Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 2

Behold.

Our Lord's apparition or Epiphany to these Sages, being Gentiles, their Pilgrimage to him, and in them the first homage of Gentility done unto him the twelfth day after his Nativity: and therefore is Twelfth-day highly celebrated in the Catholic Church for joy of the calling of us Gentiles. His baptism also and first miracle are celebrated on the same day.

Star.

Christ's Nativity depended not upon this star, as the Priscillianists falsely surmised: but the star upon his Nativity, for the service whereof it was created. Grego. Ho. 10.

Come to adore.

This coming so far of devotion to visit and adore Christ in the place of his birth, was properly a ^◦ Pilgrimage to his person: and warranteth the faithful in the like kind of external worship done to holy persons, places, and things.

• ◦ Pilgrimage.

Inquired of them.

The high Priests were rightly consulted in question of their law and religion, and be they never so ill, are often forced to say the truth by privilege of their unction: as here and after, they did concerning the true Messias.

Adored him

^◦ This body (saith S. Chrysostom.) the Sages adored in the crib. Let us at the least imitate them: thou seest him not now in the crib, but on the altar: not a woman holding him, but the Priest present, and the Holy Ghost poured out aboundantly upon the sacrifice. Ho. 24. in 1. Cor. Ho. 7. in Mt. Ho. de sancto Philogonio.

• ◦ Adoration of the B. Sacrament.

Treasures.

These treasures are as it were the first fruits of those riches and gifts, which (according to the Prophecies of David ^[1] and Esay ^[2] ) Gentility should offer to Christ and his Church, and now have offered, specially from the time of Constantine the Great. As also these three Sages, being principal men of their Country, represent the whole state of Princes, kings, and Emperors, that were (according to the said Prophecies) to believe in Christ, to humble themselves to his cross, to foster, enrich, adorn and defend his Church. Whereupon it is also a very convenient and agreeable tradition of antiquity, and a received opinion among the faithful, ^[3] not lacking testimonies of ancient writers, and much for the honour of our Saviour, ^[4] that these three also were kings: to wit, either according to the state of those Countries, ^[5] where the Princes were Magi, and ^[6] Magi the greatest about the Prince: or as we read in the Scriptures, of Melchisedec king of Salem, and many other kings that dwelt within a small compass: or as ^[7] Job's three friends are called kings. These are commonly called the three kings of Colen ^[8], because their bodies are there, translated thither from the East Country: their names are said to have been Gaspar, Melchior, Baltasar.

• 1 Psal. 71.
• 2 Esa. 60.
• 3 Chrys. homil. 27. in Mat. ho. 1. Theophyl. Cic. de Divinat.
• 4 The three kings.
• 5 Plin. li. 20.
• 6 Esther 1, 13, 14.
• 7 Tob. 2.
• 8 Amb. 1. Off. c. 12.

Gifts.

These sages were three, and their gifts three, and each one offered every of the three, to express our faith of the Trinity. The Gold, to signify that he was a King: the frankincense, that he was God: the myrrh, that he was to be buried as man. Aug. ser. 1. de. Epiph.

Out of Ægypt.

This place of the Prophet (and the like in the new Testament) here applied to Christ, whereas in the letter it might seem otherwise, teacheth us how to interpret the old Testament, and that the principal sense is of Christ and his Church.

Murdered.

By this example we learn how great credit we owe to the Church in Canonizing Saints ^◦, and celebrating their holy-days: by whose only warrant, without any word of Scripture, these holy Innocents have been honoured for Martyrs, and their holy-day kept ever since the Apostles' time, although they died not voluntarily, nor all perhaps circumcised, and some the children of Pagans. Aug. ep. 28. Orig. ho. 3. in diversos.

• ◦ Canonizing of Saints.