Gospel according to Saint Matthew 2:1-12
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

The Gift of Grace

Luis CASASUS President of the Idente Missionaries

Rome, January 04, 2025 | The Epiphany of the Lord

Isa 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a.5-6; Mt 2:1-12

After inviting us to contemplate the Holy Family, the Evangelist Matthew presents us with the story of the “wise men from the East” who undertook a long journey to worship the king of the Jews. The passage reveals that Christ is recognized as king and savior not only by Israel, but also by the nations, while Herod represents the resistance of earthly power to the divine plan, something that has not changed throughout history. That plan included the surprising announcement of Jesus’ birthplace, through Micah, 800 years before it happened: And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (Micah 5:2).

It seems that the so-called “Magi” of the time were knowledgeable in medicine, astrology, and the natural sciences. This makes us think how then—just as today—scientific knowledge brings those who practice it with humility closer to God, as stated by the Nobel Prize winner in Physics (1984) Carlo Rubbia, who modestly declared in an interview: There is something above us, it is an order of things. Anyone who wants to can think that it is God. Of course, the Magi showed their intelligent and humble openness; they suspected that the King of the Jews would be born in Jerusalem, the center of power, but they submitted to the guidance of the star, which led them to little Bethlehem.

Let us note how the Gospel text tells us that the other wise men, the priests and scribes of Jerusalem, DID KNOW that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, but that knowledge was of no use to them.

We must recognize, in the account of this pilgrimage of the Magi, that it represents very well what it means for each of us to draw closer to Christ, which is why it is worthwhile to contemplate the manger and join in their adoration of the Child God.

—ooOoo—

1. The Magi did not demand great signs; a small star, which apparently was not always visible, was enough for them to set out on their journey to Bethlehem. However, an angel appeared to the shepherds and told them exactly where to go. The three Wise Men believed that this sign would lead them to fulfill the deepest desire of their hearts. For us too, it is necessary to believe in the signs of the times, which are sometimes for all humanity, but almost always have a personal character. This is the case of A very illustrative case is that of Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), canonized in 2022. He lived a military life, but it was dissipated, given over to pleasures and continuous disobedience to his superiors. But a single confession at the age of 26 with Fr. Huvelin was an encounter that shattered all his logic and reasoning. It was a personal sign that transformed him.

This event was not a “great historical event,” but a sign directed at his inner self, which led him to a life of contemplation and service in the desert. A sign of the times can be very personal, almost invisible to others, but decisive for the one who receives it.

2. Undoubtedly, the sky presented the Magi with thousands of other stars, but none were able to distract their attention. In this we have a poetic and practical lesson in what faith means on a daily basis: not simply believing in “the existence of God,” but in everything He places in my hands and before my eyes, represented by that little traveling star, which for others was insignificant compared to other stars.

Pope Francis: He has said that a personal sign was the confession that touched him deeply at the age of 17. That simple moment was never eclipsed by everything that came after: his career, his responsibilities, his successes and difficulties. Our Founder, similarly, spoke of his experience at the youth camp in Valsaín at the age of 16, stating that he “had never left there,” that intimate star, even though there were other stars, many clouds, and sometimes complete darkness.

3. The difficulties of the journey are well described in the Gospel account: They expected to arrive in Jerusalem, but that was not where Jesus was waiting for them. They were going to be used by King Herod as agents to kill the newborn, and after all their efforts, they found themselves before a poor manger and a family that was not exactly aristocratic. But the Magi were able to let their hearts be transformed by the way Providence acts, which always goes beyond our expectations.

What seems small is the source of something impossible for us, but which God will accomplish. This is what happens in the biblical account of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes:

The people were perhaps expecting a gesture of comfort or words of encouragement, but Jesus took what little there was -five loaves and two fish- and transformed it into abundance for all.

What seemed insufficient became superabundant, showing that Providence not only responds to need, but exceeds it. But the essential thing is to see that this happens in each one of us. The way to align ourselves with God’s plans is beautifully expressed at the end of the Gospel text: in a dream, the Magi were warned not to return to see Herod. It is always the prayerful gaze toward God, who reveals himself in such unexpected ways as a star or a dream, that allows us to continue on the path that leads us to him and to our neighbor.

4. 4. But the deepest lesson the wise men teach us is that when they saw the Child with his mother, they knelt down and paid homage to him. They saw beyond the wrapping and saw the true gift.

They saw the royalty hidden in poverty and smallness, which is what gold symbolizes. They saw the divinity hidden in humanity, which is what incense symbolizes. They saw eternity hidden in the temporal, in that which dies, which is what myrrh symbolizes.

Worship is the only appropriate response to the Creator, the source of all being. Worship comes from justice. It is about giving God what is due to Him. At every Eucharist, we acknowledge this when we say, “It is right and just.” Worship is not only your duty, but also your salvation. Without worship, we lose the very essence of your relationship with God.

Every day, as all the saints have done, we must explicitly renew our disposition before the Divine Persons. All kinds of liturgy that the Founders have developed help us to do this, so that silent prayer, gestures, words, and above all the Sacraments, impel us to confess before God that we are willing to obey His will.

—ooOoo—

In the First Reading, Isaiah announces the great light that illuminates a people walking in darkness; however, that light is nothing more than a newborn baby, fragile and defenseless, but in whom they recognize a great gift from God for all, because a child has been given to us (Is 9:6).

We run the risk of interpreting this narrative ONLY as a spectacular announcement, difficult to believe, but which came true for the people of Israel and for all humanity. But in each of us it has a reality that we must embrace:

After a time of darkness, whether it be purification or a moral and spiritual crisis, there is always a spiritual awakening, which not only aims to bring comfort, but also to draw other people to Christ, as Isaiah dramatically announces: Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your rising sun.

Christ will be called the Prince of Peace, and this is indeed the first fruit that the angels announce upon his arrival: Peace on earth among those with whom He is pleased (Lk 2:14).

Let us note that people like Herod cannot live in peace for one reason: they are afraid, they cling to what they are now and fear change, they fear that the presence of someone, even a child, will require them to change their lives. This Herod, called “the Great,” who ordered the annihilation of the Holy Innocents, suffered the same fate as his father, Herod Antipas, who was terrified of a peaceful and austere preacher named John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded in a moment of drunkenness and confusion.

How many times have you and I felt fear simply at the possibility of change? This leads us to violent attitudes: violence in our thinking, with condemnatory judgments; and violence in our relationships with others, acting evasively or aggressively.

But if we accept that the innocence of a child is the most powerful force in the universe, capable of radically changing us, then let us look at the figure of the Newborn Child and see in him the one who truly became a child in order to receive the kingdom of heaven and work for it. This is the only source of complete happiness. As our founding father, Fernando Rielo, tells us:

Happiness must be sought by those who, in some way, certainly turn away from Christ, whether in a culpable way in the formal and strict sense of the word, or because of the general irresponsibility of the world and especially of Christians […]. Those who have known Christ and follow him with all their soul no longer have to seek happiness (June 29, 1972).

Our Father Founder associated this feast of the Epiphany with the Day of Sanctifying Grace, so that we might remember that it is the gift that Christ brings us with his life, anticipating the gold, frankincense, and myrrh he received from the Magi. St. Paul recalls this today in his Epistle, rejoicing that he has been chosen as one of the instruments to transmit God’s plan for all men:

That the Gentiles are also co-heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the same promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

May these days of Christmas be a time of special gratitude and of permanent offering of our lives, just as the Magi did.

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In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Luis CASASUS

President