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Christmas is more than a birthday party; it is the manifestation of the newborn king of heaven and earth. In the early Church, the Epiphany of Christ, the manifestation of his divinity to the world, revealed the meaning of Christmas. In fact, on the twelfth night of Christmas, the eve of Epiphany, the celebration culminated, with the largest gatherings, parties and dances that night. The birth of Christ would not be complete without the Magi, representatives of all nations, paying homage to the king. Our celebration, likewise, falls short unless we join them in finding and worshiping Christ.
Father Dwight Longenecker, in his 2017 book, Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Magos, presents strong evidence that the Magi were from a neighboring region of Judea, Nabataea. This proximity familiarized them with the biblical prophecy of the Messiah and led them to look at the stars for signs of his coming. Nature itself signaled the coming of the Christ, the king who would rule not only Judah but all nations. Even if the birth of Jesus occurred in the dark, the Magi recognized the alignment of planets and stars that bore witness to the coming of their creator. Rick larson The star of Bethlehem (DVD, 2017) provides additional clues about the nature of the star they followed.
Wizards don’t just seek, they actually find. It’s popular to talk about searching nowadays, however, in a way that makes the search itself the goal. It can be fun to look around aimlessly, like a tourist, denying that life has a clear, discoverable purpose. The Magi, like the pilgrims, were looking for something in particular and found it. God can remain hidden in some way, even when he is present to those who seek him. Not only does he reach out and grab our attention, at least not usually, but he wants us to make the effort to stop what we’re doing and look for signs of his presence. Nature can point the way to a certain point, giving evidence of its Creator, although it is Scripture that points to God’s entry into history, since the Magi needed confirmation of the prophecy to go to Bethlehem (Mt 2: 5-6). Although the star alone could not guide them, it did confirm the presence of Jesus, since “it rested on the place where the child was” (Mt 2, 9). Some scholars think that this repose arose from the retrograde motion of a planet, perhaps in conjunction with the constellation Aries, which the Greeks associated with Judah.
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed with great joy; and entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Mt 2: 10-11
The Magi also reveal the nature of Christmas by modeling how we should respond to Jesus: with joy, appreciation, adoration, and homage. The Gospel of Matthew describes the actions of the Magi: “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him presents: gold, frankincense and myrrh ”(Mt 2, 10-11). They are glad that they found the goal of their search, knowing that they had discovered what mattered most. They recognize the king as they see the child, having faith in his true identity, Emmanuel – God with us. They pay homage to him through adoration, not only meeting the child out of curiosity, but by relating to him by falling before him. They give him their wealth and possessions, truly honoring him as their Lord and putting themselves at his service.
We need to follow the path of the Magi, with all their actions, every Christmas. The Church gives us the celebration of the Epiphany so that we can continue to seek, find and acknowledge Jesus with joy, adore him as our Lord and King, and give him our lives. The Magi challenge us to meet Jesus in a new way, accepting him as our true light, a fixed star that guides our own pilgrimage through life. Jesus offers the peace that comes from finding the true center and purpose of life, putting an end to our restlessness and aimless distraction. Christmas gifts are symbols of what we find in Jesus, the gift of his life to us, but we should also think about returning a gift to him, like the Magi, like spending more time with him in prayer, reading the Bible. , giving a gift to the poor and making sacrifices for it in love.
We can take Christmas for granted: the manger, the animals, the docile-looking angels, who seem so soft and trivial. Breaking through widespread consumerism and trivialized entertainment, the birth of Christ should surprise us: God has become man, the Creator has entered his creation, the Lord of all has become a baby. Finding him and accepting this child as Lord should change things: move from concern for the external to the internal, from pain and bitterness to peace, from anxiety and fear to joy. We can allow it to reign in us in a new way, that’s why it came into the world: “Because a child is born to us, a child is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulder, and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ ”(Is 9: 6).
Christmas is a 12-day celebration, giving us time to immerse ourselves in this reality and extend the celebration after the Advent preparation. The Epiphany culminates the Christmas celebration when we embrace not only the birth of Jesus, but we accept the lordship of the newborn king. Christmas runs until Epiphany and should shape the new year that begins during these 12 days (which we count from the birth of Christ). Christmas marks a new beginning that bases our plans and hopes on the kingship of Christ. Looking ahead to 2021, we must affirm again that Jesus is the true Lord of the world. That is why we are not afraid, whatever may come, because we have the joy that Christ brings us at Christmas.
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