The story of the Magi told in today’s Gospel is a summary of the principal dynamics of the spiritual life. What are the lessons we can learn from this story?
1. Watching the night sky with scrupulous attention for signs of God’s purpose, the Magi evoke the importance of alertness in the spiritual order. We must keep our eyes open to see what God is up to. God is ever present in our lives and in our world, it is up to us to be attentive to Gods presence.
2. Once they saw the star, they moved, despite the length of the journey. Sometimes people know what God wants them to do, but they don’t act, either out of fear, laziness, or the influence of bad habits. The Magi teach us to move.
3. When they spoke to Herod of the birth of a new King, he tried to use them to destroy the baby. When you walk the path that God has laid out for you, expect opposition. We all know how difficult it is today to speak about God, our faith is a secularised world. Let us learn for the Magi.
4. The wise men came to Bethlehem and gave the child their precious gifts. When you come to Christ, break open the very best of yourself and make it a gift for him. We need to give of ourselves to Christ.
5. Finally, they returned to their home country by another route. As Fulton Sheen commented so magnificently: of course they did; for no one comes to Christ and goes back the same way he came!
We have a lot to learn from this feast-day today