READING and REFLECTIONS For Sunday, January 04, 2015 2nd Sunday after Christmas - Psalter Proper (White) Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Readings: Isa 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-7, 10-14; Eph 3:2-6; Mt 2:1-12 Response: Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. Rosary: Glorious Mysteries Verse: The sight of the star filled them with delight. SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Bayley Seton was the first native born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born two years before the American Revolution, Elizabeth grew up in the cream of New York society. She was a prolific reader, and read everything from the Bible to contemporary novels. In spite of her high society background, Elizabeths early life was quiet, simple, and often lonely. As she grew a little older, the Bible was to become her continual instruction, support and comfort; she would continue to love the Scriptures for the rest of her life. In 1794, Elizabeth married the wealthy young William Seton, with whom she was deeply in love. The first years of their marriage were happy and prosperous. Elizabeth wrote in her diary at first autumn, My own home at twenty-the world-that and heaven too-quite impossible. This time of Elizabeths life was to be a brief moment of earthly happiness before the many deaths and partings she was to suffer. Within four years, Wills father died, leaving the young couple in charge of Wills seven half brothers and sisters, as well as the familys importing business. Now events began to move fast - and with devastating effect. Both Wills business and his health failed. He was finally forced to file a petition of bankruptcy. In a final attempt to save Wills health, the Setons sailed for Italy, where Will had business friends. Will died of tuberculosis while in Italy. Elizabeths one consolation was that Will had recently awakened to the things of God. The many enforced separations from dear ones by death and distance, served to draw Elizabeths heart to God and eternity. The accepting and embracing of Gods will - The Will, as she called it - would be a keynote in her spiritual life. Elizabeths deep concern for the spiritual welfare of her family and friends eventually led her into the Catholic Church. In Italy, Elizabeth captivated everyone by her own kindness, patience, good sense, wit and courtesy. During this time Elizabeth became interested in the Catholic Faith, and over a period of months, her Italian friends guided her in Catholic instructions. Elizabeths desire for the Bread of Life was to be a strong force leading her to the Catholic Church. Having lost her mother at an early age, Elizabeth felt great comfort in the idea that the Blessed Virgin was truly her mother. She asked the Blessed Virgin to guide her to the True Faith. Elizabeth finally joined the Catholic Church in 1805. At the suggestion of the president of St. Marys College in Baltimore, Maryland, Elizabeth started a school in that city. She and two other young women, who helped her in her work, began plans for a Sisterhood. They established the first free Catholic school in America. When the young community adopted their rule, they made provisions for Elizabeth to continue raising her children. On March 25, 1809, Elizabeth Seton pronounced her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, binding for one year. From that time she was called Mother Seton. Although Mother Seton was now afflicted with tuberculosis, she continued to guide her children. The Rule of the Sisterhood was formally ratified in 1812. It was based upon the Rule St. Vincent de Paul had written for his Daughters of Charity in France. By 1818, in addition to their first school, the sisters had established two orphanages and another school. Today six groups of sisters trace their origins to Mother Setons initial foundation. For the last three years of her life, Elizabeth felt that God was getting ready to call her, and this gave her joy. Mother Seton died in 1821 at the age of 46, only sixteen years after becoming a Catholic. She was canonized on September 14, 1975. READINGS FROM THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: READING 1, Isaiah 60:1-6 1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a kings son. 2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. 3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. 4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. 5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. 7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. 12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. 13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. 14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. ON READING 2: Ephesians 3:2-6 2 for surely you have already heard of the commission of Gods grace that was given me for you, 3 and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5 In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. GOSPEL: Matthew 2:1-12 1 After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east 2 asking, Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage. 3 When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. 