Tertia Pars
Lecture 88: The Star of the Magi and the Manifestation of Christ

Transcript
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One goes forward thus, it seems that in an unsuitable order, the nativity of Christ was made, what, known. For to those first ought to be made known, the birth of Christ, who were, what, nearer to Christ, and who more desired Christ, according to that, that he comes before, right, to those who desire him, right, and he shows himself before to them. But the just were most nearer to Christ through faith, and they most of all desired his, what, coming. Whence it is said, Luke 2, about Simeon, that he was a man just and, what, devout, dimaratus, fear, expecting the redemption of, what, Israel. Therefore, before ought to have been made known, the nativity of Christ, to Simeon, then to the, what, pastors and the Magi. Moreover, the Magi were the first fruits, you might say, the Gentiles, to believe in Christ. But first, the fullness of the Jews, I mean, the Gentiles, will come to faith, and afterwards, all Israel will become, what, saved. It's said in Romans 9. Therefore, first, one ought to make known, the nativity of Christ ought first to be made known to the Magi, then to the, what, pastors and the Jews, yeah. Remember, my brother Richard was first pointing out this text. Not in this objection, but just because he was reading the Romans, you know, and the idea that the Jews at the end would come back, right? And homeless Israel, salvos fiat. Moreover, in Matthew 2, it is said that Herod killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from, what, two and below, was it? According to the time that he had, what, the Magi's. And therefore, it seems that through two years, after the birth of Christ, he came to Christ, yeah. It is unsuitably, therefore, that after so long a time, the, what, nativity was made known to the Gentiles of Christ. But against this is what is said in Daniel chapter 2, verse 21. He changes times and ages, right? And therefore, the time of the making known of the birth of Christ seems to be disposed in a suitable order, right? He's the master of time, right? Or the C.S. Lewis says, what do you mean you've got time? Time's got you, right? But time doesn't have God, right? God has time, right? Well, what Tom was going to say about all this, Sam? Looking before and after, obviously. The answer should be said that the birth of Christ first was made known to the shepherds, huh? On the day of the, what, birth of Christ. As is said in Luke chapter 2, there were shepherds in the same region, vigilant, awake, and guarding, right? Yeah, the vigils of the night, or their flock. And that they might, what, learn of this? That means the angels, that means love from them? And love from them, I guess, and came to heaven? Let's go over to Bethlehem. And they came, what, early. Secondly, however, the Magi came to Christ, huh? On the Tertia Decima, the 13th day is that? Of his nativity. In which day we celebrate the feast of, what? Epiphany. Is it two weeks after, then, to Christmas? Yeah, the 12th day. Yeah. If one year revolving, or even two years they had arrived, they would not have found him in Bethlehem, right? Because it is written in Luke 2 that after they perfected all things according to the law of the Lord, offering to it the son, the boy, Jesus, in the temple, they came back to Galilee in their own city to it, Nazareth. So he doesn't accept that, right? Maybe they were traveling, you know, but. Third was made known to the just in the, what? Temple. That means, what, Simeon and Hannah. In the 40th day from the, what? As is had in Luke 2, 22. So that's the order, Thomas says, huh? De facto. Oh, and now he's going to give the reason for this order, right? And the reason for this order is that through the shepherds are signified the apostles and others believing from the Jews, to whom first is made known the faith of Christ, among whom there were not many powerful, nor many, what? Secondly, faith of Christ comes to the fullness of the Gentiles, which is prefigured through the, what? Magi, huh? Third, Harvard comes to the, what? Fullness of the Jews, and that's that reference, I guess, in Romans there, right? Which is prefigured through the just, right? Whence also in the temple of the Jews, Christ was made known to them, huh? Ah, what a man. Just seeing the reply to the objections at these, all these points that Thomas is discussing in a kind of formal way are already in the church fathers being discussed and thought about. Okay, now it's looking at the first objection here. He has to show himself to those who are nearest him, right? To the first, therefore, it should be said, that as the apostle says, Romans 9, Israel, in following the law of justice, did not arrive in the, what, law of justice, huh? But the Gentiles, who did not seek justice, commonly speaking, came before the Jews, or arrived before the Jews in the justice of faith, right? And in this figure, Simeon, who expects the consolation of Israel, last knew, what, Christ born, right? And there preceded him the Magi and the pastors, who did not so solicitly expect the birth of Christ. The Jews, obviously, are more expected of the coming of Christ than others, but they are going to be the last to fully accept him, huh? It's interesting that the sign there, Thomas is maintaining, is more important, you know, than