Reflecting the Post-Christmas-Season Ordinary Time Initiation: Christ’s First Miracle and First Teaching ( Cycle C)

Now we have passed the Advent and Christmas Seasons. Our search for Christ is over. Upon the feast of Baptism of the Lord into the pre-Lent Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar, we acknowledge Christ's public presence and follow him as he continues on his ministry. The initiation of his ministry on earth has been punctuated with his first miracle - turning water into the choicest wine during the wedding banquet at Canna - and his first preaching in Nazareth - announcing a reason why he has come to this world, citing the first 2 verses of Isaiah 61.

                                                                        ******

We have begun the Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar on the Monday after the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, transitioning from the Christmas Season, which was preceded by the Advent Season.  The fact that the Christmas Season concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the liturgical calendar makes sense, given that John the Baptist and his role in preparing for the adventus of Christ were reflected on two Advent Sundays in row: the 2^nd and the 3^rd Advent Sundays on all liturgical cycles – A, B, C. What John the Baptist was calling the Israelites to prepare for by citing Isaiah 40 with an emphasis on verse 3 was not necessarily the birth of Christ but rather his public appearance. Certainly, it was when he came to the Jordan River to be baptized, while John the Baptist was baptizing others, that Christ made his first public appearance and was recognized as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world by John (John 1:29).  Therefore, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord ends what we began preparing for during the Advent Season, preceding the Christmas Season.

When we began the liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent, we initiated our journey to find Christ at his adventus. The coming of Christ was prophesized in Isaiah 7:14, about 700 years before the birth of Christ, and so it happed as Mary, the Blessed Virgin, gave birth to Jesus, upon conceiving him in her Immaculate womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Matthew 1:18), making Theos-Logos incarnated, as written in John 1:1, 14.

Celebrating the birth of Christ, we began the Christmas season, reflecting on what it means that Christ was born as an עָנָו/anav in the stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem, though he draws the Davidic royal lineage (i.e. Isaiah 9:7, 11:10; Romans 15:12; Matthew 1:1-17; Revelation 5:5, 22:16) and is considered as a King (i.e, Zechariah 9:9), who rules the world with justice (Psalm 72). At the same time, we also meditate on the roles that the Holy Family played for the growth of Jesus.

During this celebratory liturgical season, our Christmas joy increased as the presence of Christ was witnessed more people – first by the shepherds on the day of his Nativity (Luke 1:1-20), by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-38), and by the Magi from east (Matthew 2:1-12).  In fact, these are the first three theopanies occurred during Jesus’ infancy. The third theophany, God in infant Jesus manifesting to the Magi, is also known as Epiphany. Because the Magi did not report to him about Jesus’ whereabouts, King Herod the Great, who wanted to hunt down the newborn King, ordered to massacre all boys who were 2 years old and younger in the Bethlehem area (Matthew 2:16-18), and these children slain by Herod’s paranoia were memorized as the Holy Innocent on December 28. In the meantime, the Holy Family sought a refuge in Egypt, as Joseph was warned about Herod’s vicious plan to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13). We honored the Holy Family on the Sunday after Christmas (unless Christmas falls on Sunday).  After Herod’s death, the Holy Family returned from Egypt, though keeping a safe distance from Jerusalem, where a successor of Herod the Great was (Matthew 2:19-23), and Jesus continued to grow in wisdom and statue, and in favor with God and people (Luke 2:52). Then, when he was about 30 (Luke 3:23), Jesus appeared to be baptized on the banks of the Jordan River, where John the Baptist was preparing for the way of the Messiah Lord to come, anticipating the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:1-5. John acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah – the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world – to complete his mission and to usher into the new Messianic era after a long period without a prophet from the time of Malachi to John the Baptist himself. The Baptism of the Lord signals the beginning of Christ’s public mission with the 4^th theophany, as Jesus finally came out of the obscurity and made himself more visible to those who had prepared themselves to accept him as the Messiah and his salvific teaching. Thus, the Baptism of the Lord concludes the Christmas Season and transitions into the Ordinary Time.

