The Magi who came from the East are strange characters, anonymous despite their designation; perhaps they are priests who studied the stars, and they are certainly foreigners. The Magi were there at the beginning, but going out to meet everyone, without exception, will be Jesus' style; indeed, he will go out to seek the lambs where they are.

 

We, like the Magi, are a people of pagans who live in distant lands. Our condition is that of the man who is discouraged by his sin and feels the great distance that separates him from God. The Magi come to Jerusalem, the center of the earth, of God's presence among the people. And they ask, "Where is the king?" They are seeking Him because they want to "worship him." They are the ones who, having received the message of the star, bring—to Jerusalem!—the news of the birth of the King. Epiphany, a feast of light, proclamation and encounter.