there being just, huh? Because they're representing, in a sense, the last to be in, although they are the first themselves, you might say, in their life to be. In terms of the generality. Yeah. Now, the second objection is saying, it's about the fullness, right? He said, well, to the second it should be said, that although the fullness of the Gentiles first or before came into the faith and the fullness of the Jews, nevertheless the firstfruits of the Jews came before in faith the firstfruits of the Gentiles. And therefore, to the pastors first is made known the birth of Christ and the Magi. The second one's about the two years, right? Two years of this. To the third it should be said, that about the appearance of the star which appeared to the Magi's, there is a two-fold opinion. Yeah. Chrysostom says, by Matthew, by Matthew, by Matthew, by Matthew, by Matthew, and augustine in his sermon on the epiphany right okay so my note down there says uh among the what any complete works in matthew how many two it says not okay this one says um i'm gonna say sermon suppose and i think an abbreviation is s-u-p-p-o-s period yeah it's supposed to be for he says the star appeared to the magis uh through what two-year period before the birth of christ right and then first meditating and preparing themselves for the what trip right uh from the most remote parts of the east right they came to christ on the thirteenth day from his what birth huh when herod immediately after the recess or the departure of the matchup seeing himself deceived by them right commanded that the boys from two and below be killed right doubting lest christ then was born when the star appeared according as he had what heard from the magi right so he's one of that that's all followed up in the two years right when the two years were before after the birth right of christ now but the question of looking before and after right and they thought it was after and this is the hair that cut off the head of uh no this is this this is this this is the father then the this is which one one's here and antipas i can't because the son you only got part of the kingdom didn't you or something right yeah that was tecturak or something one fourth of the yeah that was the one that cut down back yes and then the other one was the one that didn't actually possible i was going to say he couldn't look before he couldn't look before and after either you know because he didn't know what you're going to ask him what's going to come after he's stupid promise right others say that the star appeared first when christ was born right and at once the angels having seen the star right uh the most long journey in what 13 days they partly by the divine power yeah partly by the velocity of the dominion and this i say if they came from the furthest parts of the east right but some said they came from a near region right whence um they were of balong right who's teaching they were successes of they are said to come from the east because that land is to the east of that part of the land of the jews right according to this herod not at once the magi receding but after what killed the boys or because it is said that he went accused of wrong yeah yeah or agitated by the fears of some dangers right uh from the uh cure of killing the boys he finally desisted for a while he desisted yeah or because he was able to believe who believe could have believed that the magi deceived by an invasion of false vision of the star right afterwards were not able to find what the one whom they thought was born right and that they were therefore embarrassed to turn to him and say i couldn't find them right as augustine says in the book on the consent harmony the gospels yeah and therefore not only um uh those two did he kill but also those below because as augustine says in his written sermon on innocence uh he feared lest the boy to whom the stars served right would transform his own what and it's uh and it's uh a year older or younger yeah and it's a year older or younger yeah and it's a year older or younger yeah and it's a year older or younger yeah and it's a year older or younger yeah and it's a year older or younger yeah Now, another article on the star here. To the seventh one goes forth thus. It seems that the star which appeared to the Magi was one of the celestial stars. For Augustine says in a certain sermon on the Epiphany, Pris, and he was wrapped in what, the vial? Rags. Rags, yeah. But all at once they knew what? From heaven. And this was the celestial star which appeared to the Magi, right? What's it? Translator. Novum Decelo Sidu Selfusit. That seems to be like a new star, doesn't it? Yeah. He's trying to say, at this point, there's one of the ones already there, right? Yeah. Can I translate that correctly? Yeah. While God yet clings to the breast and suffers himself to be wrapped in humble swan and clothes, suddenly a new star shines forth into heaven. It seems like the objections are going against forces. Yeah. Although it's one in the heavens. It's a heavenly. Yeah. Okay. More of Augustine says in a certain sermon on the Epiphany, angels to the pastors, right? A star to the Magi shows Christ, huh? To both speaks the language, the tongue of what? The heavens. Because the tongues of the prophets have ceased. But the angels appearing to the shepherds were truly of the heavenly angels. Therefore, the