The Magi coming from the East to give due homage and honor to the Messiah, the new-born King of the Jews, points us to the proper reverence due to God in our own life of faith.

Earnestly searching for the new-born king, the Magi went to great lengths to find him. Their sojourn took them some one-thousand miles, over rugged terrain, with all of the necessary supplies needed to make such a trek. They would have needed ample provisions for water and food, not only for themselves, but also for the animals they used for transport.

For them, Judea was a distant land. As they were not from the Jewish tradition, they know of the Jewish people and faith because of the long-standing historical and cultural connections between the peoples of the Middle East. They, no doubt, knew Jewish people living in their land, but their interest was more in the astrological signs that they believed announced the destiny of people and nations.

The appearance of a new star indicated to them a royal birth in Judea and they decided to make this journey to pay homage to this king. Not every king’s birth was announced by a celestial phenomenon, so they knew that this was someone whose life would change the course of history.

Imagine, then, their confusion when arriving at the royal palace in Judea that they found no new-born king. Herod seems to understand quite readily that they must be speaking of the messianic hopes and dreams that were present in Jewish apocalyptic circles of the times. As we learn as the account unfolds, these claims left Herod unsettled and searching, for his own selfish reasons, for the child messiah.

The Magi make their way to Bethlehem, while only a few miles from Jerusalem, more like a world away. This small shepherd village, birth place of the great King David, was very much off the beaten path. This is not the place where one would expect a great king to be born. This was no royal family; this was not a prestigious location. Yet here the Magi come. They have no doubt as to the reason for their visit. They do not turn away from their mission when they arrived in this humble village. They expected to find a king. Instead they found a simple family, and a young child, who must have seemed rather ordinary himself.

We do not know what Joseph and Mary made of their visit. There is no account of a dialogue among them. All we know of the visit of the Magi with the Holy Family is that the Magi worshipped in silence and presented their offerings to him.

Although the word epiphany is not used in the Biblical text, this account and the feast day on which it is observed have been called Epiphany since at least the fourth century, if not earlier. The feast points to the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. The Magi sought a king; they discovered the Savior of the World. The gifts they present to the child Jesus point to their realization – perhaps even unconsciously – that they were about to enter into the presence of God. Their rudimentary awareness of this presence is seen in their silence and awed reverence.

The journey of the Magi is a reminder to us of the mission of our own lives. Intrigued by the signs around us, we seek to find the Lord. Often, as with the Magi’s arrival in Jerusalem, we encounter stumbling blocks. We can leave, discouraged, or we can continue to search. Arriving at Bethlehem, some cannot get beyond the simplicity and humility present there that is demanded of us as we seek to enter the presence of the Lord.

Like the Magi, at some point in our lives, we are called to encounter Christ in humble surroundings, cloaked in our own humility, and silently offer our reverence to Lord, a reverence greater than any gold, frankincense or myrrh.

Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.