The visit of the Magi and a Happy New Year!

Today is my first column for the Year 2011 and I call it a divine coincidence that the very first article I’m writing is my Sunday gospel article. Perhaps it is a message for me and for my readers or a reminder from God that He is always with us, guiding us in our everyday life. Today’s gospel is about the Visit of the Magi a.k.a The Three Kings, which can be found in the Bible on Matt.21:1-12.

 “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea for thus it has been written thought the prophets.”

 6 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.”

 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. 8 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.” 9 After their audience with the king, they set out. And Behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them and stopped over the place there the child was.

 10 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 11 and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.”

 My first column for the year is supposed to be my usual New Year’s Wish List, but since this first article falls on Sunday and we do not write anything on Sunday except the gospel reading of the day, allow me to interpret this gospel reading as a message to all you my readers to follow the Magi and do homage to the Child Jesus, which we Cebuanos do especially for January as the Sinulog Festival is just around the corner.

 It is not a coincidence that the very first people to see God in the flesh were the poor shepherds (shepherds in those days were considered the lowest in Jewish society) and the Magi who really are called the Gentiles. We Filipinos also fall into the category of gentiles, so we should consider ourselves a blessed race (after all, we do come from the East of Jerusalem) that first saw the baby Jesus. That the fiesta of Cebu falls on the Feast of the Sto. Niño is, without any iota of doubt … by divine will.

 As for the Magi, the Bible says that they came from the East. But if you think about it, because the mode of transportation in ancient times were horses, camels or donkeys, and they traveled with a whole caravan, one can decipher that when the Magi saw the Star rising, it was probably long before Mary and Joseph started their journey to Jerusalem for the census.

 Basing on what is written in this Scripture passage, one can say that astrology was already a perfected art in ancient times. Even King Herod checked what was written about the coming of the Messiah and most probably he too consulted with his astrologers.Call it a blessed moment that just a few days ago, I just watched an EWTN special on the “Star of Bethlehem” produced by Stephen McEveety who produced “The Passion of Christ.”That documentary proves that the Star of Bethlehem did exist and it was Jupiter that was visually linked with its moon Regulus, which means King. This issue has been debated for centuries whether the Star of Bethlehem was a merely concoction by the writers of Christ’s Nativity. But it really happened!

 I read that the Sky and Telescope Magazine came up with an article on the Star of Bethlehem that showed that the two planets Jupiter and Venus did come together sometime in 2 B.C. in the constellation of Leo the Lion. But the EWTN documentary showed that it was really the conjunction of the Planet Jupiter and Regulus, also in the Constellation of Leo. So it could be that when the Magi saw the star rising, they packed their bags and started on their journey, which brought them to Bethlehem. When Jupiter linked up with Regulus, they were already in Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem.

 Anyway, the Magi offered the baby Jesus those famous gifts. But what about us? What do we have to offer to God as his birthday present? If any, the only thing that we can offer to God is the gift of ourselves … that for this year, we would be a changed person. A more loving, forgiving and, above all, God fearing, not because we are scared of God, but rather we are scared that we might not see God’s face in the afterlife. So Have aHAPPY NEW YEAR!           

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Email: [email protected] .(FREEMAN)