THE MAGI

By Robert Dietrick

The story of the Magi has intrigued me for some time. In finishing the book, Joseph-the Hidden Saint, it seemed to me that the Magi who had a small part in the Joseph book needed to be more fully explained, "brought to life," and documented in their own light. Thus, the Magi story came into being. In doing inquiries and searching for evidence of these men, it opened a whole new area of enlightenment and happenings in the "BCE" (before the common era) of the early and late times of the Magi lives and their forefathers. In their story, I explained the beginning of their quest, the times of their journey, and the effect of their lives even on the people of today. It's been an informative and enjoyable journey and has had an everlasting effect on me and probably too on the people reading this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098048907

Book preview

Christ Our Savior Is Born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, Judah

After the angels of heaven had celebrated the birth of God made man near the portal of Bethlehem (the cave of the Nativity), some of them were immediately dispatched to different places, in order to announce the happy news to those who were worthy to receive this new mystery. Although not all the just upon the earth were informed at that time of this sacrament; yet in all of them were wrought certain divine effects in the hour in which the Savior of the world was born. For all the just felt in their hearts a new and supernatural joy, though they were ignorant of its cause. There were not only movements of joy in the angels and the just, but also wonderful movements in the insensible creatures, for all the influences of the planets were renovated and enlivened.

The sun much accelerated its course, the stars shone in greater brightness, and for the Magi Kings was formed that wonderful star, which showed them the way to Bethlehem. And trees began to bloom and others to produce fruit. Some temples of the idols were overthrown, and in others, the idols were hurled down and their demons put to flight. These wonders and other happenings in the world on that day men accounted for in different ways, but far from the truth. Only among the just there were many, who by divine impulse, suspected or believed that God had come into the world; yet no one knew it with certainty, except those to whom it was revealed.

Among these were the Magi, to each of whom in their separate oriental kingdoms angels of the queen’s guard were sent to inform them by interior and intellectual enlightenment that the redeemer of the human race had been born in poverty and humility. At the same time, they were inspired with the sudden desire of seeking him and adoring him, and immediately they saw the star as a guide to Bethlehem.

The Most Holy Mary Remains in the Portal of the Nativity until the Coming of the Three Kings

By the infused knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and her high supernatural enlightenment, our great queen knew that the Magi Kings of the orient would come to acknowledge and adore her most holy Son as their true God. She was aware of it also more particularly because an angel had been sent to them to announce the birth of the incarnate Word, as mentioned earlier.

The heavenly Lady had an affection for this cave of the nativity on account of its humbleness and poverty, and because the incarnate Word had consecrated it by the mysteries of his nativity and circumcision and was to hallow it by the mystery of the Magi’s visit, although she did not know at what time that would happen. While Mary and Joseph were conferring with each other about where the meeting of the Magi should take place, the Lord himself informed them through the two celestial princes, Michael and Gabriel, who were attending in corporal forms to the service of their Lord and God and of their great queen.

They spoke to Mary and Joseph, saying, Divine providence has ordained that three kings of the earth, coming from the orient in search of the King of heaven, should adore the divine Word in this very place. They are already ten days on the way, for at the hour of the birth of Jesus, they were informed of it, and they immediately set out on their journey. Therefore, they will shortly arrive, fulfilling all that the prophets had from very ancient times foreknown and foretold.

Mary said to Joseph, this place, the cave of the nativity, chosen by the Most High for the visit of the Magi and for such magnificent mysteries, although it is poor and ill-furnished in the eyes of the world, in the sight of eternal wisdom is rich, precious, the most estimable and preferable on this earth, since the Lord of heaven is satisfied with it and has consecrated it by his presence. He who is the true Lord of promise can favor us with his vision in this place. And if it is his pleasure, He will afford us some protection and shelter against the inclemency of the weather during the few days in which we are to stay here. If, perhaps, the severity of the season would compel the Magi to seek shelter in the city, they could easily do so since from Bethlehem to Jerusalem there was only a distance of two hours.

Mary then prepared the cave for the arrival of the kings, cleaning it once more and arranging it anew as far as the rudeness and destitution of the place allowed. But her greatest attention and care was always reserved for the child itself, bearing it in her arms continually unless absolute necessity demanded otherwise. She made use of her power as queen of all creation whenever the rigors of winter rose to excess, for she commanded the frost and the winds, the snow and the ice not to incommode their creator, and to spend their elemental fury and asperity upon her alone.

The heavenly queen gave her commands as follows, Restrain your wrath before your creator, author, lord, and preserver who has called you into existence and given you strength and activity. Be mindful, creatures of my beloved, that you are furnished with rigor because of sin for the chastisement of the disobedience of the first Adam, who comes to repair this fall and cannot have any part therein, you must be courteous, reverencing and not offending him, to whom you owe worship and subjection. And therefore, I command you in his name to cause no inconvenience or displeasure to him.

It is worthy of our admiration and imitation to notice the ready obedience of the irrational creatures to the divine will, intimated to them by the mother of God, for upon her command, the snow and rain approached no nearer than ten yards, the winds stopped short, and the surrounding air was retained a mild temperature. To this miracle was added another one, at the same time in which the divine infant in her arms received this homage of the elements and was protected from their asperity. The Virgin Mother felt and suffered the cold and inclemency of the weather as if it was exerting all its natural influences in that place. In this, they obeyed the loving mother and sovereign mistress of creatures to the letter, as she wished not to exempt herself from their asperity while she prevented her tender child and her God from suffering under it.

The Three Kings of the Orient Come to Adore the Word-Made Man in Bethlehem

The three Magi Kings, who came to find the divine infant after his birth, were natives of a country to the east of Palestine. Their coming was prophesied by earlier prophets and especially by David, and before him, by Balaam, who, having been hired by Balak, king of the Moabites, to curse the Israelites, blessed them instead. In this blessing, Balaam said that he would see the King Christ, although not at once, and that he would behold him, although not present, for he did not see him with his own eyes, but through the Magi, his descendants many centuries after. He said, also, that a star would arise unto Jacob, which was Christ, who arose to reign forever in the house of Jacob. (see section Numbers in the Christian