Following the Sunday in celebrating the Baptism of Christ, we have begun the Ordinary Time before the Lenten Season.  To punctuate the beginning of the Ordinary Time on Cycle C, we have reflected on Christ’s first miracle during the wedding banquet at Cana (John 2:1-11) for the 2ns Sunday in Ordinary Time and on Christ’s first preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21) for the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.  

It was not until the Baptism of the Lord that Christ made himself appear to the public to begin his ministry, and he was about 30 years old at that time (Luke 3:23). It means that Christ’s presence was not really acknowledged during his first 30 years of life, except by the shepherd at his Nativity, by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation, and by the Magi at Epiphany, as reflected during the Christmas Season. Christ’s prenatal presence in Mary’s womb was recognized by Elizabeth, during Mary’s visitation to her (Luke 1:43), as reflected during the later Advent Season  (4^th Sunday Gospel reading on Cycle C: Luke 1:39-45). Therefore, theophany in Christ has been made publically upon the feast of the Baptism of Christ to be reflected in the Gospel readings through the Ordinary Time, the Lenten Season, the Paschal Triduum, the Paschal Season. Then, during the post-Pentecost Ordinary Time until the end of a liturgical year with the week of Christ the King, we continue to reflect Christ’s actions, including miracles, and teaching in our apostolic applications, as guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, another Parakloetos, while post-Ascension Christ prepares our heavenly dwelling place (John 14:1-5, 16, 26; 16:7).

Upon the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christ has made himself publically recognizable in his ministry into the Ordinary Time, through the Lenten Season, Paschal Triduum, and into the Paschal Season.  It is no longer as his presence was hidden in the womb of Mary, as in the Advent Season, and not as his presence was only recognized by the shepherds at his Nativity, by Simeon and Anna at his Presentation in the Temple, and by the Magi at Epiphany, as in the Christmas Season, upon the Baptism of the Lord. As we have begun the Ordinary Time, following the Advent and Christmas Seasons, during which we have sought out him, Christ’s very presence can be acknowledged by anyone who seek him in faith, upon his Baptism. As we find him, we follow him in the Paschal Mystery, so that we will be well-prepared upon the Paschal Season, for our apostolic commission on Pentecost. This will make our apostolic journey very fruitful, further reflecting the meaning of Christ’s miracles and teaching, throughout the remaining liturgical year – through the post- Paschal-Season Ordinary Time.

Christ’s first miracle and first preaching are certainly suited to keep us in perspective as we find and follow him through his Paschal Mystery to start the Ordinary Time into the Lenten Season and further into the Paschal Season.  The first miracle saved the wedding banquet at Cana from disruption and the first preaching made it clear to the public of the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2, the year of favor, which means the time of salvation.  Because Christ metaphorically describes of his time on earth to minister us is like a wedding feast (i.e. Matthew 9:15),  preserving the wedding banquet from disruption as his first miracle signals that nothing can compromise his public ministry to its completion on the Cross. And,  his first teaching in Nazareth reminds us that his mission is to save us by bringing the Good News to the anawim, who have not been treated not only by the world but even by religious leaders of time. Thus, by citing the first two verses of Isaiah 61 out of the scroll, Christ is also making a public announcement that his mission is also restorative justice.

The main part of the  Gospel reading for the 3^rd Sunday on Cycle C, Luke 4:14-21, in which Jesus made himself known to the public of his Messianic identity by indicting that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2-1.  What came to this world with the public appearance of Christ in the synagogue in Nazareth in his very first preaching was the beginning of the salvific period.

The question is, “Have we found Christ in his public appearance?” and “Are we now listening to Christ and are his words sinking deep in our hearts? “ and “Are we paying attention to the miraculous signs that Christ is making for us?”, as we further journey into the Ordinary Time, into the Lenten Season and Paschal Triduum, and the Paschal Season. Let us also learn from how the people in Galilee and Jerusalem reacted to Christ’s ministry as this liturgical year further unfolds.

Blessed are the anawim, as Christ said to begin his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). As his beloved anawim, for whom he came to this world and bring the Good News, we are glad and rejoice as at the undisrupted wedding banquet, as his mission on earth unfolds. 

