Jerusalem, saying: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star (3) in the East, and are come to adore him. King Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. They said to him, In Bethlehem of Juda; for so it is written by the prophet: And thou, Bethlehem, the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda; for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them, and sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go (4), and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him. Having heard the king, they went their way,"

the opinion of their having come from Arabia, which is placed southeast of Judea, from which it is not very far distant; and this opinion is generally adopted.

(3) We have nothing but conjecture as to the nature of the star which appeared to them, in what part of the heavens they descried it, and the manner in which their course was thereby directed. Here are the most probable which have been made. This was not a real star, but a meteor more brilliant than stars usually are, inasmuch as its lustre was not eclipsed by the brightness of daylight. They saw the star over Judea; for how could it have made them think of the birth of a new King of the Jews, had they seen it over the country which they inhabited; and could the prophecy which said, a star shall be born of Jacob, be applicable to a star which may have suddenly arisen over Arabia? Placed over Judea, this star, by its position alone, furnished them with a guide; nor was it necessary to see it set in motion to ascertain whither they should direct their steps. Once arrived at Jerusalem, they no longer saw the star. If it were, as has been said, in order to test their faith that God made the star disappear, his principal intention was to disclose to the Jews, by means of the Magi, the Messiah's birth, and to the Magi, by means of the Jews, the spot where the Messiah should be born, and the accordance of the prophecies with the miraculous sign which had attracted them.

(4) Herod reasoned thus: should the inquiry be made in my name and by my people, mistrust will make them conceal the child, whereas they will be all eagerness to find out the child for these good-natured East-men, of whom no one has the slightest diffidence. This was subtle reasoning; but the man did not reason when he ordered the murder of the innocents. For this murder was useless if the Messiah were not born; and if the Messiah were born, God, who had promised him to the world, could not allow him to be enveloped in the general massacre. When Herod was subtle, God made a mockery of his subtlety; when he was irrational, God allowed him to commit, without reaping any fruit to himself, a crime which has rendered him the execration of all ages. Ye wise and mighty of the world, how foolish, how weak are ye when you dare to cross the designs of the Deity!

without distrust, and disposed to satisfy him; and "behold the star which they had seen in the East went before them until it came and stood over where the child was. Seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and entering into the house (5), they found the child with Mary his mother (6), and falling down, they adored (7) him." Afterwards "opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh (8), and having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another into their country."

way

That prince awaited their return; and since he reckoned upon them, it seems that he made no other inquiries (a), "when, after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses (9), were

(a) St. Luke, ii. 22–32.

(5) The majority of the old writers affirm that this was in the stable of Bethlehem; others think Mary had quitted a by-place so inconvenient, and had taken another lodging. The truth is not known; but if we confine ourselves to the text, we will find it difficult to credit that what is called simply the house could have been a stable.

(6) Joseph is not named, which gives ground to the presumption of his absence; for when the shepherds came to the manger, and on the other occasions when Joseph was present, the Evangelists make mention of him. Those who are anxious to give a reason for every thing, say that God permitted his absence, lest the Magi might fancy him the father of Jesus Christ. This idea was utterly independent of his presence or absence, and must still have been prevalent in the minds of the Magi, had not God revealed to them that the child whom they adored was the son of a virgin.

(7) Scripture frequently employs this term to signify the homage rendered to kings or personages for whom we have a high respect. In this passage the term is more commonly taken in the sense of adoration properly speaking, because there is very little doubt but the Magi knew by a supernatural light the divinity of Jesus Christ.

(8) These presents were mysterious. By gold, they recognized the royalty of Jesus Christ; by incense, his divinity; and by myrrh, which was used in embalming bodies, his humanity in suffering and mortal flesh. We shall imitate them, said a holy father, by offering to God the gold of charity, the incense of prayer, and the myrrh of mortifi

cation.

These were our first fruits, and the vocation of the Gentiles commenced by them. Hence the unusual joy with which we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.

(9) Here we should notice two distinct laws-one, which obliged those who had borne children to come and be purified at the temple after a certain number of days; the other, which prescribed the offering of every first-born male to the Lord. It may be asked, whether both these laws regard Jesus Christ and Mary? Jesus Christ, who is God, is above every law. Yet, having voluntarily submitted himself to the observation of the Mosaic law, he could not, as he was the first-born, fail in accomplishing the law referring

accomplished, she carried Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice, as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves, or two pigeons. At this time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. This man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was in him: he had even received an answer from the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came by the Spirit into the temple; and when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law (10), he took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace, because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."

Thus we see literally accomplished in this holy old man that expression of the Psalmist: (a)." I will fill him with length of days, and I will show him the salvation." But the favor surpassed the promise: for, not content with allowing him to see, the Lord permitted him to clasp his Saviour in his arms; and besides the consolation of Israel which he expected, he was moreover gladdened by the knowledge of the vocation of the Gentiles, and that salvation was thrown open to all people-a truth which was pointed out by all the prophets, but which was then scarcely known, and which the Apostles themselves did not entirely understand until some time after the descent of the Holy Ghost.

(a) Psalms, xc. 16.

to this qualification. The law of purification had for its object the expiation of the legal impurity which women contracted in consequence of their child-bearing. Mary, whose divine parturition had been purer than the sunbeam, was not in the case contemplated by the law; still her perfect purity was an unknown mystery, and the time was not yet come to reveal it. Wherefore she could not dispense herself from the common obligation, without causing herself to be regarded as a prevaricator, that is to say, without giving scandal. Thenceforth did it not become an obligation on charitable grounds?

(10) That is to say, offer him to the Lord, and redeem him afterwards, by giving five shekels of silver, as is marked out in the 18th chapter of the book of Numbers; for the offering of the lamb or of the turtles was only for the purification of the mother.