Recently, Palo Alto College received a $20 million unexpected gift from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The LiftFund, a local nonprofit small-business lender, received $10 million in the same way, as did several other San Antonio nonprofits. It was part of $4.1 billion in donations she distributed over the last four months in this country for pandemic relief and other causes. It was fairly unique in that the donations were unsolicited and came with no stipulations. The recipients could use the money where it was needed the most. As a former fund raiser I know this is a rare kind of gift, really remarkable, a Godsend! It will be transformative for many of those who will benefit. What I hope it does is spur others to also look at giving more to worthy groups, no matter at what level.
Today’s well known gospel story of the three magi or astrologers is also a story of unsolicited giving. It is a story of what happens when we give and share what we have with others, especially those who have much less.
We know them popularly as the three kings, yet most probably they were not kings, but rather well-learned people. They were wealthy as represented by the kinds of gifts they gave. They came from the east, representing the place of wisdom. They were not Jews, meaning they represented the whole world coming to bring gifts to Jesus. Matthew, writing for a Jewish audience, is referring to the first reading today from Isaiah which says all nations and riches will come to Jerusalem to praise the Lord. Matthew’s underlying theme is also clear: The Messiah is born. Gentiles accept him while Jews reject him.
Epiphany is meant to describe a divine manifestation. In this case the Son of God is shown to the world, represented by these foreigners, who also are depicted as diverse. We usually portray one of the magi as a person of color, although from where they come, they are all really people of color. The theme is universal. Everyone is included in this gift from God for the salvation of all.
The visitors were overwhelmed with joy to see the baby. But others were not and did not want to share. Herod was threatened. All Jerusalem is disturbed with him. Even though the Messiah was not to be a political king Herod was afraid. For those who should have seen but were blinded by fear, jealousy, or threats to their power, they could not see, nor did they want to.
The Jewish-centered theme continues. Herod’s threat to the life of Jesus parallels Pharoah’s threat to Moses, where he orders the killing of all Jewish male babies. Herod does the same for the male babies of Bethlehem. Jesus is the new Moses. The fact that earthly rulers feel threatened is a sign of the divine intervention, which Mary’s Magnificat celebrates. The world is overturned. Moses was saved and lived among the rich and powerful. Jesus is seen by the rich in the form of the magi. Herod reacts with violence and death, while the magi react with giving gifts. This is not the Messiah story anyone expected.
The magi change direction to return home after sharing their gifts with the child. This is to avoid Herod, and to avoid enabling the evil he wants to do. It clearly shows that a new direction in our lives happens when we encounter the child. A new direction happens when we give our gifts, even though it requires difficulty and sacrifice as it did for the magi. A transformation of mind and heart (metanoia) takes place that changes our direction in life. Giving our gifts, despite sacrifice, difficulty and even threats, not only changes others who receive but ourselves as well.
All of us have gone through shared sacrifice, struggle, and even threats this year. We know the virus could affect us at any time. Following mask and distance protocols helps but are not guarantees. At the same time we have a two sided coin. On the one side is threat, while on the opposite side are opportunities, opportunities to reach out, to give what we can of our support, care, compassion and resources. What gifts do I have to share in this New Year?
Maybe it was appropriate that this year we saw what many labeled the star of Bethlehem a few days before Christmas, when Jupiter and Saturn seemed to converge to create one brilliant star visible to many. The convergence might have been exactly what we needed to finish the year and welcome the birth of Jesus. To many it was a moment of hope and faith following a very difficult and painful year. It also converged with the beginning of vaccinations that we hope will contribute to ending our common global nightmare of the pandemic. We are at that moment of hope now. Supporting each other as we move into this new phase of conquering the pandemic is one of the gifts we all can give.
The magi follow a star, because they wanted to do the new king homage and bring him gifts. However as said earlier, in the giving of gifts they themselves were affected. They ended up changing direction to return home. When we give of what we have something changes in us. We are forced to change direction and end up becoming different, better people because we overcome sacrifices and threats with gifts. We even discover all kinds of good things about us we did not know we had. That is the life transformation that comes from giving
The magi were able to keep focused on the star despite the length and hardships of the journey. They did not have the GPS systems we have today, although even using GPS I sometimes get lost! To follow a star you need to travel in the darkness of night. This makes for a good metaphor of our lives of faith, often in darkness not knowing exactly where we are going, yet somehow reaching out in faith and trust to try to see where God is leading us to the light.
The magi brought gifts to the GIFT that God gave us all. Because of Baptism we not only receive the gift of Jesus but also become co-partners in giving that gift to others. We can be that light the magi saw, a light to guide others by how we move through life. They had to move, they had to leave their comfort zone to see something even greater. There is nothing in the gospel story that says they were religious at all. They just wanted to pay respect to this newborn king. Searching for something outside of themselves, something special, big, new, different was what they did. It was something to believe in.
Just like the magi we need a change of direction as we begin this New Year. We don’t want to go through another year like we just did. Living in uncertainty, fear, restrictions, sacrifices, grief, illness and even death all made for a year like no other in our lifetime.
What is our star? What is different, special, outside our comfort zone that we are being called to do this year? What gifts do I have to give and how can I give them now? Maybe it will require stretching myself to give what I am unsure that I can give. Maybe it will require discovering new gifts I did not know I had to give.
MacKenzie Scott is not necessarily a saint for what she did. However, she stepped forward with an outstanding gift that will change lives for sure. Many people who might have struggled the rest of their lives will be uplifted. For that she deserves thanks and praise. She also deserves to be imitated by all of us, at whatever level we find ourselves. That spirit can make 2021 a year of hope, faith in others, and a real change in direction we need.
Can we follow our star? Give your gifts. Discover what more you have to give. Like the three astrologers today, you too can be truly wise!
Fr. David Garcia is a retired priest from the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, where he served for 44 years. During that time, Fr. Garcia was instrumental in the effort to have the Old Spanish Missions recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also oversaw the multimillion-dollar restoration of San Fernando Cathedral. Fr. David served as pastor for several parishes in San Antonio, including the historic Mission Concepción. He also served as Senior Advisor for Clergy Outreach at Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian and relief agency of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.