The Magi and gifts greater than Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

I, like many, have always been drawn to the story of the Magi, foreign wise men and their gifts of; Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
 
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

Symbols of Jesus' Kingship, divinity, and the prophecy of his death, (symbol of his humanity too,) but they are symbols greater still than just this.

The Magi are prophesied in the old testament;

“I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob and a staff shall rise from Israel...” (Nm 24:17). Psalm 72 speaks of how the Gentiles will come to worship the Messiah: “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts, the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay Him homage, all nations shall serve Him” (Ps 72:10-11). Isaiah also prophesied the gifts: “Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord” (Is 60:6)
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0191.html

The Magi are heroic in the course they set.  Wise men through the divine vision but in their times they were mocked by their own people.  But this dominion of themselves which allows them to disregard the base human and set their sights on the divine is what allowed them to be among the first adorers of Jesus and messengers of his Kingdom come. 

Then, after this, I was thinking about the Holy Magi, when they visited the little Baby Jesus in the grotto of Bethlehem; and my always lovable Jesus told me: “My daughter, see the order of my Divine Providence: for the great portent of my Incarnation, I chose and made use of a Virgin, humble and poor; and, as my custodian, who acted as father to Me, the virgin Saint Joseph, who was so poor that he needed to work in order to support our lives. See how, in the greatest works –and the mystery of the Incarnation could not be greater – We make use of people whose outward appearance attracts no one’s attention, because dignities, scepters, riches, are always fumes which blind the soul and prevent her from penetrating into the celestial mysteries in order to receive a great act of God, and God Himself. But in order to manifest to the peoples the coming of Myself, Word of the Father, upon earth, I wanted and made us of royal authority, of learned and erudite men, so that, by their authority, they might diffuse the knowledges of the God now born and, eventually, also impose themselves on the peoples. But, in spite of this, the star was seen by everyone, yet only three of them move, pay attention and follow it. This says that, among all, these alone possessed a certain dominion of themselves, such that, as it formed a little empty space within their interior, beyond the appearance of the star, they felt my call echoing in their interior. And heedless of sacrifices, of gossip, of mockeries – because they were leaving for an unknown place and they had to hear much talking – disregarding everything and dominating themselves, they followed the star that was united to my call which, more than speaking star, resounded in their interior, enlightened them, attracted them, and spoke many things about the One whom they were to visit; and, drunk with joy, they followed the star.

See then, how in order to give the great gift of the Incarnation, a Virgin was needed who would have no human will, who would be more of Heaven than of the earth, as well as a continuous miracle which would dispose Her to this great portent. So, We had no need of external things and of human appearances, which might draw the attention of the peoples. However, in spite of this, also to manifest Myself, I wanted men who would have dominion of themselves, which would form a little empty space within their interior, to let the echo of my call resound in it. But what was not their surprise in seeing the star stop, not above a royal palace, but above a vile hovel? They did not know what to think, and were persuaded that there was a mystery – not human, but Divine. When they animated themselves with faith, and entered the grotto and, kneeling, adored Me, as they bent their knees, I revealed Myself, and I let my Divinity shine forth from my little Humanity, and they recognized Me as the King of kings – the One who was coming to save them; and, promptly, they offered themselves to serve Me and to lay down their lives for love of Me. But my Will made Itself known, and sent them again into their region, to let them be, in the midst of those peoples, the criers of my coming upon earth. See then, how necessary are the dominion of oneself and the empty space in one’s heart, in order to let my call resound, and to be fit for knowing the truth and for manifesting it to others.”

Vol. 20, Jan. 6, 1927

 

These few had the humble disposition, "the little empty space" to be able to recognize the divine behind the signs, symbolized in the star and the heroic disposition in having dominion over themselves to persevere to the end.  How many stars and signs in our lives do we miss due to earthly distractions and the lack of perseverance.  Mary tells us that all the little set backs in life, the disappointments, disillusionments, or a discovered truth, a new joy.  They are all stars calling us to seek out God and this new discovery is as his infancy which then grows and matures with our correspondence to Him.

 

"Now, my blessed child, the Divinity, which can deny nothing to one who loves It, makes a new star, more beautiful and luminous, arise under the azure heavens; and with its light, it goes in search of adorers, to say to the whole world, with its mute twinkling: “The One who has come to save you is born. Come to adore Him and to know Him as your Savior.”

