Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Amongst the many biblical narratives, the story of the magi
from the east has caught the imagination and has stimulated so much research
and reflection for many people. In fact, if we make a survey even of
contemporary nativity scenes (belen) put up for the holidays, we would notice
that second to the holy family, the magi would more likely be seen than the
shepherds themselves. Perhaps, the idea of kings visiting the newborn of Mary
has given the Christmas story some mythical, fairy tale ambiance that would
categorize the birth of the Savior to the genre of the Walt Disney stories of
princesses, princes, and unicorns.
But the story of the magi is not some mythical account that
entertains, it is, in fact, a wonderful portrayal of a Divine Mystery that
reveals itself to the pagan nations. The magi were “members of the Persian
priestly caste. In Hellenistic culture, they were regarded as ‘rulers of a
distinctive religion,’ but at the same time their religious ideas were thought
to be ‘strongly influenced by philosophy’ so that the Greek philosophers have
often been portrayed as their pupils…Aristotle himself spoke of the
philosophical work of the magi.” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy
Narratives, 92-93.) What we have here are serious searchers, “people of inner
unrest, people of hope, people on the lookout for the true star of
salvation…(they) were not just astronomers. They were ‘wise’. They represent
the inner dynamic of religion toward self transcendence, which involves a
search for truth, a search for the true God and hence ‘philosophy’ in the
original sense of the word. Wisdom, then, serves to purify the message of
‘science’: the rationality of that message does not remain at the level of
intellectual knowledge, but seeks understanding in its fullness, and so raises
reason to its loftiest possibilities.” (Ibid., 95) “They represent the
religions moving toward Christ, as well as the self-transcendence of science
toward him. In a way, they were the successors of Abraham who set off on a
journey in response to God’s call. In another way, they are the successors of
Socrates and his habit of questioning above and beyond conventional religion
toward the higher truth. In this sense, these figures are forerunners,
preparers of the way, seekers after truth…” (Ibid.)
The movement of the magi towards Christ ought to teach us of
the authentic search for wisdom. Today the pursuit for truth is done apart from
Christ. False intellectuals call it intellectual freedom. I call it slavery to
lies. For how can truth be pursued apart from Christ? Christ himself is the
Truth. He himself is the Light. Apart from him, there is nothing but darkness.
Self-seeking intellectualism goes nowhere. It goes round and round because it
is a self-enclosed search. Eventually, it falls into superstition. Science must
be self-transcendent if it must lead somewhere significant. It must be open to
the reality above it. True science, true philosophy leads to Christ. In Christ all
search for truth finds fulfillment.
And so, guided by a star, they came to adore the Christ. St.
“Gregory Nazianzen says that at the very moment when the Magi adored Jesus,
astrology came to an end, as the stars from then on traced the orbit determined
by Christ.” (Ibid., 101) Christ has conquered all the powers and forces in the
heavens. He reigns over the entire universe. “It is not the star that
determines the child’s destiny; it is the child that directs the star.” This
dominion of Christ over the entire universe drives us to the point that all
searches in the universe will lead to Christ. Science, so long as it is purely
intent on searching for the truth, will always lead to Christ. “God’s truth is
his wisdom, which commands the whole created order and governs the world. God,
who alone ‘made heaven and earth,’ can alone impart true knowledge of every
created thing in relation to himself.” (CCC, 216)
Jesus, I trust in you! O Mary conceived without sin, pray for
us who have recourse to thee!
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