Journeying with the Magi

(Matthew 2:1-12) (The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ)
According to the Fathers, the Magi came from Persia, which today is the country of Iran. We don’t know, exactly, where they came from; but the distance from Tehran to Jerusalem is about 1,000 miles. Now, even today, that’s not a trip most people would take lightly. That’s a trip of 10 to 12 hours (or more) by car; and even flying, that’s a trip that will take several hours. Made on a camel, well, if you cover 20 miles a day, it’s a trip of 50 days! According to one source, a fast camel, ridden all-out, can go 70 m.p.h.; but that still leaves a journey of between 14 and 15 days.

The point here isn’t to recommend you go by camel the next time you make a long trip! It is something for us to think about: The Magi made a long and tiring journey to a strange land to worship a new-born king they did not know. They left behind what was familiar to them, and the people and patterns that supported them in their everyday lives in order to bring themselves, and the gifts they carried, to honor and worship our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His birth.

Some of you can appreciate the “traveling” aspect of this. As I recall, it’s about 85 miles or so, round trip, between where some of you live, in Surprise, and the church. It’s about 110 miles or so, one way, from Tucson; and a bit more, one way, from Chino Valley. Hey, if you think the trip is bad now, consider having to make it on camel-back! (Of course, you should come south on either 16th or 24th streets from Camelback…)

But even those of us who live (relatively) nearby, in terms of physical mileage, as well as those who live far away, are called, spiritually, to join the Magi in their journey. Each one of us is called to leave behind the familiar world around us, and to make a journey to a “land” that, by the standards of our world, of our culture, is “strange.” We are called by God to make a journey to come to His kingdom – to come to the Church, the “port of entry” to the kingdom, where we are meant to leave the world and its ways behind. We are meant to come to worship Him, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The journey, in all probability, has been, and will continue to be, a long and difficult one. There will be days and times when the circumstances seem to conspire to try to force us to turn back, or to slow us down, to block the way. There will be days when we are sick, or weak, and will not be able to travel; or, at least, will not want to travel. There will even be times when we turn aside from the path, and lose ourselves in our sins and passions. But let us press on, and come to Him Who has come to us, to save our souls, and to make us one with Him. Let us come to Bethlehem in Judea to honor Him, and to be with Him. By the way, Bethlehem means, “House of Bread”; and Judea means, “confession.” This, the Fathers tell us, is how we come: We come to the House where the Bread – His Body – is offered; we come to receive Him into ourselves through the Mystery of His Most holy Body and precious Blood; and the pathway is by repentance, and confession of our sins. In His House, the Church, we are forgiven, and healed, and strengthened, and blessed – and He makes it possible for us to continue the journey.

Brothers and sisters: Let us come to Bethlehem; let us adore Him Who is born this day. Let us honor and obey Him as our Lord and King; and make the journey on which He leads us, to leave this world behind, and travel with Him to His kingdom. It is the way of prayer and fasting and giving and struggle; it is the way of tears; it is the way of faith. Let us receive Him Who is the Bread of Life, and then bear Him in ourselves into the world, that they also might know Him, and follow Him, through us, as we travel the way of faith; to the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls.

Christ is born!