REFLECTIONS TODAY

Gospel • Matthew 2:1-12 

The Gospel contrasts the attitudes of the Magi and King Herod. The Magi, wise men from the East, are led by their desire to find meaning behind the bright star they have seen from afar. They start their “journey of faith” with a mind seeking understanding. 

Through the sacred scrolls kept by the chief priests and the scribes in Jerusalem, they are made to understand that the star bespeaks of the birth of a king who would shepherd the people of Israel. Sadly, the prophecy about the long-awaited ruler of Israel has long been archived, not to be spoken of in the long reign of Herod who was of Idumean origin, not an Israelite, much less of Davidic lineage.

King Herod, who tries to make himself accepted by his Jewish subjects and has even magnified the Jerusalem Temple, shows himself interested in the report of the Magi. He summons the experts in Scriptures and is told that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. He directs the Magi to Bethlehem, asking them to report to him when they find the Messiah. But he is not moved by the desire to pay homage to the long-desired Messiah. 

On the contrary, he is overcome by fear and hatches an evil design. He will never relinquish his crown to him. He will dispose of this “usurper,” just like what he did with his three sons whom he suspected of hatching a coup d’etat against him.

A beloved song on the journey of the Magi runs, “We three kings of orient are bearing gifts we traverse afar field and fountain, moor and mountain following yonder star.” 
Pope Francis speaks of the “journey” we have to make following the example of the Magi: “Sometimes we live in a spirit of a ‘parking lot’; we stay parked, without the impulse of desire that carries us forward. We do well to ask: where are we on our journey of faith? Have we been stuck all too long, nestled inside a conventional, external and formal religiosity that no longer warms our hearts and changes our lives? Do our words and our liturgies ignite in people’s hearts a desire to move towards God, or are they a ‘dead language’ that speaks only of itself and to itself? It is sad when a community of believers loses its desire and is content with ‘maintenance’ rather than allowing itself to be startled by Jesus and by the explosive and unsettling joy of the Gospel.” 

He continues, “The Magi teach us that we need to set out anew each day, in life as in faith, for faith is not a suit of armour that encases us; instead, it is a fascinating journey, a constant and restless movement, ever in search of God, always discerning our way forward... Like the Magi, let us lift up our eyes, listen to the desire lodged in our hearts, and follow the star that God makes shine above us. As restless seekers, let us remain open to God’s surprises. Brothers and sisters, let us dream, let us seek and let us adore” (Homily, Epiphany 2012).

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.