for Sunday, January 6, 2008
the feast of the Epiphany, Year A
Matthew 2:1-12
Epiphany reminds us that our God is the God of all nations.
It is the feast of the wise ones who look beyond the cares of their immediate present, read the signs in the created world, and follow the star that leads them to the new born child, the incarnate Wisdom of God.
The gospel does not stipulate how many wise ones, or magi, come to worship the child. There is no indication in the story as to whether they are men or women or both.
The three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh have been traditionally associated with three different characters, usually kings, of diverse nationality and colour.
Matthew, the story-teller, leaves room in the tableau he has created for the insertion of the wise ones who will emerge through the ages.
There is an invitation for us to enter into Matthew's drama, to be the wise ones, to join with people of different cultures, to engage in our own search for Wisdom, and to follow the star that leads to Truth and lasting peace.
Pope Benedict XVI speaks of peace as "an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her cultural identity".
We know that yearning in our own hearts and we seek it for all the peoples of the earth, as did the wise ones of old.
by Veronica Lawson RSM
(East Ballarat)
Top of page
