The Magi of the Beholder
A reflection on seeing and being seen
JMJ
Sunday January 5, 2020
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. Growing up, I always thought of an epiphany as that lightbulb moment. When you brain goes “click” and an idea forms. I guess the lightbulb was a convient way for cartoonists of the 20’s--crazy to think we are now in the “new 20’s”! — to show an inner sudden illumination. And today’s feast shows us that light click on in the form of a giant star leading the world to a little city and it’s swaddled sovereign.
The Magi are the representatives of the entire world outside of Israel. They are from the East, the Nations. They leave the rising sun and head towards the true star that their science, wisdom, and learning have lead them. All of history, all of humanity, is drawn towards the Davidic city and the glory of God contained in the smallest of packages, the Incarnate Word of God, the Child Jesus. And how strange it must be for these travelers to do homage to a great king, the King of Kings, in a cave?
They first visit Herod, assuming of course he would know where the king is to be born, as he himself is a king of the Jews. But Herod doesn’t appreciate the birth of the Messiah. He sees Christ as a threat. Herod’s advisors know the location prophesied, but they see the Nativity as just that, an old prophecy from a book of scripture. Yet “all Jerusalem ” was troubled with Herod. How did the chief priest and scribes not understand that the prophecy they knew by heart was happening in front of them? How could they miss the promise of God being fulilled in their midst? The Magi travelled for many months to arrive and for many hundreds of miles to a foreign nation. Ironically, those less than eight miles — a two hour walk — away refuse to go see their own king. Could it be that Israel forgot the Messiah when the Nations did not?
My goal this year is to reflect on the Holy Family’s perspective. So I will approach the Magi from this angle. As I write, I look over to my nearby Nativity scene. I see the Magi, tall and majestic holding out their gifts. One is on his knees, bowing before the mother and Child holding his gift. Nearby, a man stands who looks nearly identical to the King closest to the Lord. But this man has one key distinction- he has no crown. That man is Joseph.
But, in today’s readings, Joseph is notably absent. Here’s what we instead hear:
“They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
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.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.” (Mt 2:10–12)
The vistors are overjoyed at the sight of the star. Imagine their years of study, months of travel, deliberation with one another, investment of time and energy, and perhaps even their doubt, all culminating in finding the true star. The true cave. The true king. The greek Matthew uses has two adverbs, “they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy”. When they enter, we see the Magi see the Lord first. And we don’t get to see their response to the child. Rather, Matthew immediately points out the Jesus was with “Mary his mother”.
This perhaps shows us something of how we are to behold the Lord. When we come to Jesus, even if our travels are less physical, arduous, or camel-based, we must notice his closeness with the Blessed Virgin Mary. While we expect this with any infant and mother, it is still the case even at Calvary. Jesus is held by his mother not only as a babe but also as the crucified adult of the Pieta. Wherever we come to adore Jesus, we should know that Mary is close by. When we prostrate ourselves before the Lord, we do so with Mary’s pointing us in the direction of her son. Our beholding him is perhaps made even sharper using her magnifying mirror of his humanity.
Wherever we come to adore Jesus, we should know that Mary is close by. When we prostrate ourselves before the Lord, we do so with Mary’s pointing us in the direction of her son.
But again, as I look to the Nativity in my own home, I question where Joseph is in the scene. It is his family’s house after all. These kings come looking for the new king, the King who the psalmist told us during these readings would be endowed with the Lord’s judgement and justice (Ps 72). That king is a son of David through the seemingly absent St. Joseph. But if we know one thing about St. Joseph is that he is humble and silent.
He is not mentioned because he does not need to be acknowledged. Perhaps he too, as a descendent of a king, is joining the Magi in prostrating himself before the newborn King. Perhaps Joseph is making himself small, not being seen in order to better see the glory of God. We know that Mary reflects on these events in her heart; could Joseph be stepping back to do the same?
There’s one last interesting connection between St. Joseph and the Magi. Just as Joseph is warned in dreams, so are the Magi. I find it illuminating that the next line after today’s reading ends is about Joseph’s dream to flee.
“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” (Mt 2:13)
God reveals himself in various ways in the Christmas miracle: the Magi have a dream, Joseph has an angel appear in the dream, the Shepards see an Army of Angels, and Mary sees the Archangel Gabriel face to face. All these encounters show a different purpose and role in salvation history. Mary is personally told, as her fiat is what makes the plan of salvation achievable as God willed it. The Shepards are the poor and lowly looked after by the Good Shepard; the Magi are warned in a way familiar to them who studied the interpretation of dreams.
Joseph is given a direction to follow and does so with haste. His contemplation of the Lord is in the protection of the Holy Family. Kings from afar may give gifts and Shepards praise, but Joseph has to act as a father for the baby Jesus and listen attentively to God’s Word. Joseph must be so silent that he can hear God’s call to mirror the whole of salvation history. A son of Israel, Joseph, is to travel to Egypt, interpret dreams, return with his son who will rise to take the throne God established for him forever.
I read in the church bulletin about a Saint of Montreal, Brother Andre Bessette whose feast day is tomorrow. He apparently had a great devotion to Saint Joseph and build a church atop a mountain which is now St. Joseph’s Basilica. Brother Andre was much like St. Joseph in this Gospel reading. He was the porter, a doorman, that would often go unnoticed by others. His sanctity was in his smallness and his service.
St. Joseph perhaps greeted the overjoyed Magi at the cave entrance. Joseph could’ve been the porter that day. His experience was similar to the Magi’s in some ways. He too was overjoyed; he too was a dreamer; he too adored.
Perhaps today, St. Joseph will guide us as well into the mystery of the Nativity of the Word of God. He will guide us to his wife, Mary. She will smile and direct our gaze down upon her Child, the Son of God. And we too will be silent, prostrate ourselves, do Him homage, and offer the gifts we have — everything we have — to the King.
God love you!
