When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judah in the time of King Herod, some Magi came from the East to Jerusalem. They had seen a star and, by a special grace of God, they knew that it announced the birth of the Messiah for whom the Hebrew people were waiting.
The occupation of these wise men -studying the firmament- was the circumstance God used to make them see his will: "God called them by what was most familiar to them and showed them a great and marvelous star so that it would attract their attention by its greatness and beauty ". We do not know, but they knew and they set out; no doubt they received a very extraordinary inspiration from God, who desired their presence in Bethlehem, as Isaiah had announced: Lift up your eyes and look around you...; your children come from afar3. They would be the first of those who would come later, in all times, from everywhere. And they were faithful to this grace.
They left family, comfort and goods. It must not have been easy for them to explain the reason for their journey. And, probably without making too many comments, they took the best they had to take with them as an offering, and set out to worship God.
The journey must have been long and difficult. But they kept steadfastly on their way.
These determined men without human respect teach us what we have to do to reach Jesus, leaving aside everything that can divert us or delay us on our way. "Sometimes, when it comes to following Jesus deeply and lovingly, we can be held back by the fear of what people will say, by the fear that our conduct might be judged in some extreme way, as exaggerated. You see that these characters, who fill our home feasts with joy, give us a lesson in courage and a lesson in disregarding human respect, which paralyzes many men who could already be close to Christ, living with Him "4.
We too have seen the star in the intimacy of our heart, which invites us to detach ourselves from the things that bind us and to overcome every human respect that prevents us from reaching Jesus. "Consider with what refinement the Lord invites us. He expresses himself in human words, like a lover: I have called you by name.... You are mine (Is 43:1). God, who is beauty, greatness and wisdom, announces to us that we are his, that we have been chosen as the term of his infinite love. We need a strong life of faith in order not to spoil this marvel, which divine Providence has placed in our hands. Faith like that of the Wise Men:The conviction that neither the desert, nor the storms, nor the tranquility of the oasis will prevent us from reaching the goal of the eternal Bethlehem: the definitive life with God "5.
Among all the men who contemplated the star, only these Magi of the East discovered its profound meaning. Only they understood that for others it would be nothing more than a prodigy of the firmament. It is also possible that others received the same special grace from God and did not reciprocate. What a tragedy for them!
Let us pray with the Church to God our Father: You who enlightened the wise men of the East and led them to adore your Son, enlighten our faith and accept the offering of our prayer
Hablar con Dios