We have an interesting tradition in our monastery chapel.  From Christmas on, the statues of the three wise men are set out for all to see, though at a distance from the creche with Holy Family and shepherds.  This is because the Wise Men set out toward Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth but did not arrive until the feast of the Epiphany.  The arrangement is entirely logical but runs into some difficulty if one examines too closely the posture of the Magi.  As with most other nativity figures they are already in a posture of adoration and so appear stooped over, their faces toward the ground.  If we monks imagine them traveling to Bethlehem stooped over in this position we get the comical impression that they are searching for the Christ Child as one scours the ground looking for a lost contact lens or a missing earring.  Not a very astute way to proceed with their search!

     But the real Magi were anything but clueless and inept.  They were men of great ambition and planning and determination.  In the ancient world the appearance of a miraculous star was believed to accompany the birth of a great leader and these astrologers wished to be among the first to greet the new king.  If the story is to be understood as it is presented in Scripture, it would seem that these men traveled for up to two years on their quest.  They did not spend this time looking down at the ground but kept their eyes raised to the heavens.  The guiding star led them to Judea where they naturally sought the new king in Jerusalem, the royal city of David.  They were no doubt amazed to discover, in the humble abode of Bethlehem, no ordinary king, but rather the King of kings.

     The story of the three Wise Men is instructive for our own lives.  First of all, they set out on their journey with a lofty goal: to meet a great ruler and offer him their gifts and homage.  What is the goal of our own life’s journey but heaven, the home of the Jesus and the place of our everlasting joy?  If we don’t understand this at the outset of the journey we may never reach our destination!  Then, in pursuit of their goal the Wise Men continually looked heavenward to the great star for direction.  Where are we looking for our direction in life?  The media?  Popular opinion?  Peer pressure?  If we aren’t raising our eyes toward Jesus as he guides us in the Word of Scripture and in his Church, our eyes may be firmly fixed on nothing but the empty ground.  We may be staring at our own toes like those confused and hapless statues.

     Lastly, when the Magi were confronted with the unexpected - the sight of a humble infant born of a poor Jewish girl - they did not turn around and take their gifts back home with them.  Instead, they laid them at the feet of the tiny Savior.  They trusted that the unknown God who guides the course of stars also guides the course of history and that this infant would truly be the Great King they had hoped to meet.  Our journey to God is like that.  It is a journey of trust.  If set our hearts on the goal and raise our eyes toward the star, we can trust that God is leading us, not where we want to go, but where we need to be.  He is leading us home to Jesus.

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