Fr. Don’s Weekly Letter ~ 4 January 2025

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

The story of the three wise men, or Magi, from the East stands as a profound icon in the mystery of the Incarnation. These Gentile seekers, guided by a star, represent humanity’s innate longing for God, drawn irresistibly to the newborn Christ. God weaves them into salvation history not as afterthoughts, but as deliberate witnesses to the universality of Christ’s light, illuminating paths for interreligious friendship today.

The Gospel of Matthew introduces the Magi simply as “wise men from the East” who arrive in Jerusalem seeking “the child who has been born king of the Jews,” having observed “his star at its rising.” Tradition later styled them as kings—three in number, inferred from their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—but Scripture portrays them as magi, a term denoting Persian or Babylonian astrologers, philosophers, and scholars versed in the stars and ancient wisdom traditions.St. Thomas Aquinas notes they were “philosophers and wise men” in the Persian sense, not mere sorcerers, whose knowledge of celestial signs led them to recognize Christ’s glory as the source of all true wisdom. The were definitely “believers,” but rather than in the conventional way of Judaism, the older monotheistic religion of Zoroastrianism.

These men embodied the intellectual and spiritual elite of pagan cultures, poring over “the great book of the heavens” for cosmic truths. As representatives of neighboring pagan religions, they symbolize the Gentiles’ “dim expectation” of the Messiah, prepared by God across centuries through prophets and even in pagan hearts. Pope Francis describes them as having “restless hearts” stirred by the Holy Spirit, seekers of a star amid countless others, compelled to journey toward an unknown King. Their arrival in Bethlehem, warned in a dream to bypass Herod, underscores divine providence overriding human schemes.

The Epiphany is Christ’s manifestation not only to Israel but to all nations, with the Magi as “the first-fruits of the nations” who welcome salvation through the Incarnation.

In the Magi’s adoration and gifts, God fulfills prophecies like Isaiah 60:3: “nations shall walk by your light, kings by the brightness of your rising.” They represent the Gentiles joining Israel’s heritage; their wisdom discerned cosmic significance, yet required the Jewish prophets for the final step, culminating in finding the child Jesus with Mary his mother. Ignatius of Loyola contemplates them adoring and offering gifts, then departing transformed by another road—symbolizing conversion.

This episode expands the Incarnation’s scope: Christ’s birth shatters ethnic barriers, drawing all peoples into the marvellous exchange where God becomes a child so we might become children of God. As Pope John Paul II affirmed, their story echoes Nostra aetate, acknowledging rays of truth in other traditions while proclaiming Christ as the fullness.

The Magi’s journey prefigures the Church’s dialogue with all religions, integral to her mission to the peoples. Dialogue, like the Magi’s star-guided search, fosters mutual knowledge and enrichment without supplanting proclamation: salvation comes from Christ, and the Church is the ordinary means.

Today, like the Magi, people of other faiths harbor “restless hearts” seeking God; the Church draws out this desire, reflecting Christ’s light. Their story counters relativism: religions hold “true and holy” elements reflecting divine truth, yet Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” seeking peace, justice, and common good.

The Magi challenge us: heed the star of conscience, consult Scripture, adore Christ, and return transformed. In our encounters with others, too often we have failed to acknowledge one other as persons with the same human hearts first, and recognize that all God’s people are made in his image and likeness. Recognizing this opens us to others’ wisdom, firmly rooted in Christ’s uniqueness. As the Church’s “sacrament of unity,” foster authentic dialogue that purifies and unites toward the Kingdom.

In this season of Epiphany, may we, like the Magi, journey from partial truths to the full Light, bridging faiths in charity and truth.

The Lord be with you,