star appearing to the Magi was truly one of the heavenly stars. Moreover, the stars which are not in the heaven but in the air are said to be still a comete, huh? Comets you call them, I guess, huh? Which do not appear in the births of kings, but more are the signs of the death of them, right? And therefore, and that star designates the birth of a king. Whence the Magi say, whence is born the one who is the, what, king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the Orient. Therefore, it seems it was one of the celestial stars rather than something below the heavenly stars, right? But against this is what Augustine says in the book against Faust, huh? Not from those stars, which from the beginning of creatures, right, kept their, what, course under the law of the creator, but by, what, for the new birth of a virgin? Or, giving birth of a virgin, a new star, what, period, huh? It's interesting with that word, comete, southern comete, it means long hair. That's what a comete looks like, it's long hair. So, yeah, Haley's Comet, that's one of the things they bring up. Maybe it was Haley's Comet that the main guy saw. The answer should be said, that as Ecclesiaston says upon Matthew, that that star which appeared to the Magi, right, was not one of the celestial stars, huh? And this is manifest, what, in many ways, huh? First, because no, what, of the stars? That way or something? Yeah. For this star, what, was born from the? From the east? From the north to south. Why Judah lies, what, next to Persia, whence the, what, Magi came? Second, it appears from the time. For not only did it appear at night, but also in the, what, middle of the day, you know? Which is not of the power of the star, or even of the moon. I'm nice to the moon sometimes. Yeah, I did. That very bright, though. Well, Thomas, you haven't observed enough, Thomas. Third, because sometimes it appears, and sometimes it is what? For when they entered Jerusalem, it hid itself, right? Then when they left Herod, it showed itself, huh? Said something about Herod, huh? Fourth, because it did not have a continual motion, but when it was necessary for the Magi's to go, it went, huh? Whenever it was necessary to stand, it stood, right? Mm-hmm. Just as about the column of the cloud that was in the, what? Desert. Desert, right? Kind of lived into the desert and moved along, right? And stopped and lived in the day. And, you know, like, it's an interesting thing, our liturgy compares, Christ is set. Five, because not remaining above, right, huh? It showed the giving birth, I guess, of the Virgin. But going down, descending, right? It did this. It came over there and came down, I guess, so, right, huh? That's where you used to put that, when the star we had, I told you. Right above the crib, you know? We call it a crib, not the crash. Yeah, because that's what it said. Yeah, it stood over the place where the child was. It had to come down pretty much to designate that particular place, yeah. Well, which is clear that the word the Magi saying, we've seen a star in the east, right? It should not thus be understood as it were, what? Them being placed in the east, right? The star appeared existing in the land of, what? Judah, right? But because they saw it existing in the east, right? And then it proceeded before them, right? All the way to, what? Judea, right? Although, by some, this is left in doubt, huh? Okay, my text refers to Amigius there, right? It was quoted, I think, in the Catena Oriola, huh? Yeah. Which is, I looked him up one time, but I forgot who he was, but he was like a monk. Okay. It would not be able to distinctly demonstrate the house, unless it were, what? Yeah. And as he himself said, this does not seem to be, what, proper to the star, but of a certain, what? Rational power. Whence it seems that this star was of a, what? Yeah, transformed into such a, what, appearance. Whence some say, and this is reference to a work of apparently of the Testament, the marvelous things of Scripture, when some say that as the Holy Spirit descended upon the baptism of the Lord, the baptized Lord, in the, what, species of a dove, so he appeared to the Magi in the species of a star, right? Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Others say that the angel who appeared to the pastors in a human, what, form, appeared to the magi in the form of a, what, star? More probably, Thomas says, probabilism, it's not altogether certain. Is it that that star was, what, de novo creata, created newly, right? Not in heaven, right, but in the air near the earth, right? Which was moved according to the will of, what, God. Whence the Apophis says in the Sermon and Epiphany, to the three magi in the region of the east, right, a star of new clarity appeared, which, being more illustrious and more beautiful than the other stars, right, turned the, what, towards itself, the eyes and the souls of those seeing it, right, that is not idle whatsoever, uncustomary, they saw, right? A day chela, right, he says, To the first, it should be said that chelum in sacred scripture sometimes is said to be the air, right? According to that of the birds of the air, right? But the holy cred is cheli, right? And the fish of the, what, sea, you know? The angels appearing to one and the stars together. To the second, it should be said that the celestial angels, from their office, right, from their duty, have to come down to us, right, sent in, what, service. But the celestial stars do not change their own, what, vision, yeah. Whence there is not a similar, what, reason, huh? Because it's customary for the angels to come down from heaven to speak to us in some way, right? But it doesn't belong to the stars to come down, huh? