HOMILY 10. Delivered to the people in the basilica of Saint Peter the Apostle, on the day of Epiphany.
READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi came from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and we have come to worship him. But when King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ would be born. And they said to him: In Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come forth a leader who will rule my people Israel. Then Herod, secretly calling the magi, carefully learned from them the time of the star which had appeared to them. And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: Go and inquire carefully about the child, and when you have found him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship him. When they had heard the king, they departed. And behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And entering the house, they found the child with Mary his mother; and falling down, they worshiped him. And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received a warning in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another way.
As you heard in the Gospel reading, dearest brothers, when the King of heaven was born, the king of earth was troubled, because earthly height is confounded when heavenly height is revealed. But we must ask why, when the Redeemer was born, an angel appeared to the shepherds in Judea, while a star, not an angel, led the Magi from the East to worship him. The reason is that for the Jews, as those who use reason, a rational creature—that is, an angel—was the proper herald; but the Gentiles, because they did not know how to use reason, were led to know the Lord not through a voice but through signs. Hence Paul also says: Prophecies were given to believers, not to unbelievers; but signs to unbelievers, not to believers; because prophecies were given to the former as believers, not unbelievers, and signs to the latter as unbelievers, not believers. And it should be noted that when our Redeemer was already of mature age, the apostles preached him to those same Gentiles, but when he was an infant, not yet speaking through the function of a human body, a star announced him to the Gentiles, because the order of reason demanded that speaking preachers should make known to us the Lord who now spoke, while mute elements should proclaim him who did not yet speak.
But in all the signs which were shown either at the Lord's birth or at His death, we must consider how great was the hardness in the hearts of certain Jews, which recognized Him neither through the gift of prophecy nor through miracles. For all the elements testified that their Author had come. To speak of them somewhat in human terms: the heavens recognized that He was God, because they immediately sent forth a star. The sea recognized Him, because it offered itself to be walked upon beneath His feet. The earth recognized Him, because it trembled when He died. The sun recognized Him, because it hid the rays of its light. The rocks and walls recognized Him, because at the time of His death they were split apart. Hell recognized Him, because it gave back the dead whom it held. And yet Him whom all the insensible elements perceived as Lord, the hearts of unbelieving Jews still do not at all recognize as God, and, harder than rocks, they refuse to be split open for repentance, and they deny to confess Him whom the elements, as we said, proclaimed as God either by signs or by being rent asunder. Moreover, to add to the measure of their damnation, Him whom they despise now that He is born, they knew long beforehand would be born. And they knew not only that He would be born, but also where He would be born. For when questioned by Herod, they specify the place of His birth, which they had learned by the authority of Scripture. And they bring forth the testimony by which Bethlehem is shown to be honored by the birth of a new ruler, so that their very knowledge might become both a testimony of damnation for them and an aid to belief for us. Isaac indeed aptly prefigured them when he blessed his son Jacob; for with eyes grown dim yet prophesying, he did not see his son present before him, to whom he foresaw so many things in the future, because indeed the Jewish people, filled with the spirit of prophecy yet blind, did not recognize in His present coming the One about whom they had foretold so many things concerning the future.
But when the birth of our King became known, Herod turned to cunning schemes, lest he be deprived of his earthly kingdom. He requests that it be reported back to him where the child might be found; he pretends that he wishes to adore him, so that he might destroy him (as if he could find him). But how great is human malice against the counsel of divinity? For it is written: There is no wisdom, there is no prudence, there is no counsel against the Lord. For the star which appeared led the Magi onward; they find the newborn King, they offer gifts, and they are warned in dreams not to return to Herod; and so it happens that Herod cannot find the Jesus whom he seeks. By his character, who else is signified but hypocrites, who, while they seek falsely, never deserve to find the Lord?
But amid these matters it should be known that the Priscillianist heretics believe that each person is born under the configurations of the stars; and they take this in support of their error, that a new star appeared when the Lord appeared in the flesh, and they believe that the star which appeared was his fate. But if we consider the words of the Gospel, where it is said of the same star: "Until it came and stood over where the child was," since the child did not run to the star, but the star ran to the child, if it may be said, the star was not the fate of the child, but the child who appeared was the fate of the star. But far be it from the hearts of the faithful to say that fate is anything real. For the Creator alone who made this life of men governs it. For man was not made for the sake of the stars, but the stars were made for the sake of man. And if a star is called the fate of a man, man is declared to be subject to its own ministrations. Certainly when Jacob, coming forth from the womb, held the heel of his elder brother with his hand, the first could by no means come forth completely unless the second had also begun; and yet although their mother brought forth both at one time and at the same moment, the quality of each one's life was not the same.
