P
Porknpie
Guest
Thank you. I was not meaning to say that the magi appeared the night of his birth but soon after as you said. The main point being that they paid the King homage regarding his birth. Fittingly so.The magi travelled from modern day Persia and it might have taken them two years to make the journey. The time calculated by Herod was based upon when the magi reported the star appearing.
Matt 2:10-12
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The Gk word used here for "child’ is paidon which is also used for toddlers or young weaned children ( as well as babies in the Christian faith). Also, note that they arrived after the family have moved into a house. Their arrival, then is almost certainly not the night of his birth. All that being said, I agree with you that it is right and proper to celebrate His birth. Since we don’t know the exact time, the Church chose Dec. 25th to overtrump the celebration of the birth of the invicible sun god that was celebrated on that day. The Church always celebrated the coming of the magi on Jan 6, because they came shortly after the birth of Jesus, and that day is celebrated as Epiphany, or the light of Christ to the Gentiles.