FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY – YEAR A
Living the Gifts of the Magi
(Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12)
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Lay theologian Gerry Kelly of Ottawa has a theory that the authors of the bible wrote with the intention that each word was important and significant. This was partly because of the fact that writing was a laborious art on parchment with quill and ink, but also because they knew the message being transmitted was sacred and holy and they wanted every word to count.
That theory leads to an interpretation of biblical passages that takes into serious consideration each word and phrase, in an attempt to draw out their full meaning and import. With that in mind, we approach the three readings for today’s feast of the Epiphany.
The familiar Gospel account of the visit of the Magi took place during the reign of King Herod, who ruled Judea from 37-4 BCE, while Caesar Augustus was emperor. The fact that the Magi were seeking the King of the Jews, sets up conflict between Herod the King of Judea chosen by Rome, and Jesus, the king of Israel chosen by God.
Mathew mentions the Magi observed His star. It is as if Jesus had his very own star out of the heavenly constellations, underlining the importance of this birth. Interestingly, and perhaps understandably, the reaction of King Herod and all of Jerusalem to the news of this birth was fear. That King Herod would be afraid of a possible contender for his throne is understandable. That all of Jerusalem would be afraid is more of a mystery. Were they afraid of the unknown? Could they have been afraid of change? Perhaps they had so accommodated themselves to the Roman political occupation that they did not want anyone or anything to stir up a reaction from Rome among them.
It is certainly noteworthy that the chief priests and the scribes knew the scriptures and the prophecy by Micah about a Messiah. They knew and communicated to Herod and the people of Jerusalem that a ruler and a shepherd of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. They really had no excuse for not responding towards this child’s birth as did the Magi, except for that fear.
The reaction of the Magi, on the other hand, was great joy at seeing the star stop where the child lay, and finding Mary, his mother, there with the child. They offered their gifts of gold, symbolizing royalty; incense symbolizing divinity and myrrh, intuiting this child would suffer and die for all humanity as a sacrificial lamb. Warned by a dream and thwarting King Herod’s violent plans, the Magi returned home by another way.
Through all this New Testament account by the evangelist Matthew, one can see the prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled. The visit of the Magi is foreseen in the command to “arise, shine, your light and glory has come; nations will come to Jerusalem, to its light and the brightness of its dawn.” All this prophecy about light and nations coming to bring gifts and to praise the Lord, refer to the child, the star, and the visit of the Magi. On the other hand, the darkness that covers the earth and its people would refer to the fear that gripped Herod, and all of Jerusalem.
St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians fits right in with the unfolding of this visit by the Magi to the newly born King of Kings. First, Paul affirms his writing has been commissioned by God’s grace, as is the birth of the Christ child. He then speaks of a mystery that was hidden from former generations, and has now been made known also through grace, by a revelation to him.
That mystery is Christ, the Son of God, now revealed to not just the prophets, but also to the apostles by the Spirit. The mystery is that the Gentiles, who in the Gospel would be represented by the Magi, are now fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Jesus Christ through the Gospel.
The import of this mysterious visit of the Magi, and the mystery of Christ being revealed, is meant for us to believe in and live. There is a mysterious and marvelous exchange involved in the event of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. In short, God became one of us, sharing our humanity, so we humans could become like God, sharing in his divinity.
There are other implications as well. We are called to live those gifts that were offered to the newborn Son of God. Gold stands for the offering of our goods, time, talent and treasure, in works of charity, striving to respond to the needs of the poor and marginalized especially. It is so good to see that leading up to Christmas, many people to get more involved in providing hampers for the poor, or meals for the homeless, especially at Sacred Heart Parish of the First Peoples.
Frankincense means that we, like the Magi, are to make worship and praise of our God a priority in our lives. Sadly, all too many families, parents and children alike, do not worship on Sunday because they do not have enough time and are too involved with other things, or are just too lazy to get up and set out to a church in the cold of winter. How unfortunate that for too many, the worship and adoration of the Magi remains just something in the scriptures that doesn’t translate into action in their lives. This is one thing that could and should change in our lives.
Lastly, the gift of myrrh is meant to be lived out by selfless, loving and compassionate service to our brothers and sisters in need. We are invited to use the gifts and talents that God has given us to serve the Church, and to serve humanity; to die to ourselves in some way, and to live for others.
How inspiring it is to see sometimes even young people think of creative ways that they can either raise money for a good cause, or get involved in helping out on a project. One example of this is the numerous, dedicated and enthusiastic adults and youth who worked hard in Kateri Hall at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples before Christmas to prepare over 500 hampers for the poor.
The Eucharist is in itself an invitation to above all, imitate the Magi in their worship and adoration of the Christ child as our King with our collection; as our God with our incense, and as our sacrificial victim with our commitment to lives of service.
Forgiven, healed and strengthened by our worship, let us go forth to live the gifts of the Magi, and in so doing, bring light and joy to a waiting world so much in need of both.