マリアさまに抱かれる赤子イエスさまを求めてやってきた雪国の三人の子供たち：私達の信仰、かくあるべし

宗教画を臨床心理検査でも使われている投影法で応用しながら信仰心について改めて考えてみましょう。。。

                             ******

まず、この絵をご覧ください。

さて、この絵を見て、感じたこと、思ったこと、想像したことなどをご自由にお話してください、と問われたらどのように答えますか？　また、この絵にふさわしいタイトルをつけるとすれば、どのようなタイトルにしますか？

私は心理学のほか、神学も専門とするので、私のような者からこのような質問を投げかけられると、もしかして絵画統覚検査のような投影法で“精神分析”されるかもしれないと“警戒”される方もいらっしゃるかもしれませんが、どうかご安心ください。パストラル心理学的に投影法を応用した自由連想によって信仰心を高める為の自己検証を促すものだとお考えください。

十人の方にこうした問いかけをすれば、十人十色、それぞれ違う答えが返ってくるはずです。何人かの答えの中である程度相通ずることがあっても、やはり、一人一人ユニークな答えがあってあたりまえです。絵のタイトルについては同じ答えとなる確率はゼロではないでしょうが。

かく言う私自身、この絵を見てまず思ったのは、マタイの福音書２：１－１２に記されている東方からの貢物を持った三賢者が赤子イエスに謁見する為にはるばるとエルサレムを経由してベツレヘムへやってきた話です。しかし、この絵から醸し出される話のほうがマタイの福音書の話よりもより親しみのある話だと感じられます。

まず、イエスキリストがユダヤ人ではなく日本人だったら、と想像してみてください。

そうであれば、この絵に描かれているようなことが聖書の福音書に次のように記されていることでしょう。

イエスさまは雪国に住むマリアさまという聖母と夫のヨゼフさまが旅の道中、ある雪深い明け方前、貧しい農村でお生まれになりました。実は、マリア様に陣痛がきた時、夫のヨゼフさまは必死に適当な宿を探したのですが、どこからも断られ、しかたなしにたまたま見つけた雪野原にぽつんとあったかまくらでなんとか無事にお産をすますことができ、イエスさまは元気にお生まれになりました。

生後、近くの借家に落ち着き、赤子イエスさまがすくすくとマリアさまのお乳を飲みながら元気に育っていると、一番年上のお姉さん、二番目のお姉さん、そして、一番年下の弟、といった三人の子供達が手土産をもって隣村から雪深い中を遥々とイエスさまとお会いする為にやってきました。“ごめんくださ～い”、と三人の子供達はイエスさまがマリアさまとヨゼフさまと一緒にいる家の前に現れました。するとイエスさまを抱いたマリアさまが出てきて、“まぁ～、あなたたち、遥々よくいらっしゃいましたね。さぞ寒かったでしょう”、とお答えになりました。そして、マリアさまは、“さあ、さあ、中へお入りなさい”と子供達を家の中へと案内しました。

この子供達は誰よりよりも先に一番にイエスさまと友達になって遊びたいので、春まで待ちきれずにまだイエスさまが赤ちゃんの時に雪深い中を歩いてきたのです。

傍らにはイエスさまがお生まれになったかまくらがありますが、今ではイエスさまはマリアさまとヨゼフさまとご一緒に、マリアさまとヨゼフさまの実家に戻るまでしばらく雪国の借家に落ち着いています。そして、今、この三人の子供達が訪れ、マリアさまに抱かれたイエスさまはとても喜び、にこにこ笑ってこの子供達の来訪を喜んで歓迎されています。そして、お互い微笑み合うわが息子であるイエスさまと三人の子供達を見ながら、マリアさまは、この子（イエスさま）が生まれたとき、この世から見棄てられたような感じだったけど、今、こうしてこの三人の子供達がこの子の為に遥々と雪深い中、しかも、お土産まで持って、一番の友達になりたいからといって訪れてくれるなんて、と感心しつつ、この意義について深々と一人で瞑想的に考え込んでいました。

イエスさまご自身がおっしゃった（マタイ１８：２－３）ように、信仰心において大切なのはこうしたイエスさまと友達になって一緒に遊びたいというような飾り気のない無垢純粋なイエスさまと親しくなりたいという心です。こうした純な心こそがイエスさまがもたらすべく救いへとつながるのです。教会に行っても、聖書を読んでも、神学の学位を修得してすら、イエスさまとの親しい一体的な関係なしにはイエスさまによる救いはないかもしれません。そういった意味で、私達の信仰心も、イエスさまを求めてはるばる雪道を歩いてやってきた子供達のようでないといけませんね。

