While Herod plots in vain to destroy Christ, the wise men seek Him, even as it is today.  Since they had not seen the star since they were in the East, they rejoice now on seeing it again.  See, it leads them to Christ, even as God leads all His people through external signs of His own choosing.  See how like the Holy Sacrament is the star: it brings great joy through the guarantee that here God may be found.  God does not come through imaginations, or vain thoughts of men; He ties Himself to means: by means of the words of His mouth He binds Himself to Baptism, to the Holy Supper, to the pastor’s pronouncement of forgiveness, and even to the star.

 Not only so, but the star is like the faithful preacher.  For the star, like every faithful preacher of Christ, came and stood over where the young Child was.  For the Apostle says, We preach not ourselves, but Christ.  And the wise men rejoiced with exceedingly great joy when they saw the star; even as the preaching of the Holy Gospel always produces joy among the faithful.  The pastors do not produce joy in themselves, nor did the star.  The wise men rejoiced because they knew of the One to whom the star led; so also, the faithful hearers of the pastors rejoice because they know of the One the pastors preach. 

 Now these wise men saw the young Child with Mary His mother, for this Child will never be found without His mother, that is, without the holy Church whom Mary portrays.  And finding Him with her, they fell down and worshiped Him.  So must the faithful ever bend the knee before His majesty, however lowly in appearance it may be.  The holy Church is so often shrouded in lowliness, in poverty, in smallness, in strife and trouble.  But as the wise men were not dissuaded by the meager surroundings in which the Holy Child was found, neither are the faithful offended by the difficult  circumstances of the churches in which Christ is found today.

 Behold their manner of worship: bending of the knees in adoration.  Well do we bend the knee at the Holy Altar, then, as we have always done: to adore the Christ whom we receive there.  For if we cannot adore Christ in the Sacrament, neither can we receive Him in a manner befitting His majesty.  Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!  Hail the Incarnate deity!  So too, veiled in Sacrament the Body of the Incarnate one see!  Hail Him here especially, that when He is received here by mouth, He may be recognized according to His majesty.

 The wise men they opened their treasures, to present gifts to Him, even as the hearts of the faithful must also be opened to give Him their most precious faith.  For these gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, do they not honor His royalty and betoken His death?  So does faith ever call Him Christ and rejoice in His cross.