"But - human ingratitude! - among many, only three individuals paid attention, and heedless of the sacrifices, put themselves on the way to follow the star. And just as a star guided their persons along the journey, so did my prayers, my love, my yearnings, my graces– for I wanted to make known the Celestial Baby, the Awaited One from all centuries - descend into their hearts like many stars, illumine their minds, guide their interiors, in such a way that, without yet knowing Him, they felt that they loved the One whom they were looking for, and they hastened their steps in order to reach and see Him, whom they so much loved.
"My dearest child, my Heart of Mother rejoiced at the faithfulness, correspondence and sacrifice of these Magi Kings, to come to know and adore my Son. But I cannot hide from you a secret sorrow of mine: among many, only three. And in the history of the centuries, how many times is this sorrow of mine and this human ingratitude not repeated! My Son and I do nothing but make stars arise, one more beautiful than the other, to call some to know their Creator, some to sanctity, some to rise again from sin, some to the heroism of a sacrifice. But do you want to know what these stars are? A sorrowful encounter is a star; a truth that one comes to know is a star; a love unrequited by other creatures is a star; a setback, a pain, a disillusion, an unexpected fortune, are as many stars that shed light in the minds of creatures. And caressing them, they want to make them find the Celestial Infant, who fidgets with love, and shivering with cold, wants a refuge in their hearts to make Himself known and loved. But, alas, I who hold Him in my arms, wait in vain for the stars to bring Me creatures, in order to place Him in their hearts, and my Maternity is constrained, hindered. And while I am the Mother of Jesus, I am prevented from being the Mother of all, because they are not around Me, they do not look for Jesus; the stars hide, and they remain in the Jerusalems of the world, without Jesus. What sorrow, my child, what sorrow! It takes correspondence, faithfulness, sacrifice, to follow the stars; and if the Sun of the Divine Will rises in the soul – how much attention does it not take. Otherwise, one remains in the darkness of the human will.

"Now, my child, as the holy Magi Kings entered Jerusalem, they lost the star, but in spite of this they did not stop looking for Jesus. However, as they went outside the city, the star reappeared and led them, festive, into the grotto of Bethlehem. I received them with love of Mother, and the dear Baby looked at them with great love and majesty, letting His Divinity shine forth from His little Humanity. And so, bowing down, they knelt at His feet, adoring and contemplating that celestial beauty; they recognized Him as true God, and remained enraptured, ecstatic, while enjoying Him; so much so, that the Celestial Baby had to withdraw His Divinity into His Humanity, otherwise they would have remained there, without being able to move from His divine feet.
"Then, as they came round from their rapture, in which they offered the gold of their souls, the incense of their belief and adoration, the myrrh of their whole beings and of any sacrifice He might want of them, they added the external offering and gifts, symbol of their interior acts: gold, incense and myrrh. But my love of Mother was not yet content; I wanted to place the sweet Baby in their arms, and – oh! with how much love they kissed Him and pressed Him to their breasts. They felt paradise in advance within them. With this, my Son bound all the gentile nations to the knowledge of the true God, and placed the goods of Redemption, the return to faith of all peoples, in common for all. He constituted Himself King of the rulers; and with the weapons of His love, of His pains and of His tears, ruling over everything, He called the Kingdom of His Will upon earth. And I, your Mama, wanted to be the first Apostle. I instructed them, I told them the story of my Son - His ardent love; I recommended that they make Him known to all, and taking the first place of Mother and Queen of all the Apostles, I blessed them, I had them blessed by the dear Baby, and, happy and in tears, they departed again for their regions. I did not leave them; I accompanied them with maternal affection, and to repay them, I let them feel Jesus in their hearts."

The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will, Day 23

And how are we able to recognize these stars and follow them?  Jesus, in his response to Maria Valtorta in The Gospel as revealed to Me, explains that the secret lies in Faith, trust, humility and right intention:

"And now what shall I tell you, O souls who feel your faith is dying?  Those Wise Men from the East had nothing to assure them of the truth.  Nothing supernatural.  All they had was a astronomic calculation and their own considerations made perfect by a strictly honest life.  And yet they had faith.  Faith in everything:  in science, in their own conscience, in God's goodness.

Science made them believe in the sign of the new star, which could only be 'the one' expected by mankind for centuries:  the Messiah.  Because of their consciences they had faith in the voices of their consciences, which heard heavenly 'voices' saying to them:  'That is the star announcing the advent of the Messiah.'  Because of God's goodness they believed that God would not deceive them, and since their intention was good, He would help them in every way to reach their aim.

And they were successful.  Among so many people fond of studying signs, they were the only ones who understood that sign, because only their souls were anxious to know the words of God for an honest purpose, the main care of which was to praise and honor God immediately.

They did not seek any personal advantage.  On the contrary, they have to face hardships and meet expenses but they do not ask for any human reward.  They only ask God to remember them and save them for eternal life.

