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 kings to  discover  the  new-born  Saviour. This was  by  no  means  encouraging for  the  wise  men,  but  they  remained  steadfast,  and  did  not suffer their  firm  faith  to  be  shaken. As a reward  for  their  constancy, the wonderful  star  re-appeared,  and  led  them  to  the  house  where  the Child Jesus  and  His  Mother  had  found  a lodging.  There,  in  a poor dwelling, they  beheld  a little  Child  with  His  poor  and  humble  Maiden-Mother;  and  inspired  by  divine  grace  they  threw  themselves  on  their knees and,  full  of  a living  faith,  worshipped  this  infant  as  their  God and Saviour. “ Would they  have  done  this”,  asks  St.  Augustine,  “if  they had not  recognised  Him  as  the  Eternal  King?”

True correspondence  with  grace.  When  our  Lord  was  born,  the angels sang:  “Peace  on  earth  to  men  of  good  will!”  Now  the  Magi were men  of  good  will. They co-operated  with  grace,  and  therefore obtained peace  and  salvation. How did  the  three  wise  men  correspond with grace? It was  grace  which  made  them  see  the  star  and  understand its meaning. No doubt  many  other  wise  men  in  the  East  understood that the  star  indicated  the  Birth  of  the  Messias;  but  they  did  not  stir to obey  its  divine  invitation  to  seek  for  the  Messias. But these  three did obey  the  invitation  of  grace,  and,  leaving  home  and  friends,  undertook the  far  journey  to  Judaea. By corresponding  faithfully  with  this  first grace, they  obtained  the  further  one  of  learning  in  Jerusalem  the  place where the  Messias  was  born. And because  they  believed  the  prophecy of Micheas  and  went  to  Bethlehem,  God  not  only  showed  them  the  way to the  Child’s  abode,  but  illuminated  them  interiorly,  so  that  they  understood the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation,  and  worshipped  the  Child  Jesus with divine  worship. They so  faithfully  preserved  this  faith  in  the  Divine Saviour that,  according  to  a trustworthy  tradition,  they  were  counted worthy to  suffer  martyrdom  for  their  faith,  and  are  venerated  as  Saints by the  Church. All this  should  impress  upon  us  the  important  doctrine that the  more  a man  co-operates  with  the  grace  given  to  him,  the  more worthy will  he  be  to  receive  further  and  greater  graces  from  God.

The indifference  shown  by  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  is  almost inconceivable. They received  through  the  wise  men  certain  tidings  of the  wonderful  star,  and  they  knew  accurately  the  prophecies  about  the Redeemer; but  they  did  not  co-operate  with  the  grace  received,  and did not  stir  a foot  to  seek  the  Messias. They showed  the  wise  men where the  Messias  was  to  be  found,  but  they  themselves  remained  at home. They waited  for  the  Saviour  to  come  to  them;  and  when,  later on, He  did  come  to  them,  they  would  not  receive  Him,  because  He was  poor  and  humble,  but  persecuted  Him  and  nailed  Him  to  the  Cross!

Pride is  a capital  sin.  Herod  formed  the  cruel  resolve  to  kill  the Messias; and  it  was  his  pride,  ambition  and  envy  which  led  to  this horrible design. In order  to  attain  more  surely  his  evil  end,  he dissembled  and  lied  to  the  wise  men,  saying  that  he  also  wished  to worship  the  Child. Lies and  hypocrisy  have  been  from  the  beginning the weapons  used  against  Christ  and  His  Church.