洗礼の秘蹟を受け、その上、堅信の秘蹟を受けた信者の皆さん、あなたの心はこうした三人の子供のような、“寒さにも雪にもめげず”といったように、どんなことがあってもイエスさまを求める純な心をいつもお持ちでしょうか？

典礼暦において主の洗礼を祝す主日を迎えたばかりの今日、改めて罪無き主があえて私達罪人のように洗礼されることを選ばれた意義について、それが私達自身が受けた洗礼の秘蹟、更に、それに続く堅信の秘蹟、に与える意義についても考えてみましょう。ここで大切なことは、洗礼というものがだだ罪を洗い流すことを象徴するだけでなく、主御自身が洗礼されたことによって、私達の洗礼が主の洗礼という前例により、神との永遠の絆を打ち立てることを象徴し、神が天から洗礼時のイエスさまにおっしゃられたように、私達も神が愛する神の子となったことをも意味することを改めて自覚したのです。更に、イエスさまは御自身の洗礼後、40日の断食に耐え、悪魔からの攻撃を跳ね除け、弟子を集めて本格的な救いにむけた福音の伝道を開始したということ、そしてイエスさまの洗礼を起点としたこの伝道が御自身の十字架での死とそれから3日目の御復活を通して、さらに弟子達をペンタコストの日の聖霊降臨による弟子達をイエスさまの代表として世界伝道へ送り出すことへとつながっていくことまで考えれば、イエスさまの洗礼が私達の堅信の秘蹟にまで与える意義が理解できます。そして、イエスさまの洗礼に関するこうした一連のことに一貫している大切はことは、この絵から汲み取れる、純な子供心でイエスを求め、更に、こうしてイエスを求める心が聖霊による更に力強い洗礼を受けるという堅信の秘蹟により、共にイエスを求め合う“ともだち”と作っていくという伝道につながるわけです。よって、堅信によるこうしたイエスさまという友達を求める心を共有する友達を求めていくという伝道活動は、どんなに寒くても、雪にも風にもめげない強さを持つのです。そして、皆でイエスさまを求め合うことで救いへの道を共に歩むことができるわけです。

因みに、私がこの絵につけたタイトルはこの記事につけたタイトルと同じ、“マリアさまに抱かれる赤子イエスさまを求めてやってきた雪国の三人の子供たち：私達の信仰、かくあるべし”です。

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord: Time to Shift Gears for an Extraordinary Journey with Christ

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the conclusion of the Christmas Season in the current liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. We began a liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent, which was also the beginning of the Advent Season. Then, what came after the Advent Season was the Christmas Season. As the Advent Season has prepared us for Christmas, now the Christmas Season with the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord and the Solemnity of Epiphany has prepared us for the Baptism of the Lord.  

As we recall, we began our journey to find Christ at his arrival as we began the Advent Season. Anticipating the journey in search of Christ to be arduous, we were reminded not to fall drowsy but to remain vigilant. As we were on this Advent journey, punctuated with four Sundays of Advent, we met John the Baptist on the Second Sunday and came to know him more on the Third Sunday of Advent. Then, on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we were reminded of Gabriel’s Annunciation to Mary about her virgin conception (Cycle A, B) and Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth, who recognized the child in Mary’s womb as Christ (Cycle C).

Christ was born of Mary in the fullness of time. However, this event, a long-waited arrival of Christ in this world, was not recognized by the world, except for the shepherds who kept the night-watch of their sheep. Then, the Magi found Christ after a long journey from afar in the east. After this, Simeon and Anna discovered Christ as Mary and Joseph brought him to the Temple to dedicate him to the Lord. These discoveries of Christ by the shepherd, the Magi, and Simeon and Anna are some points of reflections during the Christmas Season, while Christ was still in obscurity.

Finally, the time came for Christ to come public, when he was 30 years old and came to the Jordan River, where John the Baptist were baptizing people, while they were wondering if John the Baptist could be the Christ (Luke 3:15). This indicates that even those who came to John the Baptist to be baptized did not recognize Jesus as the Christ – until he came to be baptized himself.

