by Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.
Translated from the French by Dom Laurence Shepherd, O.S.B.
Volume 3.
Christmas - Book II.
The Magi wonder
at the emergence
of the bright new Star.
Image: FREE BIBLE IMAGES
The Magi were not satisfied with paying their adorations to the great King, whom Mary presented to them. After the example of the Queen of Saba, who paid her homage to the Prince of Peace in the person of King Solomon, these three Eastern Kings opened their treasures and presented their offerings to Jesus.
Our Emmanuel graciously accepted these mystic gifts, and suffered them not to leave Him until he had loaded them with gifts infinitely more precious than those He had vouchsafed to receive. The Magi had given Him of the riches which this Earth produces; Jesus repays them with heavenly gifts. He strengthened in their hearts the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity; He enriched, in their persons, the Church of which they were the representatives; and the words of the Canticle of Mary were fulfilled in them: He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent away empty, for the Synagogue refused to follow them in their search after the King of the Jews.
But let us consider the gifts made by the Magi, and let us, together with the Church and the Holy Fathers, acknowledge the Mysteries expressed by them. The gifts were three in number, in order to honour the sacred number of the Person in the Divine Essence, as likewise to express the triple character of Emmanuel.
He had come that He might be King over the whole world; it was fitting that men should offer gold to Him, for it is the emblem of sovereign power. He had come to be High Priest, and, by His mediation, reconcile Earth to Heaven; incense, then, was an appropriate gift, for the Priest uses it when he offers sacrifice.
The Magi follow the Star to Bethlehem.
Image: FREE BIBLE IMAGES
But, thirdly, it was only by His own death that He was to obtain possession of the throne which was prepared for His glorified Human Nature, and the perpetual Sacrifice of the Divine Lamb was to be inaugurated by this same Death; the gift of Myrrh was expressive of the Death and Burial of an immortal Victim. The Holy Ghost, Who inspired the Prophets, had guided the Magi in their selection of these three gifts. Let us listen to Saint Leo, who, speaking of this Mystery, says with his usual eloquence:
"O admirable Faith, which leads to Knowledge and perfect Knowledge, and which was not taught in the school of Earthly wisdom, but was enlightened by the Holy Ghost, Himself ! For whence had they learnt the supernatural beauty of their three Gifts ?, they that had come straight from their own country, and had not as yet seen Jesus, nor beheld, in His Infant Face, the Light which directed them in the choice of their offerings ?
"Whilst the Star met the gaze of the bodily eye, their hearts were instructed by a stronger light — the ray of Truth. Before setting out on the fatiguing journey, they knew Him, to Whom were due, by Gold, the honours of a King; by Incense, the worship of God; by Myrrh, the faith in his Mortal Nature." [Sermon the Fourth: On the Epiphany.]
But these three gifts, which so sublimely express the three characters of the Man-God, are fraught with instruction for us. They signify three great virtues, which the Divine Infant found in the Souls of the Magi, and to which He added increase by His Grace. Gold signifies Charity, which unites us to God; Frankincense, Prayer, which brings God into man's heart; and Myrrh, self-abnegation, suffering and mortification, whereby we are delivered from the slavery of corrupt nature.
The Magi follow the Star to Bethlehem.
Image: FREE BIBLE IMAGES
Find a heart that loves God, that raises herself up to Him by Prayer, that understands and relishes the Power of the Cross — and you have in that heart the worthiest offering which can be made to God, and one which He always accepts.
We, too, O Jesus !, offer Thee our treasure, and our gifts. We confess Thee to be God and Priest and Man. We beseech Thee to accept the desire we have of corresponding to the love Thou showest us by giving Thee our love in return; we love Thee, dear Saviour !, do Thou increase our love. Receive also the gift of our Prayer, for, though of itself it be tepid and poor, yet it is pleasing to Thee because it is united with the Prayer of Thy Church: Teach us how to make it worthy of Thee and how to give it the power of obtaining what Thou desirest to grant: Form within us the gift of Prayer, that it may unceasingly ascend up like sweet Incense in Thy sight.
And, lastly, receive the homage of our contrite and humble hearts, and the resolution we have formed of restraining and purifying our senses by mortification and penance.
The sublime Mysteries, which we are celebrating during this holy season, have taught us the greatness of our own misery, and the immensity of Thy love for us, and we feel more than ever the obligation we are under of fleeing from the world and its concupiscences, and of uniting ourselves to Thee. The Star shall not have shone upon us in vain: It has brought us to Thee, dear King of Bethlehem !, and Thou shalt be King of our hearts.
English: The Magi Journeying.
Français: Les rois mages en voyage.
Artist: James Tissot (1836–1902).
Date: Between 1886 and 1894.
Current location: Brooklyn Museum, United States.
Credit line: Purchased by public subscription.
Source/Photographer: Online Collection of Brooklyn Museum;
Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2006, 00.159.30_PS1.jpg.
(Wikimedia Commons)
What have we that we prize and hold dear, which we can hesitate to give Thee in return for the sweet infinite treasure of Thyself, which Thou hast given to us ?
Dear Mother of Our Jesus !, we put these, our offerings, into thy hands. The gifts of the Magi were made through thee, and they were pleasing to thy Son; thou must present ours to him, and He will be pleased with them, in spite of their poverty. Our love is deficient; fill up its measure by uniting it with thine own immense love.
Second our Prayer by thy maternal intercession. Encourage us in our warfare against the world and the flesh. Make sure our perseverance, by obtaining for the Grace of a continual remembrance of the sweet Mysteries which we are now celebrating; pray for us that, after thine own example, we may keep all these things in our hearts. That must be a hard and depraved heart which could offend Jesus in Bethlehem; or refuse Him anything now that He is seated on thy lap, waiting for our offering !
O Mary !, keep us from forgetting that we are the children of the Magi, and that Bethlehem is ever open to receive us.
The Magi follow the bright
new Star to Bethlehem . . .
Image: FREE BIBLE IMAGES
Let us borrow the language of the ancient Liturgies, in order to give expression to the sentiments awakened in us by all these ineffable Mysteries. Let us begin with a Hymn on the Nativity of Our Lord, left us by the Saintly Bishop of Poitiers, Venantius Fortunatus, which is followed by an eloquent Prayer from the Mozarabic Breviary.
In addition, there follows a Sequence from the Paris Missal of 1584 and a Hymn by Saint Ephrem, the holy Deacon of Edessa, who continues his admirable dialogue between Mary and the Magi.
Then, we turn to a Hymn from the Greek Church, which we sing to the tender Mother. The Hymn breathes so sweetly the unction and piety of Saint Joseph the Hymnographer.
The Church, today, makes Commemoration of the holy Pope and Martyr, Hyginus. He held the Apostolic Chair under the reign of Antoninus, and closed his four years' Pontificate by Martyrdom.
. . . and present their gifts
of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
to the Infant.
Image: FREE BIBLE IMAGES
