Names uncommon to most of us were used for the Wise Men in the fifth century by Greek-speaking Alexandrians: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. The Syrians call them Larvandad, Gushnasaph, and Hormisdas; the Armenians know them as Kagpha, Badadkharida, and Badadilma, while in some Eastern churches they are Hor, Karsudan, and Basanater. The fact is that in St. Matthew’s Gospel, he does not name them at all, nor does he say that there were three of them, although there were three gifts. Unlike the simple domesticity of the Holy Family, it is fitting that these "wise men" or "kings" sound exotic because the point of the Epiphany ("Manifestation") is that Christ exists for all people, and none is foreign to the King of the Universe.

The "Magi" were a priestly cast among the Zoroastrians, the followers of a monotheistic Persian religion. They were highly advanced in astronomy, and spotted the extraordinary star, which they took as a sign that a new kind of life had come into the world. They got some of this from the Hebrew prophets, for they were receptive to the inspiration of Judaism. The star may have been a rare natural phenomenon or, as St. John Chrysostom thought, a unique apparition, but the Magi let it lead them to Bethlehem after a long journey, which is why Jesus was quite likely about two years old by the time they arrived. It all fits in with the manic psychology of King Herod who massacred local boys two years old and under. The Magi proved themselves not only wise but good by seeing through Herod’s evil paranoia. Their benevolence was born of a love of truth based on experience, which is why they are the Three Wise Men and not just the Three Smart Men.

The Wise Men were free of the false sophistication of people too bored to follow any star other than their own ego. While new communications and travel have made our world a "global village," only Christ the God-Man can show us the relationship between the globe and the village. Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us in many ways how Christ is manifest to the whole world in a way that enriches various local cultures while transcending all of them. Worshiping God in local languages and customs is a gift, but we run the risk of being provincial if we are cut off from the universal Catholic experience. In 2007, the Pope’s apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum invited the faithful to share in the riches of Catholic culture wider than one race or nation. Beginning this Sunday, in addition to our regular Masses which remain as usual, the 9:00 am Mass will be celebrated in the "ever ancient and ever new" Latin and ceremonial which, as one writer said, represent a worldwide fellowship that is too universal to be merely international.

Fr. George W. Rutler