During the Advent Season, we were already introduced to John the Baptist and are familiar with his mission: To prepare the way for Christ to come. Now, Christ has come public to meet John the Baptist for his baptism so that he can fully dwell among us. Can you afford to miss witnessing Christ now?  If you listened to John the Baptist, who was preparing us for the public appearance of Christ to begin his Messianic mission, you sure will not miss.

By now, even though we missed to find Christ at this Nativity in Bethlehem, or did not follow the star to find him as the Magi did, we can find and make a personal encounter with Christ in his Trinitarian theophany at his Baptism (Matthew 3:16-17//Mark 1:10-11//Luke 3:21-22). This way, we can journey with him for the rest of the liturgical year as we begin the Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar, upon the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This also mean that we can be with him during his 40-day-and-night fasting in wilderness (i.e. Matthew 4:1-11), during the Lenten Season, upon Ash Wednesday, to prepare for the Paschal Season between the Resurrection and the Pentecost, for our full apostolic commission.

Baptism of Christ, St. John Altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini, c. 1500-02

In fact, we will journey with Christ all the way to the Parousia at the eschaton, going beyond the Paschal Mystery, as we will go on with the risen Christ during the Paschal Season, and continue on with him even upon his Ascension, because he dwells in us in the Spirit, as Paul explains in Romans 8:8-9, as he was in Paul (Galatians 2:20). We are able to journey with Christ, because he has promised to be with us until the eschaton (Matthew 28:20) and has instituted the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is his body and blood, at the Last Supper (i.e. Matthew 26:26-29).

In making a rear-view mirror kind of review on our journey up to the point of the Baptism of the Lord, ever since the First Sunday of Advent, the below are some major points of reflection.

Annunciation:

With Mary’s pregnancy by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35, cf. Matthew 1:20), the Logos-Theos became flesh of Christ to dwell among us (John 1:14) and to fulfill what God said in Genesis 3:15.

Visitation:

While the flesh of Christ was still growing in Mary’s womb, John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb and Elizabeth recognize his presence and rejoiced (Luke 1:39-45).

Nativity of the Lord:

When Mary gave birth to him in the stable, Christ was no longer hidden.  Prompted by the angel’s announcement the shepherds ran to the stable and witnessed this first theophany and praised the Lord (Luke 2:1-20).

Epiphany:

Following the star, when the Magi from the east found Christ while he was still an infant, theophany was made to the Gentiles for the first time (Matthew 2:1-12).

Presentation of the Lord:

When Jesus was brought to the Temple for dedication, as Mary’s the 40-day purification upon giving birth to Jesus was over, Simeon and Anna recognized him as Christ (Luke 2:22-38 ).

Baptism of the Lord:

When he was about 30-year-old (Luke 3:23), Jesus came to the Jordan River and was baptized, with the Holy Spirit descending upon him and the Father in heaven claiming him as His beloved, making this event a Trinitarian theophany (Matthew 3:13-17//Mark 1:9-11//Luke 3:21-22). As John the Baptist foretold of this public appearance of Christ (Matthew 3:11-12//Mark 1:7-8//Luke 3:16-17), Christ come to the public scene and was no longer in obscurity upon his baptism to begin his public ministry, which climaxes with his death on the Cross and the Resurrection.  

Before encountering Christ at his Baptism, we journeyed to find him, unless you are like the Shepherd, who found him at his Nativity or like the Magi, who paid homage to infant Jesus, or like Simeon and Anna, who recognized him as long-waited Christ when he was brought to the Temple for dedication. Now, all of us, the faithful, have found him, as Christ is no longer in obscurity. we thereby begin our journey with him, going through the rest of the Paschal Mystery and beyond, as we are to begin the Ordinary Time. 

On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are encountering Christ in theophany as Christ is being baptized by John the Baptist, as the Holy Spirit is descending on him, and the Father claims him as His beloved Son. Now, we must reflect what it means to us.