4 He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel. 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared 8 and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage. 9 Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was. 10 The sight of the star filled them with delight, 11 and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Merciful Father, you have called me to meet you in this word of the Gospel, because you wish that I may have life, you wish to give me yourself. Send, I pray you, your Holy Spirit upon me so that I may let myself be led along the holy way of this passage of Scripture. May I, today, get out of my prison to set out on a journey to seek you. May I recognise the star that you have lit as a sign of your love on my journey to follow it tirelessly, intensely, committing my whole life. May I, finally, enter your house and there see the Lord; may I bend low humbly before you to adore you and offer my life to you, all that I am and all that I have. Lord, by your grace, may I return by a new route, without ever passing through the old paths of sin. Amen. ON READING 1: Isaiah 60:1-6 (A Radiant New Jerusalem) Isaiah 60, 1-64:11. In the central section of Third Isaiah, the restored Jerusalem has a wonderful radiance; it is the dwelling place of the glory of the Lord, and from it all the nations will hear about Gods salvation. These are chapters that shine with hope and joy. In the opening verses, Jerusalem, the Lords spouse, is invited to leap with joy, for the glory of the Lord will light up the holy city, which will become a beacon for the nations (60:1-22). From there, too, the Lords herald proclaims the good news of salvation to the poor, the oppressed and all who labor under some burden (61:1-11). The holy city will radiate righteousness for all the nations to see (62:1-12). Finally, the Lord, depicted as a conqueror, enthroned in a glorious Jerusalem, is proclaimed as the sovereign lord who wilt judge and reward and punish (63:1-64:11). Isaiah 60, 1-22. These verses are a magnificent hymn to Jerusalem, completely restored, idealized; the prophet does not need to identify it by name. The most remarkable feature of the city is its radiance, mentioned at the start and end of the poem (vv. 1-3 and 19-22): it stems from the glory of the Lord, who has made the citys temple his dwelling-place. The city acts as a magnet for all the nations, not only because it instructs them by means of the Law and by the word of God, as we heard at the start of the book (2:2-4; cf. Mic 4:1-3) but also because they are in awe of its splendor. The central verses of the poem rejoice in the pilgrimages that make their way to the holy city: first, those of Israelites, who had been scattered across the world: the pilgrims are most happy and they bear rich gifts for the Lord (vv. 4-9). Foreigners will come, too, and they will bring precious materials to reconstruct and embellish the city they previously destroyed. The obeisance they must do corresponds to the harm they did earlier (vv. 10-14). But the most important event is the arrival of the Lord who will bring gifts in abundance, the most precious being peace (vv. 15-10) and light (vv. 19-22). This picture of the new Jerusalem (one would expect) must have raised the spirits of those engaged in the final stages of the rebuilding of the temple. This poem clearly has resonances with the eschatological description of the heavenly Jerusalem in the Revelation to John (cf. Rev 21:9-27). Some of the wording is virtually the same: cf. v. 3 with Rev 21:24 (By its light shall the nations work; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it); v. 11 with Rev 21:25-26 (its gates shall never be shut by day -- and there will be no night there); v. 14 with Rev 3:9 (I will make them come and bow down before your feet); v. 19 with Rev 21:23 (the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb) and 22:5 (night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever). The hopes harbored by the early Christians (and the consolation to which the new people of God look forward) are in continuity with the hope felt by the ancient people of Israel. The message of Isaiah and that of the book of Revelation were each (in different historical contexts) calling for firm faith in the Savior of all. The New Testament fills out the Old by openly declaring that God saves us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 60, 4-9. The pilgrimage described here comes from all corners of the earth, and yet it is a familial one. It is made up of people who were scattered throughout the known world, and not just those exiled in Babylon. Those from the west come by sea (v. 5), bearing the sort of goods normally transported by sea, particularly by Greek and Phoenician merchants. Those from the east, from the Arabian peninsula (Kedar and Nebaioth) and further afield will travel in caravans bringing precious commodities typical of the area -- silver, gold etc. (v. 6). The visit of the Magi, who came bearing presents to adore Jesus, is in line with the sort of commerce that was current at the time, and it is probably connected with this text of Isaiah. Certainly, when this