But the astrologers are accustomed to respond to this by saying that the power of a constellation is in the instant of a moment. To them we say in reply that the duration of birth is considerable. If therefore a constellation changes in the instant of a moment, it will now be necessary for them to declare as many fates as there are limbs of those being born. The astrologers are also accustomed to affirm that whoever is born under the sign of Aquarius will obtain the occupation of a fisherman in this life. But Getulia, as it is said, has no fishermen. Who then would say that no one is born there under the star of Aquarius, where there is absolutely no fisherman? Again, those whom they assert are born under the sign of Libra, they say will become money-changers; and the provinces of many nations know nothing of money-changers. Therefore they must confess either that this sign is absent among them, or that it has no fated effect whatsoever. In the land of the Persians and Franks, kings come forth from their lineage; and when these are born, who would estimate how many are born at the same moments of hours and times from a servile condition? And yet the sons of kings, born under one and the same star with slaves, advance to the kingdom, while the slaves who were born with them die in servitude. We have spoken briefly about the star, lest we seem to have passed over the foolishness of the astrologers without examination. But the Magi bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold indeed befits a king, frankincense was placed in sacrifice to God, and with myrrh the bodies of the dead are preserved. Therefore the Magi proclaim through mystical gifts the one whom they adore: by gold a king, by frankincense God, by myrrh a mortal. But there are certain heretics who believe him to be God, but do not believe that he reigns everywhere. These indeed offer him frankincense, but refuse to offer gold as well. And there are some who consider him a king, but deny he is God. These offer him gold, but refuse to offer frankincense. And there are some who confess him to be both God and king, but deny that he assumed mortal flesh. These offer him gold and frankincense, but refuse to offer myrrh of assumed mortality. Let us therefore offer gold to the newborn Lord, that we may confess he reigns everywhere; let us offer frankincense, that we may believe that he who appeared in time existed as God before time; let us offer myrrh, that we may believe him whom we believe to be impassible in his divinity to have also been mortal in our flesh. Although in gold, frankincense, and myrrh something else can also be understood. For by gold wisdom is designated, as Solomon attests, who says: A desirable treasure rests in the mouth of the wise. By frankincense, which is burned to God, the power of prayer is expressed, as the Psalmist testifies, who says: Let my prayer be directed as incense in your sight. By myrrh the mortification of our flesh is figured; hence the holy Church says of her workers who strive for God even unto death: My hands have dripped with myrrh. Therefore we offer gold to the newborn King if we shine in his sight with the brightness of heavenly wisdom. We offer frankincense if we burn the thoughts of the flesh on the altar of the heart through holy devotion to prayer, that we may be able to give forth a sweet fragrance to God through heavenly desire. We offer myrrh if we mortify the vices of the flesh through abstinence. For by myrrh, as we said, dead flesh is prevented from putrefying. But for dead flesh to putrefy is for this mortal body to serve the flow of lust, as is said of certain people through the prophet: The beasts of burden have rotted in their dung. For beasts of burden to rot in their dung is for carnal men to end their lives in the stench of lust. Therefore we offer myrrh to God when we preserve this mortal body from the putrefaction of lust through the seasoning of continence.
The magi hint at something great for us by the fact that they return to their own country by another way. For in doing what they were warned to do, they surely suggest to us what we should do. Our country is paradise, to which, once we have come to know Jesus, we are forbidden to return by the way we came. For we departed from our country by being proud, by being disobedient, by following visible things, by tasting the forbidden food; but we must return to it by weeping, by obeying, by despising visible things, and by restraining the appetite of the flesh. Therefore we go back to our country by another way, because we who departed from the joys of paradise through pleasures are called back to them through lamentations. Hence it is necessary, dearest brothers, that we, always fearful and always watchful, set before the eyes of our heart on one side the sins of our deeds, on the other the judgment of final severity. Let us consider how severe the judge comes who threatens judgment yet remains hidden; who holds out terrors to sinners and yet still forbears; and therefore delays coming sooner so that he may find fewer to condemn. Let us punish our sins with weeping, and with the voice of the Psalmist let us come before his face in confession. Therefore let no deceit of pleasures deceive us, let no vain joy seduce us. For near is the judge who said: "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." For hence Solomon says: "Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and mourning takes hold of the end of joy." Hence he says again: "I counted laughter an error, and to joy I said: Why are you vainly deceived?" Hence again he says: "The heart of the wise is where sadness is, and the heart of fools is where gladness is." Let us therefore fear the precepts of God, if we truly celebrate the solemnity of God. For a sacrifice pleasing to God is affliction against sin, as the Psalmist testifies who says: "A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit." Our past sins were forgiven in the receiving of baptism, and yet after baptism we have committed many sins, but we cannot be washed again by the water of baptism. Since therefore we have defiled our life even after baptism, let us baptize our conscience with tears, so that, seeking our country again by another way, we who departed from it delighted by good things may return to it embittered by evils, through the grace of our Lord, etc.