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha downfall of the death of kings and transformations and the kingdom and so on. Mm-hmm. So I'm meeting there. Okay, we'll look at one more article here before we take our break. To the eighth one goes for thus. It seems that the Magi did not solubly come to Christ, to adoring him and what? Venerating him, huh? For to each king reverence is owed from his what? Subject. But the Magi were not of the kingdom of the Jews, right? Therefore, since from the vision of the star they knew to be born the king of the Jews, it seems that unsuitably they came to adoring him. Moreover, it seems stupid, some king living, to announce a stranger king, right? But in the kingdom of Judea, Herod reigned. Therefore, stupidly made to the Magi the act of stupidly announcing the birth of a king, huh? You're asking for trouble, I don't know what he's saying. Yeah. In Diplom... In Diplom... You ever drink Drambuie, you know? No, I never had it, but sorry. Well, see, is he the king? I mean, the Bonnie Prince Charlie is supposed to have given the recipe for it, right? Someone who helped him to escape, right? He's trying to regain his throne for the stewards, huh? So, when you go in St. Peter's in Rome, right, on the left they're, you know, kind of in the monument to the stewards, right? So, I always, you know, kind of joke about it and say, what do the English do when they come here and they see this? Yeah. And, especially, he's going to go to England, I guess, huh? Yeah. And, uh, yeah, try, yeah. Oh, that's right. I think it's supposed to be this fall, yeah, September, yeah. It's probably, probably some kind of, you know, protest, too, I don't know, those guys. Well, you're going to preach, you're going to speak to the parliament, I guess, in the place where Thomas Moore was tried, yeah. The very room where Thomas Moore was condemned, yeah. And he's going to go speak to Oxford, and I'm already anticipating this is going to be the Regensburg revisit. Well, he's got to thank you and say to the Oxford God. We want our churches back. More certain is a celestial sign, I guess, than a human, right? But the Magi, by the leading of the celestial sign, came from the east to Judea. Stupidly, therefore, huh? And they needed, apart from the being led by the star, requiring a human, what, sign saying, where is born the king of the Jews, right? Moreover, the giving of gifts and the reverence of adoration ought not to be given except to kings already, what, ruling. But the Magi did not find Christ shining in royal dignity. Therefore, unsuitably to him did they give him, what, gifts and royal reverence. But against this is what is said in Isaiah chapter 60. The Gentiles walk in his light, and kings in the splendor of his, what, origin. But who are led by the divine light do not err. Therefore, the Magi, without error, showed reverence to Christ. I answer, it should be said, that it has been said, the Magi were the first fruits of the Gentiles, huh? Believing in Christ. In whom appeared, as in a certain, what, presage? Presage. Yeah. Both the faith and the devotion of the Gentiles, right? Coming from a distance, right? To Christ, huh? And therefore, just as the devotion and the belief of the Gentiles is without error to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so also it should be belief, credendo mest, huh? The Magi, inspired by the Holy Spirit, sapienter, wisely, huh? Showed reverence to, what, Christ, huh? Okay, now the first objection, huh? Well, they're not his, they're a king, right, huh? That's kind of the best objection, yeah. To the first, therefore, it should be said, that as Augustine says in the Sermon on the Epiphany, since many kings of the Jews were born and, what, died, none of them did the Magi seek to adore, huh? But not thus to the king of the Jews, such as they were accustomed to be, right, huh? Knows from a long distance, huh? So great an honor to a, what, foreigner, right? And from the same king, what? They're outside, right? Yeah. Should they be thought to be. But such a one born, they, what, to be, they learned, in whom, by adoring him, the salvation, which was according to God, that they would obtain that, they, not at all. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That when they considered the future king, they did not fear the present king, huh? For not yet had they seen Christ, huh? And already they were prepared to, what, die for them. This is raising my reverence for the Magi, right? My appreciation for the Magi. Yeah. Now, why did they have to ask if they were being led by the star, right? To the third should be said, as Augustine says in the Sermon Epiphany, the star which led the Magi to the place where, with his virgin mother, God the Infinite was, right, was able to lead them to the city of, what, Bethlehem, in which was born, what, Christ, huh? But nevertheless, it, what, hid itself or subtracted itself, right? Until from the city in which, what, Christ was born, or about the city in which Christ was born, even the Jews would, what, give