passage is read in the liturgy on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the implication is that those rich gifts brought to the temple in honor of the Lord prefigure those that the Magi offered to him who is truly the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel (v. 9). Today, the wise man finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples (St. Peter Chrysologus, Semones, 160). And Eusebius of Caesarea comments: The conversion of the Gentiles glorifies the Church of God in a special way. The prophecy, I will glorify my glorious house [60:7], is fulfilled. This promise was made to the old Jerusalem, the mother of the new city, who, as has already been said, was the community of all among the ancient people who lived righteous lives -- the prophets and patriarchs, all just men, those to whom the coming of Christ was first proclaimed (Commentaria in Isaiam, 60, 6-7). ON READING 2: Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 (St. Pauls Mission) Ephesians 3, 1-21. Christs saving work on behalf of the Gentiles, calling them to be, with the Jews, living stones in the edifice of the Church, leads the Apostle once again to overflow in prayer (vv. 14-21). But first he considers his own position and what Christ has done in him by making him a minister or servant of the Mystery of Christ (vv. 2-13). He witnesses to the revelation he himself has received, which made this Mystery known to him (vv. 2-5); and he goes on to give a summary of the Mystery, emphasizing the call of the Gentiles to the Church through the preaching of the Gospel (v. 6); he then explains that his mission is precisely to preach the Mystery of Christ to the Gentiles (vv. 7-13). Ephesians 3, 1-4. What led to St Pauls imprisonment was Jewish charges that he had preached against the Law and had brought Gentiles into the temple (they thought Trophimus, a citizen of Ephesus, was a Gentile: cf. Acts 21:28f). He did not mind so much the chains or the imprisonment or the Romans being his judges and jailers: what he wanted to make clear was that he was imprisoned for preaching to the Gentiles the salvation won by Jesus Christ. He is very conscious of being an instrument specially chosen by God: he has been given the grace to reveal the Mystery (cf. Rom 1:15; 2 Cor 12:2f). He is clearly referring to the vision he had on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:2) and possibly to later revelations as well. His encounter with the risen Christ, who identifies himself with his Church (cf. Acts 9:5), is the origin and basis of his grasp of Gods eternal plan, the Mystery, which is one of the central teachings in this letter. The fact that Christ revealed himself to Paul and chose him to be the preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles is something which Paul sees as part of the systematic implementation -- the oikonomia -- of Gods plan. Ephesians 3, 5. In the Old Testament the promise made to Abraham revealed that in his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (cf. Gen 12:3; Sir 44:21); but how this would happen was not revealed. The Jews always thought that it would come about through their exaltation over other nations. Through the revelation Jesus made to him, St Paul has discovered that God has chosen another way -- that of bringing the Gentiles into the Church, the body of Christ, on equal terms with the Jews. This is the Mystery, the plan of God as revealed by the mission Christ gave his apostles or envoys (cf. Mt 28:19), of whom St Paul is one (cf. 3:8 ). Once again, as in 2:20, prophets are mentioned together with apostles; this may mean either the Old Testament prophets who announced the coming Messiah, or the New Testament prophets, that is, the Apostles themselves and other Christians who had insight, through revelation, into Gods saving plans for the Gentiles and who proclaimed them under the inspiration of the Spirit. The context and other passages in Ephesians and elsewhere in the New Testament (cf. Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28f; Acts 11:27; etc.) would suggest that he is referring to New Testament prophets. The Holy Spirit has revealed the Mystery to them that they might preach the Gospel, stir up faith in Jesus the Messiah and Lord, and bring together the Church (Vatican II, Dei Verbum, 17). St. Paul does not see himself as the only person to whom it has been given to know the Mystery revealed in Jesus Christ. All that he is saying is that, by the grace of God, it has been made known to him and that its preaching has been entrusted to him in a special way, just as it was given to St Peter to preach it to the Jews (cf. Gal 2:7). St. Paul attributes to the Holy Spirit the revelation of the Mystery, recalling, no doubt, how he himself came to know it after his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:17). It is the Spirit also who acts in the apostles and prophets (cf. Acts 2:17), and it is he who on an on-going basis vivifies the Church, enabling it to proclaim the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It is he who explains to the faithful the deep meaning of the teaching of Jesus and of his mystery. It is the Holy Spirit