How to Be Reverent Like the Magi

Imagine being one of the magi. Who were these men? What were they searching for? Dr. Sri shares what we can learn from studying the three magi and their encounter of Jesus. He explains how an understanding of the magi can help in our own search for Jesus.

Snippet from the Show
Our hearts are the greatest gift we can offer to Jesus.

Matthew 2:11 - Reverence

In Matthew 2:11, it says that when the magi found Jesus, they prostrated themselves and did him homage. Prostration was common to do for a king. Homage was associated with divine worship. The use of these two words reveals that the magi saw Jesus both as king and God.

What the magi do is the attitude we should have when we approach Jesus in the Eucharist. We need to fall down and worship.

1. Perhaps, we do not lay flat on the ground, but we need to show some sort of reverence. In the United States, we are invited to bow or genuflect right before we receive Communion.
2. Another way to show reverence is on our drive to church. We should come rejoicing as we arrive at church. Show Jesus gratitude and excitement as you come to Mass.
3. Enter Church with reverence. When we enter the sanctuary, it is good to remember that this is holy ground. We ought to genuflect and bless ourselves with Holy Water. Our churches are the house of the king and we ought to fall on our knees before him.
4. Finally, the magi brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts represented his kingship, divinity, and humanity. They reveal who Christ is. He also deserves our thanks and reverence. We too need to bring gifts to Jesus. We can offer him our hearts, our praise, and our thanksgiving.

Council of Trent Quotation

“For in this sacrament we believe that the same God is present whom the eternal Father brought into the world…It is the same God whom the Magi fell down and worshiped.”

St. Gregory Nazianzen

St. Gregory Nazanzen said that the gifts of our hearts in praise and thanksgiving would be “spiritual gifts more sublime than those which can be seen with eyes.”

Upcoming Events with Dr. Sri

• Jan 1-5: SEEK Conference, St. Louis MO
• Jan 12-13: Diocese of Evansville Eucharistic Congress – Evansville IN
• Jan 18-28: Holy Land Pilgrimage
• Jan 31: St. Thomas More Parish Marriage Talk – Centennial CO
• Feb 9-10: St. Vincent de Paul Parish Renewal Weekend – Austin TX
• Feb 15: St. Rita Parish Mission – Wellington FL
• Feb 16-17: Archdiocese of St. Louis Men’s Conference – St. Louis MO
• Feb 21: St. Anna’s Catholic Church – Parish Lenten Mission – Monroe GA
• Feb 22: Holy Trinity Catholic Church – Parish Lenten Mission – Peachtree City GA
• Mar 1-2: Annual Diocesan Conference – Laredo TX
• Mar 8-9: Catholic Men’s Conference of Maryland – Baltimore MD
• Mar 13-14: St. Michael Catholic Church Parish Mission – St. Michael MN
• Mar 15: Bishop Lucker Lecture for Diocese of New Ulm – Redwood Falls MN
• Mar 20-21: St. Louis Catholic Church Parish Mission – Miami FL
• Apr 5-6: Diocese of Charleston Eucharistic Congress – Columbia SC
• Apr 19-20: Diocesan Eucharistic Congress – Altoona-Johnstown PA
• June 20-23: St. Patrick Catholic Church – Summer Summit – London, England
• June 23-July 1: Rome Pilgrimage
• July 19-20: 2024 National Eucharistic Congress – Indianapolis IN
• Aug 10: Discipleship Conference – Oklahoma City OK
• Aug 23-24: Diocesan Faith Formation Conference – Tulsa OK
• Sept 21: 2024 Annual Meeting and Investiture of the Northern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – Denver CO
• Oct 3: Diocese of Harrisburg Annual Priest Workshop – Hunt Valley MD