SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #50
And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them and the brightness of God shone round about them: and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: "Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that shall be to all the people: For, this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest: and on earth peace to men of good will." (Luke 2:9-14)
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 Messiah; but they did not stir to obey its divine invitation to seek for the Messiah. But these three did obey the invitation of grace, and, leaving home and friends, undertook the far journey to Judea. By corresponding faithfully with this first grace, they obtained the further one of learning in Jerusalem the place where the Messiah 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 worshiped 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.
[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)
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