who, today just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by him. The Holy Spirit places on his lips the words which he could not find him- self, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the Kingdom being proclaimed (Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 2:1-12 (The Adoration of the Magi) This passage belongs to the first two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, which constitute a kind of prologue to the whole work. Here we are presented with the historical origin of the Messiah as son of David, as well as his divine origin as Jesus Christ, God-with-us. Matthew immediately leads us into a very deep and engaging meditation, placing before us a precise choice through the persons he introduces in his story: we either recognise and welcome the Lord who is just born, or we remain indifferent even to wanting to eliminate him, kill him. This passage offers us the beautiful story of the journey of the Magi, who come from afar because they want to seek and welcome, love and adore the Lord Jesus. But their long journey and tireless search, the conversion of their heart are facts that speak of us, facts already written on the scroll of our own sacred story. The passage may be divided into two main parts, determined by the locality where the scenes take place: the first part (2: 1-9a) takes place in Jerusalem, whereas the second part is focussed around Bethlehem (2: 9b-12). Mt 2: 1-2: The passage begins with precise indications as to the place and time of the birth of Jesus: in Bethlehem of Judea, at the time of king Herod. Within this quite specific description, the Magi suddenly appear, who, coming from afar, arrive in Jerusalem under the guidance of a star. It is they who announce the birth of the Lord king. They ask where they might find him because they wish to adore him. Matthew 2, 1. King Herod: four different Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. The first is Herod the Great, referred to in this passage and in the next; the second, his son, Herod Antipas, who had St. John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12) and who abused our Lord during His passion (Luke 23:7-11); the third, Herod Agrippa I, a nephew of Herod the Great, who executed the Apostle St. James the Greater (Acts 12:1-3), imprisoned St. Peter (Acts 12:4-7), and died suddenly and mysteriously (Acts 12:20-23). The fourth, Herod Agrippa II, was Herod Agrippas son. It was before him that St. Paul answered Jewish accusations when he was a prisoner in Caesarea (Acts 25:23). Herod the Great, who appears here, was the son of non-Jewish parents. He came to power with the aid and as a vassal of the Romans. He was a consummate politician and among other things he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a lavish scale. Herod the Great had a persecution complex; everywhere he saw rivals to his throne. He was notorious for his cruelty: he killed over half of his ten wives, some of his children and many people of standing. This information derives largely from the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who wrote towards the end of the first century, and it confirms the cruel picture drawn in the Gospels. Wise men: these were learned men, probably from Persia, who devoted themselves to the study of the stars. Since they were not Jews, they can be considered to be the very first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation in Christ. The adoration of the wise men forms part of the very earliest documented tradition: the scene is already depicted at the beginning of the second century in the paintings in the catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome. Matthew 2, 2. The Jews had made known throughout the East their hope of a Messiah. The wise men knew about this expected Messiah, king of the Jews. According to ideas widely accepted at the time, this sort of person, because of his significance in world history, would have a star connected with his birth. God made use of these ideas to draw to Christ these representatives of the Gentiles who would later be converted. The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews. In this way the birth of Jesus would be known to all (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. on St. Matthew, 7). St. John Chrysostom also points out that God calls them by means of the things they are most familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star so that they would be impressed by its size and beauty (Hom. on St. Matthew, 6). God called the wise men in the midst of their ordinary occupations, and He still calls people in that way. He called Moses when he was shepherding his flock (Exodus 3:1-3), Elisha the prophet ploughing his land with oxen (1 Kings 19:19-20), Amos looking after his herd (Amos 7:15).... What amazes you seems natural to me: that God has sought you out in the practice of your profession! That is how He sought the first, Peter and Andrew, James and John, beside their nets, and Matthew, sitting in the custom-house. And -- wonder of wonders! -- Paul, in his eagerness to destroy the seed of the Christians (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 799). Like