“And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.” — Isaiah 60:3
On this most radiant solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord, Holy Church bids us to contemplate the mystery of Christ revealed to the Gentiles, the manifestation of the divine Light to the nations. In the sacred texts appointed for this feast — Isaiah’s luminous prophecy and the Gospel of the Magi’s adoration — we behold both fulfillment and mystery: the Infant King, made known not to the great ones of Israel, but to wise men from the East.
“Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come.” — Isaiah 60:1
The voice of Isaiah echoes with joy across the centuries, calling Jerusalem — type and figure of the Church — to rise in splendor, for the true Light has come. The Fathers saw in this prophetic utterance the dawn of the New Covenant, when the Light of the World, veiled in flesh, would dispel the darkness not only of Israel but of the whole earth.
St. Leo the Great, in his Sermon on the Epiphany, exclaims:
“A star with new splendor invites wise men from afar; they recognize not only a royal birth but one from heaven. The appearance of this heavenly light sets their hearts ablaze.”
Here, the Magi stand as the firstfruits of the Gentiles — seekers of truth, who read the signs of creation and journey to find the Creator Himself.
The treasures they lay at the feet of the Child — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — speak not only of honor and devotion, but also of theology: gold for His kingship, incense for His divinity, myrrh for His future Passion and burial. As St. Gregory the Great teaches:
“By the gold they proclaim a king, by incense God, by myrrh a mortal man.”
Thus do they confess, in gesture and gift, the full mystery of the Incarnation.
“We have seen His star in the East, and are come to adore Him.” — Matthew 2:2
The Gospel (Matt 2:1–12) unfolds like a sacred drama. The Magi, led by a star, arrive in Jerusalem, only to find that those who possess the Scriptures — the chief priests and scribes — are unmoved. The pagans travel far to seek Him; the chosen remain in place. This is the mystery of the Gentiles being grafted into the promises, as St. John Chrysostom comments:
“The Jews hear and remain unmoved; the Magi hear and journey with great desire… see how faith came from the ends of the earth while unbelief reigned in the heart of Israel.”
Herod, feigning piety, plots murder — the shadow of the Cross already falls over the crib. But the Magi, warned in a dream, depart another way, as Origen remarks:
“Having come to Christ, they do not return the same way — for our path is changed when we meet Him.”
The Church and the Light of the Nations
In this great feast, the Church celebrates her catholicity — that the Savior came not for one nation only, but for all. Isaiah’s vision of camels and gold-bearing kings (Isa 60:6) finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, as the wealth of the nations flows toward the Light of Bethlehem.
But we also find ourselves in this story. For the Magi are figures of all souls who seek truth sincerely. They remind us that the Christian life is a pilgrimage — guided not by our own wisdom, but by the light of divine Providence. As St. Augustine exhorts:
“We must imitate the Magi. Let us, too, adore Him with gold — our virtue; with frankincense — our prayer; and with myrrh — our mortification.”
A Star Still Shines
Though the star that guided the Magi no longer burns in the sky, a brighter light shines forth in the Church — in her sacraments, her doctrine, and her liturgy. This day, a first-class feast in the traditional calendar, is not merely a commemoration of a past event. It is a living reality. The Epiphany continues in every soul that rises from the darkness of sin and error and sets out for Bethlehem.
May we, like the Magi, bow low before the humble King, and may our gifts — hearts contrite and wills obedient — be acceptable in His sight.
Prayer (from the Traditional Roman Breviary):
O God, who on this day didst reveal Thine Only Begotten Son to the Gentiles by the leading of a star: mercifully grant that we who know Thee now by faith, may be brought to behold the beauty of Thy majesty. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sursum corda!
Let us lift up our hearts with the Magi, and adore.