testimony. That by a two-fold testimony, right? Confirmed, huh? As the Opapa says, right, huh? With a more ardent faith, they would, what, seek him, right? Whom both the, what, clarity of the star and the authority of the prophets who said this place where he'd be born would manifest, huh? Also, they themselves announced the birth of Christ, right? And sought, or asked the place, right? And they... Believe and seek, as it were, signifying those who walk through faith and desire. That's beautiful. See, you have a good sermon there on the Epiphany with this whole part here. It's Augustine, huh? As Augustine says in the Sermon Epiphany, huh? The Jews, however, indicating to them the place of nativity of the Lord, are made like the what? The Ark of Noah. Qui what? And they themselves perished in the Talibia. For they heard and went away, inquisitoris, right? Nothing. What? They went away. What did they? They asked, heard, and went away. Went their way. Oh. They spoke and remained teachers, similar to what? Mowstones. Mowstones. Ushaway, but do not walk. Let's put a name in their place. Yeah. Yeah. Mowstone, yeah. So by a divine, uh, new to, a divine, uh, indication. Will. Yeah. It was made that the sight of the star beings attract, right? The Magi, in a human understanding, right, went to Jerusalem, seeking in the city, in the royal city, right, the king, what? Born, huh? That in Jerusalem first, the activity of Christ might be publicly announced, huh? According to that of Isaiah 2, from Sion goes forth the law, in the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Uh, so that also, by the, what, yeah, coming from afar, would be damned to the laziness of the Jews existing near, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Huh. It's like, you know, when you go in the world, you know, and somebody, you know, is visiting a foreign country or foreign place, and they read up about the place, and they're looking for some famous place there, and the locals don't even know about it, you know? And I'd, well, I've never been up there, you know? And they've heard about it, you know, all their life, or, you know, for some time, anyway, and they come from afar, right? And then, all of a sudden, you know, you get to appreciate it for your own, uh, hurry, you know? I think it was supposed to be on UWT in there. I heard something the other day, or saw it in a little advertisement there. Something about my cathedral there at St. Paul, I think they've been, uh, you know, refurbishing it, or renovating it, and a little program on that, you know? Right, too. There's a big plaque in there, you know, for Pius XII when he came there. He was before his Pope, you know, when he was a Cardinal, but there's a plaque there. Because when I grew up, you know, he was always a Pope. He's always been a Pope, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think he'll grow up with John Paul II, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, but, I mean, uh, Pius XII and Pope right before the Second World War began, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he was up to, what, 58, I guess it was? 58, yeah. That's when, yeah. Almost, almost, almost. That time I was an old man, I mean, almost 58. That's when I pray, there's a plaque there, you know, to show the, okay. Now, the fourth objection, right? To the fourth, it should be said, as Ecclesiastes says upon Matthew, if the Magi, right, uh, came seeking a earthly king, right, uh, they would have been, what, confounded, right, uh, because of so, the labor of so great a journey, right, uh, they would have undertaken without, what, cause, right? Once neither would they have adored, nor would they have offered, what, you know? Now, however, because, this is Christum again, because they sought a, what, celestial king, right, uh, even though nothing of royal excellence, they seen him, nevertheless, by the test contented, they're satisfied with the testimony of the star alone, right, they adored, for they saw a man, and they knew a, what, God. And they offered gifts suitable to the dignity of Christ, huh, uh, of gold, huh, um, as to a great king, right, yeah. Which they placed in the sacrifice of, what, God, right? As to God. And myrrh, by which, uh, the bodies of the dead are condimented. Yeah, they gave, as a word, to the one to die for the salvation of all, right? Mm-hmm. And as Gregory says, we are instructed that to, what? To one king. One king, gold, by which it signified, what? The wisdom. Wisdom. In the sight of his wisdom. The face of his. Yeah, splendor and light. That's interesting, because the king is, he's a king, he's to, uh, pilot, right, huh? But, uh, this was I born as I came in the world. I mean, give testimony to the truth, so it ties out with wisdom here, right? Mm-hmm. It's the knowledge of the truth, as Aristotle said. Mm-hmm. And I get Aristotle in some way. Okay. Uh, incense there, right, huh? Mm-hmm. The witches express the devotion of, what, prayer? Uh, we offer to God, if, through the, what, exercise of prayers, we are, what, pleased and right? We doler. We doler. We doler. We doler. I mean, at least we're pleasing with it. Okay. Myrrh, which signifies the mortification of the flesh, we offer, if the vices of the flesh be mortified through abstinence, huh? Mm-hmm. Um, lots of a lot of meat in there, huh? Yeah. Got a little break there? Yeah. Yeah.