***
Gospel: 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 Christ 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 Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
Parents often ask me, “Father, how can I help my children have faith?” By extension, we might pose the deeper question, “How does anyone come to faith?”
***
Faith is ultimately a journey, which every human being travels. Some of us are in the very initial stages. Others have climbed mountaintops or wandered through valleys.
As the old saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” This is certainly true with faith. It unfolds step by step.
In today’s Gospel, we encounter the magi, foreigners from the east. Each of them is on a journey, which will ultimately lead them to God. But their path – much like ours – involves time, risk, perseverance, and a desire for the Truth.
We can distill their travels into three stages: The magi seek. They discover. They worship.
***
We first encounter the magi near the end of their travels. They’ve arrived in Jerusalem from a faraway place. The Gospels do not tell us where exactly they came from, only that they came from the “east.”
Scholars believe this caravan of travelers may have come from as far away as Persia. This was not a weekend getaway; it was literally a journey of a thousand miles.
Such a trek was dangerous and demanded persistence; it could’ve taken months or even years to complete with a variety of obstacles to overcome.
There were surely thieves and robbers, wild animals lurking in the night, desolate places without water, and even spontaneous storms forming around them.
Why were the magi motivated to travel such a long distance?
They were searching, seeking, looking for answers.
This is the initial stage in coming to faith.
Something is stirred inside of us. For the magi, it was the belief that a king – their king – had been born. For us, it may be fundamental questions such as: “Is there a God? Why do I exist? What is the meaning of life?”
***
In the second stage of the journey, we begin discovering the answers.
***
The magi arrive in Jerusalem safely after being guided by a star. But they cannot complete their journey until the scriptures are consulted.
Through the religious authorities, they learn that this Christ-child – their king – must be born in Bethlehem, just five miles away from Jerusalem, so they continue their journey.
At this stage, the magi represent a person who discovers the Word of God and acts on it. As the Psalmist says, “Your Word is a lamp for my path, a light for my feet.”
This is a critical stage for any believer. It’s where many of us are striving to be: shaping our decisions based upon the Word of God.
***
When finally, the magi see Christ in Bethlehem, they kneel down and worship him, laying their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh at his feet.
Here each one represents a person fully committed to Christ; a soul surrendered to God; one who has left everything behind to follow him.
This is the goal of every believer – to reach a unity of mind and heart with God.
***
Where are we in our own journey?
Are we still searching, seeking, learning?
***
I hope so. The journey spans a lifetime.
After all, this is our mission as a parish: to ask the bigger questions; to journey through the scriptures together; to continue seeking, to discover God and to worship him.
All are welcome.
As our vision statement reminds us, like the magi, we are, “All generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”
***
***
Image credits: (1) Charisma News, Rocky (2) Adobe Stock (3) Psychology Today