If baptism were simply to cleanse our sins, then, Christ would not need to be baptized. Nevertheless, he chose to be baptized, just like us. It means that he was to dwell among us (John 1:14) and to embark on his public mission, for which he came to this world as God incarnate (John 1:1, 1:14) through Mary’s Immaculate womb (Matthew 1:18-25//Luke 2:1-21). Because he did not carry on his mission alone but recruited disciples (Matthew 1:12-22//Mark 1:14-20; Luke 5:1-11; John 1:35-42), even after he Ascended, as he called Paul (Acts 9:1-19), we heed the calling from him, as we stand ready to follow him, upon our encounter with him at his baptism.

Fr. William DeBiase, OFM, who was my pastor at the Franciscan Chapel Center in Tokyo, where I was baptized and confirmed, has said in his Baptism of the Lord reflection, “Christianity is not about how much we know but how deeply we are involved with Christ”, to juxtapose our respective baptismal call to Christ’s baptism. Fr. William reminds us that the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a great opportunity to reflect the meaning of our own baptism, so that this solemnity becomes an opportunity not only to encounter Christ in his theophany but to draw ourselves closer to him to become deeply involved with him as we are ready to journey with him as his disciples. This way, Fr. William, said, the Ordinary Time is not just an ordinary time for us, as our life with and in Christ is not an ordinary life.

In celebrating the Baptism of the Lord, in our encounter with Christ in a Trinitarian theophany, and recalling our own baptismal call, let us shift gears from our searching-for-Christ Advent-Christmas mode to journeying with Christ mode. Now, let us go forward with our Lord for meaningful extraordinary life, though it may mean to carry our daily cross!

Search Journey Guided by the Star: Our Journey to Discover Christ in Epiphany Shall Make Us One with Christ

Have you seen the star?   The Magi have said, Vidimus stellam!(We have seen the star!) when they came to Jerusalem and asked Herod, king of Judea, where the newborn king of the Jews was.

The star that the Magi saw was not just an ordinary one but stella ejus!, stella Dei! …his star!, the star of God!

Vidimus stellam is Cantus Alleluia for Sollemnitas Epiphaniae Domini :

Alleluia.  Alleluia.

Vidimus stellam ejus in Oriente, et venimus cum muneribus adorare Dominum.

(We have seen His star in the East, and are come with gifts to adore the Lord.)

Alleluia.

The text is based on Matthew 2:2, vidimus enim stellam ejus in oriente, et venimus adorare eum./For we observed his star at its rising (in the east) and have come to pay him homage.

As this stanza from “We Three Kings”, bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star, reflects, the Magi’s journey to find baby Jesus, the newborn King of the Jews, was very long and arduous. It was not that they traveled a well-established road. Rather, it was likely that they journeyed on the road that nobody else had taken. Perhaps, their journey to meet Jesus has some aspect reflecting Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”. It means that they traveled where there was no road sign but pretty much wilderness.

Imagine if we could slip back in time and bring ourselves to the time of the Magi and had to travel as they did. How many of us could make it through and find Jesus, without a paved road…without a car…without a GPS?

When we travel, we plan ahead and prepare itinerary. This is very important especially when we go abroad and venture out to unfamiliar places. We have to have something to guide our journey. In this post-modernistic high-tech era, many of us heavily depend on GPS, which is in communication with a satellite through an electric-magnetic wave.  On the other hand, for the Magi in the early first century A.D., their “GPS” was the stella ejus (his star), namely, a star of God (stella Dei), star of Christ (stella Christi). It was this star of God that the Magi saw as it was rising in the east, and they began following it westward to find Christ in Bethlehem via Jerusalem. When the star stopped to show where the newborn Christ was, they overjoyed in finding and encountering him (Matthew 2:10).

The Magi must have been exhausted as they had endured a very long difficult journey. Nevertheless, they accomplished their mission to encounter the newborn King, the Christ. Matthew does not tell if they acknowledged baby Jesus as Christ. He does not indicate whether these pagan wise men from the Orient became “Christian”.  Perhaps, what is more important for us to understand, according to Matthew, is that they made a significant investment to pay homage to Jesus, acknowledging as the King (i.e. Daniel 7:13-14, Song of Songs 3:6) by offering gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is also possible that they also acknowledged Jesus not only as the King but also as the Priest (i.e. Hebrews 2:17 ; 4:15 ; 7:26 ; 9:14) by offering frankincense, and as the Suffering Messiah (i.e. Isaiah 52:13-53:12) by offering myrrh. Furthermore, they bowed down to baby Jesus held by Mary and worshiped him (Matthew 2:11) upon their encounter with him.

