Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. Sometimes referred to as King’s Day, it is traditionally celebrated on January 6th. On this day we celebrate when Jesus’ divinity was publicly manifested to the world. We might be thinking to ourselves, “Didn’t this happen when Jesus was born?” Not exactly. When Jesus was born not too many people knew about it. The only people that knew that Jesus was born was Joseph and Mary, of course, and the shepherds.    
   The 3 Wise Men did not visit Jesus when He was born. Movies consistently get this wrong. The Wise Men did not visit Jesus until 12 days later on January 6th. This is precisely why the Church has traditionally celebrated this day on January 6th because Church tradition sets that day 12 days after Jesus’ birth.
   So how is the visit of the Magi a more public event then Jesus’ birth? Part of what makes the Magi a significant event is that they are the first of the Gentiles to pay Jesus homage. Gentiles are non-Jews. Whenever we see gentiles in Scripture they represent us. In a sense, the worship of Jesus Christ down through the centuries is represented, or symbolized, in this humble act by these 3 men.
   Even the Christian life can be wrapped up in what little we know of them. We know that they came from far away. They made a journey, or a pilgrimage, because they knew what they saw in the night sky meant that the savior of the world was now here. That journey came to its finality when they worshipped the Christ Child, when they beheld Jesus.
   We, too, are on a journey to see Jesus. The entire Christian life here on earth can be summed up as a journey to see Jesus. Their perseverance, their fortitude, their hope can help to enliven and encourage us to imitate them. And we can imitate them because they are considered saints in the Church. They would later convert to Christianity formally and are canonized saints in the Church. Their relics are in the cathedral in Cologne, Germany. They can be venerated, prayed to, and imitated.
   May these three men, these three saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar intercede for us. May their lives inspire us to continue living here in hope, until we hear what they hear, see what they see. Our destination is not Bethlehem, but Heaven. We are not heading to see a newborn child, but the Triune God, Christ the King.