Abbot Brendan OSB
Everything about the Magi is unusual. They come from strange exotic lands to the east; they were highly educated philosophers or astrologers. They were from the gentile, non-Jewish, world and yet they were fascinated with the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures and they were the most unlikely travellers on those dangerous roads in the ancient world.
It must have been quite a sight when they eventually arrived. They were not just any foreigners. They held positions powerful enough for them to merit an audience with King Herod. If these Magi could create such a stir in Jerusalem, the capital city, imagine what it was like when they arrived in little Bethlehem.
The Magi find their Lord by following the light of a star and this part of the story is the part we find most intriguing today. God chose a gentle light, much as he did when he revealed himself to the Prophet Elijah, not in the great wind, the earthquake or the fire, but in the gentle breeze. Our problem is that we like to imagine ourselves as an earthquake or a powerful sun, the centre of our little solar system. In reality, we are the moon, reflecting the light of the Lord. God’s light doesn’t shine on those who insist on shining their own light. Have you noticed how bright the moon can be on a dark night? That could be you and me.
Today’s Gospel ends by saying that the Magi, after encountering Jesus, “left for their own country by another road.” The road taken by Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. Like the Magi, they left home and became pilgrims, for only those who are willing to leave behind their attachments and undertake the pilgrimage, find the mystery of God. It is not enough to know where Jesus is born, Herod and the scribes knew this much. We have to travel there and encounter him.
So often, we come to God asking for things, looking for things. Today, for a change, we present our gifts. What do I have to bring to the King? Maybe I don’t have gold, frankincense and myrrh, but I have my life, my time, my gifts, my energy, my zeal. Maybe I need to come and acknowledge that I have never come into a relationship with him, and that I need him to be my saviour. Today, for you, could be the day of salvation. Search your life with your mind and bring everything to the Lord in worship; gold, whatever is most precious in your life; frankincense, your prayer and worship; myrrh, the ointment of your good deeds.
Life is not about showing off our abilities, but a journey towards the One who loves us. We are invited to have the same curiosity as the great explorers of past ages, so that we may discover the epiphany of our God in every person and every event, everywhere.