Archbishop Bruno Forte of the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto takes us by the hand and, together with the Magi, leads us to worship the divine Child lying in the manger.

From the East to Jerusalem: the Starting Point

Who are the Magi mentioned in the Gospel according to Matthew (2:1-12)? According to the Gospel account, they were figures who came “from the east to Jerusalem.”
In the biblical imagination, the East - where the sun rises - is the place of origins, where everything begins. The reference to their coming from the East says that the Magi set out, leaving behind their world, all their securities and rooted habits. One does not seek God without making a decision, without making a break, uprooting oneself from the reassuring context of the small universe that belongs to us, in order to open oneself to the risk of seeking the desired and hidden Face.

Pilgrims in the Night, Guided by the Star

 The Magi make their journey guided by a star: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him” (Mt 2:2, 9-10). This means that the journey takes place first of all at night: the path toward faith is not initially a luminous one. We must advance through the darkness, pilgrims toward the light, of which the star is a sign and a promise.
What is the star? In the biblical imagination, it signifies a sign that comes from heaven, reaching people in the darkness of their experience to lead them where the Lord calls them.
The star appears to guide those who seek God, emerging in the signs of expectation that people often show along their search for meaning in life and for greater justice for all, as well as in the testimonies of love that so often illuminate even the saddest and most difficult situations. Moreover, following the star toward the Child who will be born wherever it comes to rest also means going beyond oneself toward others, especially those who are small and weak.

The World’s Night and the Word of God

 The night that covers history is sometimes truly dark. And so the Lord offers us decisive help in coming to believe in Him: it is His Word, the historical revelation of His Face, fulfilled through intimately connected events and words, to which the history of salvation presented in the Bible bears witness.
The story of the Magi thus tells us that in the night of time, the Word of God is truly a lamp to our feet and a light on our path (cf. Ps 118:105).
If you want to encounter the living God, trust His Word: listen to it with humility, perseverance and confidence.

The encounter with God: joy, community, humility, adoration and self-giving

 Matthew’s account continues: «And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh» (vv. 9-11).
Here, in the simplicity of the story, we recognize the fundamental characteristics of the encounter with God, through which everything changes.
Humility and worshipful awe are the two fundamental attitudes of prayer, the expression and nourishment of faith: through humility we confess our nothingness; through adoration we allow ourselves to be filled with the fullness of God. Living such an experience creates the need to respond to love with love, offering God the gifts from the treasure chest of our hearts.

They returned to their country: living the faith in daily life

 The story of the Magi does not end here. There is a very important sequel for those who, like them, recognize themselves as “seekers of God”: «And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their country by another way» (v. 12).
Two aspects should be emphasized: encountering God does not make you escape from history, from the commitments of your daily life, or from the responsibilities to which you have been called. The eternity to which we are called is always expressed in a day, the present day in which to live our “yes” to God in faith and to testify to others the beauty of His love through charity.
The other element that the story helps us understand is that returning to ordinary life after an encounter with the Lord takes place “by another way.” You are the same, and yet you are no longer the same if you have encountered the living God. Encountering the Son of God in the Child of Bethlehem means recognizing the humility of the incarnate God and allowing yourself to be transformed by His gift, in order to become a new creature who sings through life the new song of one made new by the Spirit of God.

And you, have you ever encountered Jesus in your life? Tell us about it in the comments!