A Saviour for all

Year in and year out, as a fit conclusion to our joyful celebrations around the Christmas crib, the Church's liturgy presents us with the impressive tableau of the Three Magi reaching Bethlehem from the East and prostrating themselves in adoration around the Child Jesus.

The evangelist Matthew, or whoever was the source of his narrative, has indeed shown great ability in fitting together three basic elements: whatever historical data existed about the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem, some suitable elements contained in the Old Testament prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah, and the devotional imagination of the earliest Christian community.

All efforts, therefore, to try and explain historically some of the details contained in Matthew's account are doomed to remain fruitless. It is not easy to sort out what is historically true from what has gradually accrued to it over the centuries until the entire story as represented today eventually attained its final shape.

The Gospel account, for example, does not tell us that they were kings; they were probably not more than astrologers who were interested in the movements and location of the stars and often tried to attach some meaning to them. Nor does it say that they were three, although three gifts are mentioned.

While contemplating then the impressive tableau projected before us by the evangelist, we are invited, just a few days after the celebration of the God made man for our salvation, to concentrate our prayerful reflection mainly on two points.

The first point, so well indicated by the arrival of the Magi from the East, from among peoples who were not Jews, is that God's plan of salvation is a universal one; it was in no way restricted to the 'chosen' people, the descendants of Abraham. God, the creator and father of all men and women until the end of time, wants all His children to be saved in Christ, that is to share in his own bliss for eternity. Among these we reckon our own selves.

It is for each one of us, enlightened by the 'star' of faith, to accept Christ in our lives and to model it on the loving pattern he has traced for us, a pattern which is continually being projected for us by the Church. The Magi, or Wise Men, show us their true wisdom by the fact that they detected the star from afar and went out of their way until it pointed to the apparently insignificant scene of a child born in a manger.

Secondly, the Epiphany scene is also there to remind us that we too, on our part, after being enlightened by the star of Christ, are called to keep the light of faith and love shining for others to see.

In the Christmas narrative we are told about the few humble shepherds who not only enjoyed the privilege of being the first witnesses of the birth of a child who was to change the world, but also felt the urge to go around and pass the good news to others.

Living as we do in a world full of darkness as far as the true values of life are concerned, in a world often stricken by hatred and infected by the wrong values, it is now our duty as Christians to focus the light of faith on the spiritual darkness of our time.

Each one of us can renew the mystery of the Epiphany in our own families and among our neighbours, in our place of work and wherever we socialise with others. More than word of mouth, it is our behaviour and the sum-total of our attitudes that can turn us into shining stars pointing to Jesus Christ, the true and only Saviour of the world.