The Magi as Proto-Evangelized

In the Church we use the word “proto” to signify first.  Saint Stephen, my patron, is called the “proto-martyr” because he was the first to be martyred for the faith.  We could call the magi from the East, the “proto-evangelized” for they were the first to experience an encounter with Jesus, which is what evangelization is.   

The magi are searching for the truth.  We call them “wise men” because they knew the pseudo-Socratic truth that the wise person is the one who knows he is not wise.  They were searching for a truth, not just in themselves, or even in this world.  By looking at the stars, they were symbolically searching for a truth that transcends this world.  In seeing the rising star, they were willing to search for the truth no matter what the cost. 

 

Evangelization is opening up to others the truth of Jesus Christ and Catholicism. Of course, if someone is satisfied with life, if they are content with who they are and what they have, it is difficult to bring them to the truth of Jesus Christ and the Church.  Before we evangelize, it is important to awaken someone to the hunger for truth. 

Overjoyed at seeing the star stop, they enter the house in Bethlehem.  The house is in some ways, the first church.  Instead of a tabernacle and a statue of Mary, there is the reality; Mary herself adoring Jesus Christ, truly present in the flesh. This is why they prostrated themselves, bowing low before Jesus and giving him homage. 

These men knew they were seeing more than a child.  They were having an audience with a king.  Jesus is more than just a worldly king or a wise philosopher.  He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who provides a wisdom which leaves the wise in the dust and reveals his wisdom to the simple and childlike.  This was an encounter with Jesus the King.  Encounter is an under-utilized word for Catholics but it is THE word for evangelization.  Evangelization is providing the opportunities for others to encounter Jesus Christ.   

While the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh are symbolic gifts of who Jesus is, they can also be seen as representative of the best the magi had to offer.  In this encounter, these wise men wish to give him their best.  This is a good way to judge our discipleship. Do I truly want to give Jesus my best? How much of my life am I willing to turn over to him? 

The encounter also has another effect.  They now see Herod for who he truly is.  They now see that he is not a good man, that he is a counterfeit king.  By being in the presence of the true king, they are awakened to the evil intentions of the fake king.    Herod, in this Gospel, is a symbol of sin.  By spending time with Jesus, recognizing him as Lord and Savior, our eyes are opened to the reality of sin and evil.  Within the relationship with the true, good and beautiful savior, the reality of sin shows its face; as a counterfeit king that wishes to destroy us. 

With that we arrive at the final symbolic action; going home a different way.  Warned in a dream of Herod’s evil intentions, they went home another way.  Like the magi, when we have encountered Jesus Christ, we cannot return to our former ways of life.  Jesus Christ awakens in us an awareness of the dangers of sin and calls us to another way of life.  The Epiphany is a special feast for those who have a heart for evangelization.