the Magi we have discovered a star -- a light and a guide in the sky of our soul. We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. We have had the same experience. We too noticed a new light shining in our soul and growing increasingly brighter. It was a desire to live a fully Christian life, a keenness to take God seriously (St. J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 32). Matthew 2, 3-6: On hearing the words of the Magi, king Herod, and with him all of Jerusalem is disturbed and afraid. Rather than welcoming the Lord and opting for him, they seek to eliminate him. Herod calls the authorities of the Jewish people and the experts in Scripture. It is they, by the help of ancient prophecies, who speak and reveal Bethlehem as the place to find the Messiah. Mt 2: 7-8: Herod calls the Magi in secret because he wants to use them for his own evil ends. His detailed interest is entirely directed towards the elimination of Christ. Matthew 2, 4. In all Jewish circles at the time of Jesus, the hope was widespread that the Messiah would come soon. The general idea was that he would be a king, like a new and even greater David. Herods worry is therefore all the more understandable: he governed the Jews with the aid of the Romans and cruelly and jealously guarded his crown. Due to his political ambition and his lack of a religious sense, Herod saw a potential King-Messiah as a dangerous rival to his own worldly power. In the time of our Lord, both Herods monarchy and the occupying Romans (through their procurators) recognized the Sanhedrin as the representative body of the Jewish people. The Sanhedrin was, therefore, the nations supreme council which ruled on day-to-day affairs, both religious and civil. The handling of the more important questions needed the approval of either the king (under Herods monarchy) or the Roman procurator (at the time of the direct Roman occupation of Palestine). Following Exodus 24:1-9 and Numbers 11:16, the Sanhedrin was composed of 71 members presided over by the high priest. The members were elected from three groupings: 1) the chief priests, that is, the leaders of the principal priestly families; it was these families who appointed the high priest (the chief priests also included anybody who had formerly held the high priesthood); 2) the elders, or the leaders of the most important families; 3) the scribes, who were teachers of the Law or experts on legal and religious matters; the majority of these scribes belonged to the party or school of the Pharisees. In this passage of St. Matthew only the first and third of the above groups are mentioned. This is understandable since the elders would have no authority in the matter of the birth of the Messiah -- a purely religious question. Matthew 2, 5-6. The prophecy referred to in this passage is Micah 5:1. It is worth noting that Jewish tradition interpreted this prophecy as predicting the Messiahs exact place of birth and as referring to a particular person. The second text thus teaches us once more that the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Matthew 2, 8. Herod tried to find out exactly where the Child was -- not, of course, to adore Him, as he said, but to dispose of Him. Such was Herods exclusively political view of things. Yet neither his shrewdness nor his wickedness could prevent Gods plans from being fulfilled. Despite Herods ambition and his scheming, Gods wisdom and power were going to bring salvation about. Matthew 2, 9. It might happen at certain moments of our interior life -- and we are nearly always to blame -- that the star disappears, just as it did to the wise kings on their journey.... What should we do if this happens? Follow the example of those wise men and ask. Herod used knowledge to act unjustly. The Magi used it to do good. But we Christians have no need to go to Herod nor to the wise men of this world. Christ has given His Church sureness of doctrine and a flow of grace in the Sacraments. He has arranged things so that there will always be people to guide and lead us, to remind us constantly of our way (St. J. Escriva, Christ Is Passing By, 34). Matthew 2, 9a: The Magi, urged by strength of faith and led by the star, leave again and go towards Bethlehem. Matthew 2, 11. The gifts they offered -- gold, frankincense and myrrh -- were those most valued in the East. People feel the need to give gifts to God to show their respect and faith. Since they cannot give themselves as a gift, which is what they would wish, they give instead what is most valuable and dear to them. The prophets and the psalmists foretold that the kings of the earth would pay homage to God at the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:23). They would offer Him their treasures (Isaiah 60:5) and adore Him (Psalm 72:10-15). Through this action of the wise men and the offering of their gifts to Jesus, these prophecies begin to be fulfilled. The Council of Trent expressly quotes this passage when it underlines the veneration that ought to be given to Christ in the Eucharist: The faithful of Christ venerate this most holy Sacrament with the worship of latria which is due to the true God.... For in this