The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-09
EPIPHANY.

| other manifestations on this day. That at His
baptism, when the Holy Ghost descended on
Him in the form of a dove, and q voice from
Heaven was heard at the same time saying
"This is my beloved Son in whom am we'll
pleased" The third manifestation was that of
His divine power when at the feast of Cana He
changed water into wine, "by which He mani
tested his glory and his disciples believed in
Him"
But to us, who, in the persons of our fore
fathers, were called to a knowledge and wor-
ship of the true God, this festival has peculiar
interest and should be day of special devo-
tion. The example of the wise men in their
prompt obedience, their sublime faith, their
humble worship, is q model to all Christians
and teaches lessons which we would do well to
practice.
They saw q wonderful star in the heavens,
whose motion was contrary to the ordinary
course of the stars, aud with it as o guide
they started on their long, uncertain and
perilous voyage. St. Chrysostom thinks that
this star was an angel assuming that form, for
it accommodated itself to the necessities of the
travellers, going before them, disappearing
when not needed, returning at their need, and
fnally stopping over the humble dwelling
place of the infant Saviour.
Guided by 80 miraculous a messenger, and
inspired by the voice of faith which made
known to them the Advent of the Messiah,
they must have expected to find a noble King,
or at least a princely child, clad in purple
garments and surrounded by regal pomp and
magnfcence.
They supposed, perhaps, that the city
honored by the birth Of this long expected One,
~,
habitants were pouring forth their gladness in
songs of triumph and delight. Instead of this,
they find the city quiet and unchanged, while
the people are pursuing their daily ocoupa-
tions, needless of the wonder in their midst,
and Indifferent even to the inquiries of the
wise meu for Him who is born King of the
Jews.
At last they reach the home of the Heavenly
visitor, and they fnd-as father of the
Church SO beautifully expresses it" only
silent babe and q solicitous mother"
They had brought with them presents from
their own lsnd-gold, frankinc snse and myrrh
as suitable offerings to be placed before q
throne. What sublime faith They acknow-
ledge in the silent babe Him to whom all good
gifts are offered. They present the gold as q
tribute to His royalty, the frankincense an
homage to His divinity, the myrrh as testi-
mony of His humanity; and PROSTATE before
Him whose only throne is His mothers knee,
they adore the Babe as their God their Saviour
and their King. In that lowly hut, surrounded
by poverty, infancy, weakness and AFFECTION,
they see the newborn King and they devote
themselves to Ills service for the rest of their
lives.
We, too, in this day, can initiate this faith
and devotion of the wise men. We can reeog-
pize in the aged prisoner of the Vatican,
despoiled of his royalty, stripped of his pos
sessions, deprived of bis liberty-the Vicar of
Christ, the father of Christendom, the infalible
teacher of the world.
If Plus TX. to-day welded potent sceptre,
| swayed the political destinies of nations was
| rich and powerful, the world might pay homage
| to his name; but because he is poor, feeble,
friendless and dethroned, the blasphemers
| scof at him, insult and deride his name, and
| speak confidently of his downfall. The papacy
| is tottering to its close. Blind and unbelevng
men They would have turned away from the
cottage of Bethlehem and kept their priucely
| gifts for one mere king-like than the
silent babe.
| Let Catholics, at least, recognize the dignity,
the grandeur, the royalty of him who repre-
sents the Silent Babe on earth. His lips are
eloquent with wisdom and with grace and he
speaks truths which the world will do we'll to
heed. He is dethroned, but his kingdom is
over all the nations of the earth. He is poor,
but his hands dispense princely favors, and
places crowns upon the heads of the lowly-
born. He is weak, but his voice moves mill
lions. He is prisoner, but his power reaches
from ocean to ocean, and extends beyond the
limits of time.
1t may interest our readers to learn that the
bodies of the three wise men-the first adorers
of the Infant Saviour-are in Cologne, having
been removed from Milan by order of the
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa when that city
was captured by him.
1t is traditional that the Mag were baptised
in Persia by the Apostle st. Thomas, that after
their death their bodies were translated te
Constantinople by the first Christian Empress
: and after wards removed to Milan, where they