Eucharistic Journey: Epiphany — From the Outside In
with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to
him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the
prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to
shepherd my people Israel.”’ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and
ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them
to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search diligently for the child. When
you have found him, bring me word, that I, too, may go and do him
homage.’ After their audience with the king, they set out. And behold,
the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and
stopped over the place where the child was” (Mt 2:3-9).
When we are caught up in contemplative wonder, our spirits move in equal
parts joy and curiosity. This is holy wonder and amazement.
Two things disturb me about the Magi and their encounter with King
Herod. First, the chief priests and the scribes of the people, that is,
the “experts,” had knowledge of the origins of the Christ. It was in the
Scriptures they studied and prayed every day! But it was the novices,
not the experts, who took that knowledge to heart.
Information is one thing, understanding is another, and authentic action
is yet another. Appreciating the significance of a prophecy is one thing
and knowing its practical implications for our lives is another. But our
actions — are they congruent with what we know to true? What “held”
the experts? Was it their comfort, their pride? Something kept their
hearts tethered to the routine, the familiar, and their sense of place. The
Magi, on the other hand, were diligent in searching, open to listening,
and, believing the word of the authorities, eager to act on that word.
The economy of the sacraments, notably reconciliation and the Eucharist,
is a gift that never lets us wander aimlessly in meaningless banality
and isolation. The sacraments don’t “work” because of prominence
or privilege; they work in spite of them, inwardly. The sacraments are
anchors that allow us to journey onward into new territory.
Secondly, the Magi’s trust of those with special knowledge cuts across
the grain of my self-certitude. We live in a time of cynicism. I have
been taught to distrust every authority figure, especially religious and
political figures of all stripes. I presume to know what motivates them,