Sunday Homily, January 6, Visit of the Magi
Readings: Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12
Isaiah: We finished the year with the hopeful passages from the great book of Isaiah and we begin 2008 with another of the passages. Remember these images were the dreams of people, probably men, who lived ca. 800 years B.C.
The Magi
I did it again, folks.
Rosemary & I have a custom when we are in our little bed & breakfast at Oaxaca, Mexico or in other places. In the evening we put a bottle of wine, some peanuts, and maybe some cheese on a table in the tropical little paradise of a patio the Valencia family have in their house. A bottle of wine on a table with a couple of glasses seems to draw people and we have some great conversations.
When we arrived in Oaxaca this past Dec. 29, we followed our usual custom, set it all out and prepared to wait for people to come in from their day’s adventures. I noticed that in a little alcove at the edge of the patio a lady in her mid 50’s was quietly sitting. I walked over to her and invited her to have a glass of wine with us. She declined.
When I returned to the table I mentioned it to Rosemary and she said she had already invited her, but that she had declined to her also.
Meanwhile, people drifted in and soon we had about half a dozen guests talking about their wanderings around Oaxaca, a beautiful little colonial town. All the while we were at our table the lady sat by herself in the alcove. At one point her husband came up and sat with her, but never came over. In fact, they did not even look at us.
So I did it. I said to Rosemary something like, "Those people seem rather unsociable and stand-offish."
And you know what happened. The next day at breakfast we got to know them a little more. They were from Vancouver, he French Canadian and she British. They were shy, but proved to be quite warm and friendly once we got to know them. In fact, they eventually became one of our favorite couples among a bunch of really interesting people.
On one occasion they even surprised and impressed all of us because on their own, even without Spanish, they took a country bus out to one of the mountain ranges that surround the valley in which Oaxaca is, so they could go hiking. We were impressed because not only was it a pretty adventurous trip, and they did not strike me as athletic. But also they persevered with their hike even though the day they chose happened to be one of the coldest days I have ever seen in Oaxaca. When they got off the bus in the middle of nowhere, they said the wind was blowing fiercely and eventually they ran into rain and snow. Fortunately, they had rain coats, but not a lot of warm clothing, because no one expects cold in Oaxaca. When they actually joined us around the table that evening they were celebrated. Ultimately, I think they did not drink.
I talk about this couple because they were for me something like the Magi. We imagine them as kings, but in reality they would have more resembled anything but. They are intended as symbols by Matthew, symbols of the non Jews, the ugly Gentiles, which is what we are. In other words, surprise, surprise, Matthew wants to show that Jesus appeared even to these unsavory characters.
This Vancouver couple was not unsavory in any way. Just because they did not eagerly accept my invitation to a glass of wine, I did it. I judged them negatively. Judging the book by the cover again.
Who are the Magi in your life? The people you judge?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-01-06.mp3
