The Epiphany
Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
The Magi from the East: A Prefiguration of Gentile Christians

When the Magi from the East came to Jerusalem to worship the newly-born Jewish king, Herod, the political Jewish king, reacted strongly. As soon as he heard the news, he was thrown into a panic (cf. Matthew 2:1-2). His panic did not stem from the newborn infant Jesus, but rather from the fear that this newborn child would pose a threat to his throne. After Herod was thrown into a panic, the residents living in the city of Jerusalem also became frightened because of his panic, for they were afraid that Herod would wreak havoc in the city to safeguard his royal power.

Sometimes, we can be like Herod. We often regard our worldly possessions and status as more important than our faith and may even abandon our faith for these perishable things. Our actions may cause those who know we are Christians to misunderstand what we believe in, leading them, along with us, to turn away from God and fall back into the slavery of the devil.

Today, the Magi from the East serve as a prefiguration of later non-Jewish Christians. Guided by the extraordinary star belonging to Christ, they learned that the Savior, Jesus Christ, had been born and was dwelling among us. They traveled a long distance to Jerusalem to seek Jesus. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, they chose not to return to the world represented by Herod but instead entered the kingdom of God advocated by Jesus. As we have been called to be Christians, we should follow their example, make up our minds to follow Christ, leave the secular world behind, and enter the true realm of God.

Magi from the East, since God has invited you to seek His Messiah, please come and help us, so that we may follow in your footsteps and enter the true realm of God. Amen.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025