Our Gospels reveal the “Good News” for us but in our Gospel story (Mt 2:1-12), we don’t hear anything about any “conversion” of the Magi from “the east” to Judaism. So without this conversion- it seems that the “Good News” doesn’t transfer to them.
The Good News is three-fold today. The foreigners coming to do homage from “the nations,” or “the east,” together with the manifestation of “the glory of the Lord” in Bethlehem, signify the fulfilment of the prophecies in both the First Reading (Is 60:1-6) and the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 71:1-2, 7-8, 10-13). The third element of the “Good News” is the collective nature of this manifestation. After the Jewish people had awaited the coming of the Messiah for so many centuries, God did not choose to reveal himself to them alone. Instead, he revealed himself to both Jews and Gentiles. So even though we hear of no “conversion” of the Magi in the gospel story, pay attention to the significance of their reason for coming and their manner of returning. They “came to Jesus” because a sign pointed to Jesus; they “returned home by a different route” because of another sign leading them away from the evil King Herod. Within this lies a practical message for each of us, whether Jew or Gentile. Many, many signs point the way to Jesus for us, and many other signs point us away from the practical atheism or destructive evil around us. Do we “see” these signs? Do we “respond” to God’s messages and messengers of grace? In other words, have we been true disciples -- stars or witnesses or “signs” pointing to Jesus Christ to help others “come to Jesus.” Most often in our present society we will be called to be “signs of contradiction” just like Jesus, a call to oppose the evil cultural attitudes that favour abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, sexual involvement outside marriage, and other destructive situations. If we’re serious we should ask if we need to “change our route” like the Magi, to becoming more aware of the “occasions of sin.”
The Good News is three-fold today. The foreigners coming to do homage from “the nations,” or “the east,” together with the manifestation of “the glory of the Lord” in Bethlehem, signify the fulfilment of the prophecies in both the First Reading (Is 60:1-6) and the Responsorial Psalm (Ps 71:1-2, 7-8, 10-13). The third element of the “Good News” is the collective nature of this manifestation. After the Jewish people had awaited the coming of the Messiah for so many centuries, God did not choose to reveal himself to them alone. Instead, he revealed himself to both Jews and Gentiles. So even though we hear of no “conversion” of the Magi in the gospel story, pay attention to the significance of their reason for coming and their manner of returning. They “came to Jesus” because a sign pointed to Jesus; they “returned home by a different route” because of another sign leading them away from the evil King Herod. Within this lies a practical message for each of us, whether Jew or Gentile. Many, many signs point the way to Jesus for us, and many other signs point us away from the practical atheism or destructive evil around us. Do we “see” these signs? Do we “respond” to God’s messages and messengers of grace? In other words, have we been true disciples -- stars or witnesses or “signs” pointing to Jesus Christ to help others “come to Jesus.” Most often in our present society we will be called to be “signs of contradiction” just like Jesus, a call to oppose the evil cultural attitudes that favour abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, sexual involvement outside marriage, and other destructive situations. If we’re serious we should ask if we need to “change our route” like the Magi, to becoming more aware of the “occasions of sin.”
RSS Feed