The magi are seeking Truth. Am I seeking the Truth and finding it in Jesus Christ? Does this Truth lead me to a greater humility? What road am I on? How deep have my travels been? Read on as M. Rebecca opens up these questions further for us to ponder.
At
Christmas we had the image of four wise women. One of them was St Catherine with her hands
open and empty - ready to receive the
Baby Jesus when he came into the world.
His joy and excitement was uncontainable as he was determined to be held
and carried by Catherine. Today we have
the image of 3 wise men coming to the
Baby Jesus with their hands full -
carrying gifts for their newborn King.
We can continue the image of Jesus trying to wiggle out of Mary’s lap to
receive, not just the gifts but more importantly, the magi themselves. Their joy and excitement must have been
uncontainable as they hoped to be received by the Jesus Christ.
Tradition
has it that the names of these 3 magi were Balthasar, Casper, and Melchior, but
C K Chesterton said they could have just as easily been Plato, Pythagoras, and
Confucius! The 3 magi represent all
those who seek Truth and desire wisdom.
The question is, can we be included as one of these magi? What do we search for with energy, focus, and
zeal? It is a trickier question than
first appears. Do I really seek the
naked Truth and all its challenges and paradoxes? Or do I seek ‘my truth’ which can be “a cut
and paste” version, conveniently tailored to my way of living. If looking at Truth in the face, if seeing
our God as a helpless infant, does not challenge me to better living…I may need
to ponder again what it is I truly seek.