Sacrament we believe that the same God is present whom the eternal Father brought into the world, saying of Him, Let all Gods angel worship Him (Hebrews 1:6; cf. Psalm 97:7). It is the same God whom the Magi fell down and worshipped (cf. Matthew 2:11) and, finally, the same God whom the Apostles adored in Galilee as Scriptures says (Matthew 28:17) (Decree, De SS. Eucharista, Chapter 5). St. Gregory of Nazianzen has also commented on this verse, as follows: Let us remain in adoration; and to Him, who, in order to save us, humbled Himself to such a degree of poverty as to receive our body, let us offer not only incense, gold and myrrh (the first as God, the second as king, and the third as one who sought death for our sake), but also spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with the eyes (Oratio, 19). Matthew 2, 9b-11: The star reappears, moves with the Magi and leads them to the exact spot where the Lord Jesus is. Full of joy, they enter the house and prostrate themselves; they offer precious gifts because they recognise that he is king and Lord. Matthew 2, 12: When they have contemplated and adored the Lord, the Magi receive a revelation from God; it is He who speaks to them. They are new men; they have in them a new heaven and a new earth. They are free of the deceits of Herod and, therefore, they go back to their lives by an entirely new way. Matthew 2, 12. The involvement of the wise men in the events at Bethlehem ends with yet another act of respectful obedience and cooperation with Gods plans. Christians also should be receptive to the specific grace and mission God has given them. They should persevere in this even if it means having to change any personal plans they may have made. The journey: This passage seems to be shot through with the grand theme of a journey, an exodus, a going out. The Magi, these mysterious characters, get moving, go far away from their land and go seeking the king, the Lord. Matthew presents this fact by means of some verbs that proceed along development of the event: came, we have come, sent them, go, set out, went before them, going into, not to go back, returned. The physical journey of the Magi hides a much more important and meaningful journey, the journey of faith. This is the movement of the soul born from a desire to meet and know the Lord. At the same time it is God’s invitation, who calls and attracts us with his own power; it is he who gets us to stand up and sets us in motion, who offers us signs and does not cease to walk with us. Scripture gives us many important examples and these help us enter into this path of grace and blessings. To Abraham God said: “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you” (Gen 12: 1). Jacob too was a pilgrim of faith and conversion; in fact, of him is written: “Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran” (Gen 28: 10) and: “Moving on, Jacob went to the land of the sons of the East” (Gen 29: 1). Many years later, the Lord spoke to him and said: “Go back to the land of your forefathers and to your kindred; and I will be with you” (Gen 31: 3). Moses too was a man on a journey; God himself showed him the way, the exodus, in his heart, in his depths, and made of his whole life a long march of salvation for him and for his brothers and sisters: “So come, I send you to Pharaoh to bring the sons of Israel, my people, out of Egypt!” (Ex 3: 10). Also the new people of God, we the children of the promise and of the new covenant, are called to go out all the time and to set out on a journey in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus. The exodus never ceased; the liberation that comes from faith is still always active. Let us look at Jesus, at his apostles, at Paul: not one of them stands still, not one of them hides. All these witnesses speak to us today by their deeds and they repeat: “Blessed is he who finds in you his strength and one who decides in his heart to go on the holy journey” (Ps 83: 6). The star: This is a very important and central element in this passage because the star has the role of guiding the Magi to their destination, of enlightening their nights along the journey, of indicating precisely the place of the presence of the Lord, of giving great joy to their hearts. Throughout the Bible, stars appear as signs of blessing and glory, almost a personification of God, who does not abandon his people, and, at the same time, a personification of the people that does not forget its God and praises and blesses him (cfr. Ps 148: 3; Bar 3: 34). The word star appears for the first time in Scripture in Genesis 1: 16, when, on the fourth day, the story of creation tells us of the appearance in the heavens of the sun, the moon and stars, as signs and as light, to set order and give light. The Jewish term for “star” kokhab is very beautiful and full of meaning. In fact, the letters that make up the word reveal the immensity of the presence that these celestial elements bring with them. We find two letters caf, which signify “hand” and which enclose the letter waw, which means man, understood in his vital structure, in his backbone, which keeps him erect, which makes him rise towards heaven, towards