Journey of The Magi

Faith / Spirituality

By Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas –

One of the many beautiful things about Christmas is that it presents us with spiritual nourishment in a variety of ways, benefiting people of all ages and different levels of theological knowledge.

As we are still in the season of Advent, awaiting the Nativity of our Lord, I would like to propose for our meditation this year, the journey of the Magi. Of course we do not know for sure that the Magi arrived at Christmas time; there seems to have been some time interval involved. All we can be sure of is that they visited at a time when Jesus was believe to be less than two years old, and the Star in the heavens had not yet ceased to give its light. The Church has conventionally commemorated their journey on the feast of the Epiphany, which in India falls on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.

Their journey had four main features.

  1. They left their homes

  2. They followed the Star

  3. They found the Lord

  4. They offered him their treasures.

These features can be seen as symbolic of our spiritual life as a whole.

  1. They left their homes: The “home” is a symbol of one’s comfort zone. Every spiritual journey begins when we decide to shake ourselves a bit and come out of the cocoons of routine and complacency that we have constructed around ourselves. The more we are attached to our present lives, the less we are capable of receiving the new life that Jesus brings. One suggestion: a good confession (including a complete examination of conscience and a resolution to amend one’s life) can help us to free ourselves from inordinate attachments.
  2. They followed the Star: The wise men had dedicated themselves to the pursuit of heavenly wisdom, and they finally found it, by discerning rightly. Advent is a time of spiritual preparation to meet the Lord. And the Star that guides us to him is the light of faith. To follow the Star, therefore, means to search for the Truth by deepening our awareness of the Christian faith which is nothing but the light of heavenly Wisdom bringing us to God himself. Family Bible study or reading the Catechism in groups can help us to grow in our understanding of the faith.
  3. They found the Lord: After all, Jesus is the reason for the season! Let us never forget that He is at the centre of all our Advent activities. A Happy Christmas is a Christ-centred one. Let us spend our days of preparation thinking of him and talking to him, seeing his face in the people around us, and feeling his presence in our family gatherings, our carols, our Advent sacrifices and our deeds of charity. We have to MAKE him present, in a certain sense.
  4. They offered him their treasures: Gold, Incense and Myrrh are a symbol of our earthly possessions, our adoration and our love. Let us give the Lord the best we can – from the treasures that HE has given us. Our hearts are our greatest treasure, but let us make them a worthy offering fit for the King! How much of our time can we offer to the Lord? Is there any sacrifice that we can make for his sake? Do we have a precious talent that we can use for Jesus, not only on Christmas day but all through the year?

May God love and bless you on your Advent journey, and may Mary our Mother guide us to Jesus this Christmas. I wish us all a Joyful and Spirit-filled Christmas.

Rev. Fr. Adrian Mascarenhas has served as the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Patrick’s Church and Ascension Church, and has completed two years of ministry at St. Peter’s Church, Bangalore, India. He received his licentiate in sacred theology from Dharmaram Vidya Kshethram and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome.