Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the Gospel of this Sunday, January 4, 2026, entitled:  “May all peoples adore you, Lord.”

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Isaiah 60:1-6:  “The glory of the Lord dawns upon you”

Psalm 71:  “Let all the peoples worship you, Lord”

Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6:  “The Gentiles also share in the same inheritance as we do.”

Matthew 2:1-12:  “We have come from the East to worship the King of the Jews.”

The elderly woman had stood for a long time contemplating the Nativity scene, lovingly and simply crafted. After her silence and adoration, she finally rose, feeling both comforted and nostalgic: “Today I was thinking, and I was looking at the Three Kings, each with their own color and clothing… They were able to see the star of the Baby Jesus and went to adore him… We are no longer able to look at the stars, much less leave something to draw near… I was also thinking that the little gifts they gave him were very beautiful, but even more beautiful was his heart.” It is the simplicity and the thoughts of a woman who takes adoration seriously, who believes in the stars, and who is willing to offer whatever she has, whether much or little. She longs for those bygone days when her grandparents spoke to her of the stars and their journeys. Today, we no longer have time to look at the stars.

The Epiphany is not a pretty story to delight children with a small gift, nor is it a historical recounting of events that occurred many years ago. It is a tale that reveals humanity’s deepest longings and its search for reasons to guide its steps, but it is also the manifestation of Jesus as the light of all humankind. No one is excluded from God’s love manifested in the child made flesh. Is humanity journeying toward God? There is a deep yearning in the human heart for eternity that nothing can quench. We can disguise it by satisfying ourselves with trifles and material things, but within us will remain this thirst for divinity. Before humanity is even aware of this search, there is the twinkling of the stars, which are messages of God’s love, seeking humanity. God never tires of searching, never tires of making new stars appear, never tires of dispelling the darkness so that humanity may find its way.

However, man has the possibility and the freedom to err. Why are these wise men from the East searching for the Savior while Herod remains unmoved in his fortress, unaware that the new King has been born? They represent the path of light and the path of death, which intersect on the horizon of every person. Herod has set his heart on power and ambition. To maintain them, he resorts to everything: lies, calculation, and crime. His path is the same as that of all those seduced by power and ambition: cruelty, terror, contempt for humanity, and the destruction of innocents are of no consequence. This is confirmed by the historical record of so many tyrants who have executed all potential rivals. It is confirmed by the powerful mafia organizations, child trafficking rings, drug cartels, and other criminal organizations that rape, destroy, and execute.

Today, as I write these lines, I receive the heartbreaking news that new mass graves of unidentified bodies have been discovered in unexpected places. Where is the heart of these mercenaries of power and money? Modern projects and systems that forget the vast masses dying of hunger and despair, while securing the capital, immense fortunes, and power of a few corporations and a handful of individuals, also confirm this path of death, perhaps disguised and even disguised as benevolence. Today, Herod is very much present in these new tyrants, but he is also present in the heart of each one of us when we allow ourselves to be seduced by ambition and despise the Christ who becomes flesh in every small and defenseless person.

In contrast, the Magi represent the person who allows themselves to be captivated by the brilliance of a star, who abandons their comforts and sets out in search of their ideal. To go out, to leave, to search… this is the person who is alive and who wants to find and be found. It is to abandon that apathy and foolish passivity rooted in reasons of order, comfort, or well-being. God is looking for you, but you must open your doors and go out to meet Him. A house with closed doors, blocked windows, and airtight seals receives no light, but rots from within. There is no worse solution than doing nothing. Although going out brings dangers, it is preferable to passivity. It is not a reckless adventure, but following a star and an ideal.

I am struck by how the account confirms the discovery of the child:  “On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and bowing down, they worshiped him.”  This is the greatness of noble hearts: they know how to recognize, they know how to adore, they know how to welcome in silence. There are no words, only profound contemplation and adoration. We have often lost this capacity for adoration and only seek a useful god who pleases us and serves our selfish projects. We ask, we ask, but we do not contemplate. The Magi discover and adore the child, the human face of God, the flesh of Divinity. Today we fail to discover God in the little ones, in suffering flesh, in the pain of each day. The Magi’s gifts are smaller than their adoration because they have offered their hearts. The gift doesn’t matter when the whole person has been given. And finally, they return “by another way.” Whoever has discovered Jesus cannot continue on the same old path; they have found the path of light, of love, of generosity. Thus, the God who reveals himself to all finds hearts capable of receiving him; and the men who followed the star find God made man.

Will we have time to look at the Star? Will we let ourselves be seduced by its brilliance? Are we too pessimistic and apathetic? Epiphany, a day of searching, of encountering, of adventure. A day to look at the stars.

Good Father, who through a star moves the hearts of the humble, grant us the courage to go out to meet your Son Jesus present in each of your little ones. Amen.