Word to the Wise
Sunday, January 5, 2020 - The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - ABC [This feast was traditionally celebrated on Jan. 6; in the USA it is now on the Sunday after Jan. 1]
[Isa 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matt 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." [Matthew]
The story of the magi has been a rich source for tradition and imagination. Somewhere along the line the number three was settled on. There are other traditions that have different numbers. The three may have come from the text that mentions three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The prophecy of Isaiah which provides our first scripture for today mentions gold and frankincense but not myrrh, which is associated with death. But the infancy narratives allude to the whole story of Jesus, and the ominous question of Herod tells us that death is on the way. Also, somewhere along the way the magi became kings and took on names: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. Giancarlo Menotti's opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, provides an annual feast for our imagination.
But the feast is the Epiphany of the LORD, not the epiphany of the MAGI! This is Jesus' story, not theirs. The importance of the magi lies in the fact that they were not Jews! They represent a wisdom that came from another culture that placed importance in astrological events like the star. The Epiphany of the Lord is a reminder to us that no matter how close a kinship in faith that we may claim with Jesus, there are others for whom that star shines, and they, too, have their gifts to offer! Our challenge is to offer them the hospitality that Amahl shows in that opera! The figures of the magi may be back in storage with Baby Jesus by now in our homes, but they remain in our imagination and faith and summon us to adore and bring our own gifts to the Word made flesh! AMEN