In today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel, we are coming close to the heart of the Biblical revelation. Robert Barron notes that of all the nations of the world, God chose Israel to be especially his own, a priestly people, a holy nation. But the reason for this choice was not to glorify Israel over and against the other nations; instead, it was to make Israel a beacon to the world so that through Israel, all might be gathered. Yes, a king would be born for the Jews, but he wouldn’t be for the Jews alone. This Messiah would be the King of Kings, a light to all the nations. How wonderful that the sign of the birth of this king should be a star, something that can be clearly seen by every nation and from any nation. We also can see how a number of the Church Fathers marveled over the faith of the magi, who, through human eyes, see only an ordinary child in Bethlehem but, by faith, see so much more. They fall down and worship God in human flesh and offer him gifts of gold for his kingship, frankincense for his divinity, and myrrh for his humanity. This is the response we should have even today when we meet Jesus in the Eucharist. Though we see what appears to be only bread with the eyes of our bodies, with the eyes of faith, we know it to be the very body of our Lord. Like the magi, we can show Jesus great reverence when we bow before his Real Presence in the Eucharist. We too can bring him gifts, perhaps not gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but the gifts of our hearts in praise and thanksgiving, which would be, according to St. Gregory Nazianzen, great “spiritual gifts, more sublime than those which can be seen with eyes.”