The visit of the Magi is a gem in the Gospel of Matthew which teaches us so much about our Christian faith. It proclaims boldly the divinity of Christ, reminds us that the Good News of Jesus Christ was intended for the whole world and teaches us about the true worship of God. It is the last point I want to focus on today.
The Magi made it clear upon their arrival in Jerusalem that they were seeking the newborn King of the Jews and had “come to do Him homage.” Their arduous journey had brought them to God and now they wanted to worship Him. Their single-hearted focus represents the Christian belief that every human being is called — by our very nature as God’s children and by God’s grace — to seek God’s face and to offer Him fitting worship. That the Magi traveled such a great distance proclaims the fact that sometimes the satisfaction of our duty to worship requires great sacrifice.
Matthew highlights the three Magis' great joy at seeing the star that led them to Christ the King. It is so important that the worship we render to God be a joyful gift to the Lord. I find it exciting to be around people who really want to worship God. They have an energy, a focus and a joy that is contagious. Their reverence and prayerfulness invite others to join in the homage that is owed to God by human beings. Worship should be something we long to do as opposed to something we dread. The joyful worship of God by the young people throughout our pilgrimage to Cologne was one of the highlights of the trip for me and the other adults who attended. Watching young people pray fervently, drop to their knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament, sing joyfully at Mass and pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with intensity at the concentration camp in Berchenau would ignite the flame of faith in most people of good will.
Clearly, our worship must include moments in our day when we break from our usual routine to praise God. These moments include attending Mass, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, prayer meetings, personal prayer in the quiet of our rooms and grace before meals. God deserves this homage because He is our Creator and Redeemer.
However, we must press beyond acts of worship and begin to live lives of worship. We worship God by choosing to follow Christ when the way is not easy, when we decide to forgive someone who has hurt us, when we faithfully fulfill the simple duties that make family life run smoothly, when we go an extra mile in the service of our neighbor. Proper worship of God means choosing each day to give glory to God with lives modeled after the life of His Son, Jesus.
We have so much to learn from the three Magi from the East, who make a brief but powerful appearance in the Gospel of Matthew. May we imitate them by diligently seeking the face of God, falling prostrate and rendering Him homage, and joyfully offering Him the gift of a life lived in loving service of our neighbor.
Fr. Peterson is Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington and interim director of the Youth Apostles Institute.
(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
