The Wisdom of the Magi. Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (A)"Desire is not the desire of the moment," Pope Francis saysOn January 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Francis focused his usual Angelus reflection on the gifts of the three Magi: the call, discernment and surprise.
The call
Regarding the first of the gifts, the call, the Pope says that "the Magi did not intuit it by reading the Scriptures or through a vision of angels, but by studying the stars. This tells us something important: God calls us through our greatest desires and aspirations." To heed this call, Francis says, "the Magi allowed themselves to be amazed and discomfited." When they saw the star, "they felt called to go beyond. This is also important for us: we are called not to be content, to seek the Lord by going out of our comfort, walking towards Him with others, immersing ourselves in reality. For God is calling every day, here and today, in our world".
Discernment
The second gift of the three Kings is the discernment. "Because they are looking for a king, they go to Jerusalem to speak with King Herod, who, however, is a man greedy for power and wants to use them to eliminate the child Messiah. But the Magi are not fooled by Herod. They know how to distinguish between the goal of their journey and the temptations they encounter along the way." Recalling the catecheses the Pope has preached on discernment since August 2022, during the Angelus he exclaimed, "How important it is to know how to distinguish the goal of life from the temptations along the way! To know how to renounce what seduces, but leads astray, in order to understand and choose God's ways!"
The surprise
There is a third gift that we can contemplate if we reflect on the passage of the three wise men. The Pope invites us to look at what happens when these wise men arrive at the manger who, "after a long journey, what do these men of high social standing find? A baby with his mother". One might think of disappointment since "they do not see angels like the shepherds, but find God in poverty. Perhaps they were expecting a powerful and prodigious Messiah, and they find a baby". But the Magi do not let themselves be carried away by their own expectations, "they do not think they have made a mistake, they know how to recognize it. They accept God's surprise and live their encounter with him in wonder, adoring him: in their littleness they recognize the face of God". The Holy Father assures us that "this is how the Lord is found: in humility, in silence, in adoration, in the little ones and in the poor".
The three gifts in the life of a Christian
Francis concludes by inviting all Christians to seek and guard in their own lives the three gifts of the passage of the three Magi. "We are all called by Jesus, we can all discern his presence, we can all experience his surprises. Today it would be good to remember these gifts, which we have already received: to remember when we felt a call from God in our life; or when, perhaps after much effort, we were able to discern His voice; or also, in an unforgettable surprise that He has given us, astonishing us. May Our Lady help us to remember and guard the gifts we have received".
