Celebrating the Wise Men

The Church celebrates the Epiphany, and the Pope takes this opportunity to wonder again at the power of revealed truth.

On the day when the Church celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles, represented by the Magi who came from the East, Benedict XVI launched a heartfelt appeal to “today’s Magi”: politicians, scientists and representatives of non-Christian religions, that they may discover that Christ is the fulfillment of their searching.

In speaking to “today’s Magi,” the pope stressed that we need a “new epiphany” in the modern world, and right now.

The urgency expressed by the pope in this missionary appeal is partly due to the fact that “twenty centuries have passed since this mystery was revealed and realized in Christ, but still it has not reached fulfillment.”…But the urgency is also down to the tragic situation gripping the modern world, empty of peace, justice and love because it is without God.

This message was basically grounded in the new epiphany that Vatican II was supposed to be, with encouragement that it’s not too late to apply the Council now. Especially with the world situation as it is.

The pope said: “In truth, all the Second Vatican Council was prompted by the yearning to announce Christ, light of the world, to mankind of today. In the heart of the Church, starting out from the top of its hierarchy, emerged the compelling desire, drawn forth by the Holy Spirit, for a new epiphany of Christ to the world, a world that the modern era had profoundly transformed and that for the first time in history had found itself facing the challenge of a global civilization, where the centre could no longer be Europe or even what we call the West and North of the world. The need emerged for a new world order in economic and political spheres but also and especially in cultural and spiritual spheres, that is, a renewed humanism.”

And to stress the difficulties prevalent today, he added spontaneously, “A new social, political and economic order does not work if there is no spiritual renewal, if we do not find God.”

Benedict is all about the basics, taught as if for the first time, with remarkable clarity.

At the end of his homily, Benedict XVI dwelt on some features of the Magi (of then and now), namely humility and passion to seek truth rather than wealth and power.

That’s sure a point to dwell on for a few minutes.

The pope said: “They prostrated themselves before a simple baby in his mother’s arms not in the setting of a royal palace but instead in the poverty of a shed in Bethlehem (cfr Mt 2:11). How was it possible? What convinced the Magi that that boy was the ‘king of the Jews’? Certainly they were persuaded by the sign of the star, which they saw ‘rising’ and which stopped right on top of the place where the Boy was (cfr Mt 2:9). But even that star would not have been enough had the Magi not been people intimately open to the truth. As opposed to King Herod, who was taken up by his interests of power and wealth, the Magi were looking towards the end of their quest and when they found it, although they were cultured men, they behaved like the shepherds of Bethlehem: they recognized the sign and adored the Boy, offering him precious and symbolic gifts that they brought with them.”

Emphasis added. For good reason. Who among the powerful is “intimately open to the truth”?

Here’s the end of Benedict’s message.

The mystery of the Epiphany “contains a demanding and ever present message” for Christians too, who often whittle their faith and witness down to activism or sentimentalism.

Notice that he refers to people on both extremes of the faith.

The pope said: “The Church, reflected in Mary, is called to show Jesus to men, nothing else but Jesus. He is the All and the Church does not exist other than to remain united in Him and to make Him known to the world.

The “do not be afraid” refrain resonates more and more with Benedict’s repeated calls to live the Gospel in the middle of the world right here, right now, no matter what.