What about us?  Are we putting strenuous efforts in seeking a personal encounter with Christ, as the Magi did? If so, have we seen the star that can guide us to find Christ?  

As the Magi said, we, too, want to say, “Vidimus stellam!…stella Dei est…stella Christi est!”, and “inventos Christi!”, “superventum Christi!”, finding the star of God, the star of Christ, finding Christ himself upon his arrival and appearance. After all, it is Epiphaniae to us. The Magi represent how we are to be.

We actually started our journey to find Christ as we began a liturgical year on the First Sunday of Advent.  These four Sundays of Advent are like road signs to make sure that we are on the way to find Christ.  While it was the shepherds, called by an angel, who first came and found Christ in joy on the very day of his birth, in Luke’s account (Luke 2:8-20), Matthew indicates that it was the Magi, who were learned pagan, to have found Christ before anyone else in the world, perhaps, some time after his birth (Matthew 2:1-12).

If the shepherds in Matthew 2 represent you, you may not to have to journey so far to find and encounter Christ. However, we are more like the Magi, being on a long difficult journey to find Christ, as we live in the sinful world, which Dante Alighieri reflected in “Inferno” of his “Divina Commedia”. 

We live and journey in darkness of sins of this world. For us, the star that guides our way to Christ is his mother, Mary the Theotokos, as she is the “Morning Star”, heralding the rising of the sun, the birth of Christ, as well as the resurrection of Christ.  It was Mary, whom Christ first met, when he came to this world as a newborn baby (Luke 2:1-20), and when he ressurected, according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (First Contemplation, Fourth Week, #218-225, 299) and St. John Paul II (citing Coelius Sedulius’ “Paschale Carmen” in his May 21, 1997 address to general audience), and the Filipino devotion of Salubong ng Pagkabuhay . Thus, as a morning star signals sunrise, Mary the “Morning Star” leads us to epiphany of Christ.

In fact, Advent journey into the Christmastide reflects our journey to find Christ's appearance. We started this journey of searching in darkness, juxtaposing the darkness of sins and the darkness of night, on the First Sunday of Advent. We were reminded to stay awake and vigilant (ἀγρυπνέω(agrupneo) and γρηγορέω(gregoreo)) throughout our journey. 

While our journey was in Advent season, we were reminded to see with the eyes of faith rather than naked eyes, reflecting 2 Corinthians 5:7, on the Memorial Feast of St. Lucy (Santa Lucia), December 13, so that we do not lose our way even in darkness.  This is also reflected in “La noche oscura del alma”(the Dark Night of the Soul) by St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) , whose Memorial Feast is on December 14.

With the increasing light of Advent Candles, the darkness became lessened as our journey advanced in Advent, nearing Christmas. Then, came Christmas day predawn, when Christ was born of Mary in Bethlehem.

If the shepherd in Luke 2 represent you, then, you have found Christ in the stable, then. However, like most of us, if the Magi represent you, you have not yet found Christ at that time and were still traveling, following the star. However, while Christ was still a baby, you, too, finally found Christ and rejoice, as the star points the place of Christ.

What was stella ejus in oriente (his star in the east)  for the Magi is now Maria Stella Matutina (Mary the Morning Star), and she is also known as Stella Maris (Star of the Sea). It is because Mary has been Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven), shining with heavenly light, to guide us and guide our way to her son, Jesus Christ. 

Have we seen the star?   Now, let Mary, Stella Matutina, guide our way, because she is also Madonna Della Strada (our lady of the road) in the Ignatian tradition, as stella ejus in oriente did to the Magi.  May our journey guided by Maria Stella de Caelo be consummated with our full encounter with Christ, as he desires for us in John 14:20.  Until we are one with Christ, our journey is not complete and we do not experience true epiphany. 

Though the Magi left once they paid homage to Christ, leaving gifts for him, we will not leave where he is. Unlike these pagans, we will stay with Christ and become one with him, because we are also adopted to the Holy Family.