Merry Christmas!
Today we come to celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Concerning the magi we don’t really know a lot. They are only recorded for us in the Gospel of Saint Matthew and they are often associated with a prophecy found within the Book of Isaiah. From both of these reading we heard today.
There are many legends which surround them which attempt to fill in the gap, so that we can understand who they were. Some legends traditionally state that there were three while others state that there were more. Legends arise concerning what region they came from and if they were kings or something else. Legends even go as far as to give us their names.
Despite what we do know or what we don’t know concerning them we can say that the magi underwent a path of conversion. They came, no matter what region it might of been, from pagan origin. They underwent this journey, no matter how long or short, and they encountered the Christ child. Here they came to be converted for they came to see and believe in Christ our Lord.
Hopefully we too realize that our life is a journey to come to believe and profess in Christ our Lord more and more each day. There are so many ways that we come into contact with Christ and hopefully through such occurrences we are strengthened in our journey towards conversion.
To think that John the Baptist leaped within the womb of his mother, Elizabeth. Why, but because he came into contact with Christ who is Lord of lords and King of kings. Yes, dear brethren to encounter Christ is to shake us out of the complacency of everyday life and to realize that we are called to a path of conversion.
It is my hope that we will come to believe and profess within the Eucharist. That we will come to realize that Christ dwells with us here out of love. Not in some figurative way, but it a literal way for He is truly present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist. If we are to encounter the Eucharist we are to encounter Christ. Again not figuratively, but we literally encounter Him.
In this day and age, so many do not fathom what they receive when we they receive Christ within the Eucharist. I hope that we will never take such a gift lightly by unworthily receiving Him or lazily receiving Him in our practice of reception.
The magi set out to encounter Christ like we should set out to encounter Him especially in the Eucharist. Through their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh we are given a revelation of who this child truly is. Despite their understanding they also came to believe and profess due to what they encountered. We can truly say that their life was transformed from this journey.
May we too come to encounter Christ in such a way in order that our life may be transformed in His midst.