As they have no desire for any future human rewards, so they have no human worry, when they decide on their journey.  You would have had hundreds of problems:  'How will I be able to  make such a long journey in countries and among peoples speaking different languages?  Will they believe me or will they put me in prison as a spy?  What help will they give me to cross deserts, rivers and mountains?  And the heat?  And the winds of the highlands?  And the malarial fever along stagnant marshes?  And the floods and heavy rains?  And the different food?  And the different languages?  And... and... and...'  That is your way of thinking.  But they do not think like that.  With sincere, holy daring they say:  'You, O God, can read our hearts and You see the purpose we are aiming at.  We trust to Your hands.  Grant us the superhuman joy of adoring Your Second Person, Who has become Flesh to save the world.'"

The Gospel As Revealed to Me, by Maria Valtorta, Vol. 1, pgs. 213-214

The three Wise Men did not look for a reward other than adoring God in his Second Person, saving their souls and bringing his news back to their people.  But God who will never be outdone in generosity in return for the gift of their souls/gold, their belief and adoration/frankincense and the gift of their whole selves ready for any sacrifice/myrrh Jesus gives a three fold greater gift to the Magi which corresponds to their gifts.  In acknowledging his divinity through the gift of frankincense he communicates himself to them with beauty which detaches them from earthly things and binds them to the divine.  In acknowledging his humanity and portending his death through myrrh he communicates himself with love which detaches them from themselves to focus on him.  In acknowledging his kingship through the gift of gold he communicates himself to them with power which binds their hearts to him and obtains the gift of heroic bravery. 
 

As I was outside of myself, I seemed to see the moment when the holy Magi arrived at the grotto of Bethlehem.  As they arrived in the presence of the Baby, He pleased to let the rays of His Divinity shine externally, communicating Himself to the Magi in three ways - through love, through beauty and through power – in such a way that they remained enraptured and engrossed in the presence of Little Baby Jesus; so much so, that if the Lord had not withdrawn the rays of His Divinity internally again, they would have remained there forever, unable to move any more.  Then, as the Baby withdrew His Divinity, the holy Magi returned into themselves; they stirred themselves, stupefied, in seeing an excess of love so great, because through that light the Lord had let them understand the mystery of the Incarnation.  Then they stood up and offered their gifts to the Queen Mother, and She spoke at length with them, but I am unable to say everything She said.  I can only remember that She inculcated into them, strongly, not only their own salvation, but also taking to heart the salvation of their peoples, having no fear even to lay down their lives to obtain the intent.

After this, I withdrew inside myself and I found myself together with Jesus.  He wanted me to tell Him something, but I saw myself so bad and confused that I would not dare to tell Him anything.  Seeing that I was not saying anything, He Himself continued to speak about the holy Magi, telling me:  “By having communicated Myself to the Magi in three ways, I obtained three effects for them, because I never communicate Myself to souls uselessly; rather, they always receive some profit for themselves.  So, as I communicated Myself through love, they obtained detachment from themselves; through beauty, they obtained contempt for earthly things; and through power, their hearts remained all bound to Me, and they obtained the bravery to lay down their blood and lives for Me.”

Vol. 4,  Jan. 6, 1901

  

God will never be out done in generosity and what greater gift is there than to be bound threefold to your God, Lover and Savior.  So we are called to bind ourselves to God with the adoration of our sincere praise rising up as frankincense, the purified gold of our souls all intent on Him and the fragrant myrrh of our lives committed to His Will.  This binding can only and truly occur within the safety of Living in the Divine Will.  Ties that are secured by God Himself.

...do you know which gold I want now from souls?  Not material gold – no, but spiritual gold; that is, the gold of their will, the gold of their affections, of their desires, of their own tastes, the gold of the whole interior of man.  This is all the gold that the soul has, and I want it all for Myself.  Now, it is almost difficult for the soul to give this to Me without sacrificing and mortifying herself; and this is how myrrh, like electric wire, binds the interior of man, renders it more shining, and gives it the shades of multiple colors, giving all species of beauty to the soul.  But this is not all; it takes someone who maintains the colors and the freshness always alive, which, almost like fragrance and breeze, blow from within the soul.  It takes someone who offers and obtains greater gifts than the ones he gives; and it also takes someone who forces the One who receives and the One who gives to dwell in his own interior, keeping Him in continuous conversation and in continuous commerce with himself.  So, who does all this?  It is prayer, especially the spirit of interior prayer, which knows how to convert into gold, not only the internal works, but also the external works - and this is the incense.

Vol. 6, Jan. 6, 1904

Happy Epiphany.