Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.

Today we celebrate the procession of nations, the nations of the world coming to Jesus Christ, represented by the three Magi.

The Magi are more than a story, or a fanciful picture of three kings kneeling before our Lord. They are symbolic of God’s call to us, the gentiles. This is good news for us because we are not of Israel by the flesh.

God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled today. Abraham’s progeny is as countless as the starts of the sky and the sands of the seashore. His progeny is not only of the flesh, but of the spirit and truth. All nations have come to Him.

St. Leo the Great tells us:

The loving providence of God determined that in the last days he would aid the world, set on its course to destruction. He decreed that all nations should be saved in Christ. A promise had been made to the holy patriarch Abraham in regard to these nations. He was to have a countless progeny, born not from his body but from the seed of faith.

We are the children of Abraham and heirs of the promise. We are the new Israel. We are not the Israel of the Law, which brought no redemption, the children that rejected their Messiah, but rather we are the new Israel born of faith and the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul was very clear on this:

It has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

As co-heirs with the Jews, we must follow the example set by the Magi.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures

Their first act was an act of worship.

How hard it is for us to see that we must humble ourselves, in service, in love, and in adoration. How hard it is for us to see that we must fall down prostrate in front of Jesus Christ, real and present here in this Church. How hard it is to forget that the our prayer, our music, our groaning, our repentance, and our service are not about us. They are only about Him. When we prostrate ourselves physically and spiritually to do Him homage then we can take the next step.

That step starts the moment we walk out that door. We are to open our treasures. We are to take our words, skills, actions, and gifts and we are to use them to bear witness to the One to whom we give homage.

Isaiah’s words apply to us, the co-heirs

Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance.

Following the star was no easy task for the Magi. Being the light of the nations is no easy call for us. But by God’s providence we are to lead the world, to shine the light of truth and holiness upon all people, leading them to the surety of salvation in Christ Jesus.

The path is before us. The world is waiting. Start with worship, be assured of your adoption, and share the treasures you have been given in witness to Jesus Christ.