January 4, 2026, Sunday, The Epiphany of the Lord
Lectionary #20, Matthew 2: 1-12

Scripture
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.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Reflection
One wonders exactly what message is contained in the story of the Magi. St. Matthew grants a goodly amount of space to it. Why?

Three men from the East follow a star which they describe as “his star.” It leads them to the town of Bethlehem, and now they search for the exact place where the Child should be found. In their “public statement,” the only one they make in the Gospels, these men from the East tell why they have come seeking him: “We observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”

They have studied and discovered the star; they have searched for it, inquired about it for one single-minded purpose: “to pay him homage.” Now, were they really obliged to come to him? Were they sent on an errand? Not likely. They journeyed to him on their own initiative.

They came to the crib where he lay because they wanted to. They went to the Lord with the same attitude and disposition the Lord himself had when he came to earth. He came with joy. And so did they: “They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, found the child with its mother.” Then they did what they had come to do: “They prostrated themselves and did him homage.”

Only afterward did they give him gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the customary gifts and signs of honor and respect given to personages of high rank in the Orient.

And that is the story of the Magi. They did not come to the Lord out of curiosity, to see who this great future king might well be, or what he looked like, or to gauge his power and political influence. They really did not come to see something. They sought and came to see someone.

They could have sent their gifts through a messenger, but they had come to Bethlehem to do what only living people could do: give honor and homage. They sought nothing in return for their presents. According to the gospel, Jesus never saw them again. As a child, they probably never even knew they had come to see him. And so it is that early in the gospel we are given, beside the birth of Christ himself, a shining example of an entirely selfless act.

Like Balaam of old, they might have been expected to see and curse this new king. But Balaam did not curse but blessed. It was the most beautiful act of his life. Significantly, Matthew should have mentioned the Magi at all.
We don’t even know how many Magi there actually were. Three is an apt number because of the three gifts. We assume that they were pagans, and Matthew teaches us through their presence that the Child had come for all people and was rejecting no one.

The best gift they brought was the gift of themselves. They responded to a personal coming of the Lord with a personal journey to him. And they did it with joy.

La Salette Invocation
Our Lady of La Salette, reconciler of sinners,
pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you.