contact with his God and Creator. Thus, within the stars there are two hands, caf and caf, that lovingly hold within them waw, man: these are the hands of God that never cease to hold us, if only we entrust ourselves to them. Then appears the letter bet, which means house. Thus the stars speak to us of our journey towards our house, of our constant migrating from and returning there, whence we have come, from the day of our creation and even from all eternity. Often God compares the descendants of Abraham to the stars in the heavens, almost as if each person is a star, born to give light in the night: “Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can” and then he adds: “Such will be your descendants” (Gen 15: 5). Jesus also is a star, the star that takes its rise from Jacob (Num 24: 17), that rises from on high, that is the radiant morning star, as the Apocalypse says (22: 16). In fact, in him has taken flesh the infinite love of God, which bends itself down towards us, his children, and opens the palms of his hands to gather and welcome us. Only such love can give our infinite weakness the capacity and courage, the perseverance and joy of accepting to leave, to go on the long and arduous journey of faith, which takes us to Bethlehem, to the place where God appears to us. The adoration: The act of adoration is as old as humankind itself, because since the beginning, the relationship with the divinity has been accompanied by this demand of love, of humility, of self-offering. Before the greatness of God, we, little people, feel and discover that we are nothing, a speck of dust, a drop from a bucket. In the Old Testament, the act of adoration appears as an act of deep love towards the Lord, an act that demands the involvement of the whole person: the mind, the will to choose, love full of desire and a body that bows and prostrates itself even to the ground. It is said in several places that the act of adoration is accompanied by a prostration with the face touching the ground; the face of man, his gaze, his breath returns to the dust whence he has his origin and there he recognises himself as creature of God, as a breath of God’s nostrils. “Come in, let us bow, prostrate ourselves, and kneel in front of Yahweh our maker” (Ps 94: 6): this is the invitation of Scripture to us every day, showing us the way to walk so that we may again and again come to the truth and so live fully. The New Testament goes even deeper in its spiritual reflection on this fact and seems to want to accompany us on a pedagogical journey of conversion and of maturity in our interior life. In the Gospels we see the disciples, men and women, adoring the Lord Jesus after his resurrection (Mt 28: 9; Lk 24: 52), because they recognise him as God. Jesus’ words in his dial ogue with the Samaritan woman give us a deep insight into the truth of this act, which, after all, involves the whole of life and is an attitude of the heart: adoration is for God the Father and does not happen here or there but in Spirit and in truth, that is, in the Spirit and the Son, Jesus. We must not deceive ourselves; it is not by moving from one place to another, nor by seeking this or that spiritual person that we can adore our God. The movement, the journey is an interior one and takes place in our deepest being and is a complete surrender of ourselves, our life, our whole being, to the wings of the Holy Spirit and into the arms of Jesus, wide open on the cross and ever ready to attract all things to himself. St. Peter says clearly: “Simply reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts” (1 Pt 3: 15). The act of bowing to the ground, of prostrating ourselves before the Lord comes from the heart. If we let ourselves be touched and reach into our hearts, if we allow the Lord to enter our hearts, that sacred space, then He will change us completely, transform the whole of our person and make of us new men and women. FINAL PRAYERS: Lord, my Father, I have really seen your star, I have opened my eyes to your presence of love and salvation and I have received the light of life. I have contemplated the night changed into light, pain into joy and solitude into communion; yes, all this happened before you, in your Word. You have led me through the desert; you have led me to your house and opened the door for me to enter. There I saw you, your Son Jesus, Saviour of my life; there I prayed and adored, I cried and found your smile, I kept silence and learnt to speak. In your house, merciful Father, I have found life once more! And now I am going back, I have resumed my journey, but the way is not the one I took before and my life is not what it was before. Your Word has left me with a new heart, capable of opening itself to love, to listen, to welcome and become home to so many brothers and sisters whom you have placed in my way. I was not aware, Lord, but you have made me into a child again, you have given birth to me with Jesus. Thank you, Father, my Father! Amen. It is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world. -- Pope Francis Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 21:46:12 +0000
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