Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. The
Gospel of the Mass is from St. Matthew in which the evangelist describes the
visit of the Magi from the east.
The Magi were probably members of a Persian priestly
caste. We are not certain of their names but in the Latin Church from the seventh century we find the names
of Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
The Scripture does not mention how many Magi came to adore Jesus. It only
mentions that there were three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
If the Magi came from Persia, then they would have
traveled between 1,000 and 1,200 miles to the city of Jerusalem. It might have
taken between 3 to 12 months by camel which would have followed some time for
preparation. The Magi probably didn’t arrive to Jerusalem until a year or more
from the time of the appearance of the star.
Since Magi were the astrologers of their day, an
appearance of a new and bright star suggested the birth of an important person.
Some of the Fathers of the Church thought that the star was the fulfillment of
the prophesy of Balaam, “A star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter
shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24: 17).
I think the most
important lesson we learn from the Magi is that wise men always adore Christ!
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker
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