meet Jesus, our lives are never the same again. Pope Francis said in his Angelus message in January 2019, “Each time that a man or woman encounters Jesus, he or she changes paths, returns to life in a different way, returns renewed, ‘by another road.’ They returned ‘to their own country,’ bearing within them the mystery of that humble and poor King.”