Those for Whom Jesus Is Not Hope but a Threat

On Wednesday, 19 February 2025, the Holy Father's catechesis reflected on the visit of the three Magi, traditionally believed to represent the three continents known to the ancient world, Asia, Europe and Africa.

For those attached to power Jesus is not hope but a threat

The following is the text of the catechesis of the Holy Father, prepared but not delivered, for the General Audience:

Dear brothers and sisters,

In the Gospels of Jesus’ childhood there is an episode which is exclusive to Matthew’s narrative: the visit of the Magi. Attracted by the appearance of a star, which in many cultures is the harbinger of the birth of an exceptional person, some wise men set out on a journey from the east, without knowing their exact destination. They were the Magi, people who did not belong to the people of the covenant. The last time, we spoke about the shepherds of Bethlehem, marginalized by Hebrew society because they were considered “impure”; today we encounter another category, the foreigners, who immediately went to pay homage to the Son of God who entered into history with an entirely unprecedented kingship. Hence, the Gospels tell us clearly that the poor and foreigners are invited among the first to meet God made child, the Saviour of the world.

The Magi were considered to be representatives of the primordial races, generated by the three sons of Noah; of the three continents known in antiquity: Asia, Africa and Europe; as well as the three phases of human life: youth, maturity and old age. Aside from all possible interpretations, they were men who did not stay still but, like the great chosen ones of biblical history, felt the call to move, to set out. They were men who were able to look beyond themselves, who knew how to look upwards.

The attraction for the star that appeared in the sky set them on the move to the land of Judaea, to Jerusalem, where they met King Herod. Their naivety and trust in asking for information about the newborn king of the Jews clashed with the shrewdness of Herod, who, troubled by the fear of losing his throne, immediately tried to obtain a clearer picture, contacting the scribes and asking them to investigate.

The power of the earthly ruler thus showed all his weakness. The experts knew the Scriptures and told the king the place where, according to Micah’s prophecy, the leader and shepherd of the people of Israel would be born (cf. Mi 5:1): little Bethlehem, and not great Jerusalem! Indeed, as Paul reminds the Corinthians, “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor 1:27).

However, the scribes, who were able to identify the Messiah’s birthplace with precision, showed the way to others, although they themselves did not move! Indeed, it is not enough to know the prophetic texts to tune in to divine frequencies. One must allow them to burrow within and let the Word of God revive the yearning to seek and to kindle the desire to see God.

Then, acting in secret as the deceitful and violent do, Herod asked the Magi the precise moment of the appearance of the star and incited them to continue their journey and to return to bring him news, so that he too could go and adore the newborn. For those attached to power, Jesus was not the hope to be welcomed, but a threat to be eliminated!

When the Magi set off again, the star reappeared and led them to Jesus, the sign that creation and the prophetic word represent the alphabet with which God speaks and lets himself be found. The sight of the star inspired irrepressible joy in those men, because the Holy Spirit, who stirs the heart of whoever sincerely seeks God, also filled it with joy. Having entered the house, the Magi prostrated themselves, adored Jesus and offered him precious gifts, worthy of a king, worthy of God. Why? What did they see? An ancient author wrote that they saw, “a humble little body that the Word had assumed; but the glory of divinity was not hidden from them. They saw an infant child; but they worshiped God” (cf. Chromatius of Aquileia, Comment on the Gospel of Matthew, 5:1). The Magi thus became the first believers among the pagans, the image of the Church drawn together from every language and nation.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us, too, follow in the footsteps of the Magi, these “pilgrims of hope” with great courage, who turned their steps, hearts and goods towards the One who is the hope not only of Israel but of all peoples. Let us learn to adore God in his smallness, in his kingship that does not crush but rather sets us free and enables us to serve with dignity. And let us offer him the most beautiful gifts, to express our faith and our love to him.
 

L'Osservatore Romano
19 February 2025