Epiphany of the Lord – The Word of Wisdom In the name of the Father … Raised from infancy in Pharaoh's household, Moses had to flee having killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. Tending a flock in the wilderness ... he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”1 It was in this meeting that God revealed his name to Moses from the midst of the burning bush. In English, this name can be rendered I am, the proper name of the sole self-sufficient being; alternatively, it can be rendered I who cause to be - the proper name of the ultimate explanation for all things which exist. One who is wise can speak words of wisdom, communicate wisdom. Wisdom judges all things by the first and highest cause which explains not just how something came to be – the efficient cause - but more so for what purpose – the final cause. Wisdom provides an explanation – in Greek, λόγος. God who is supremely wise – who is wisdom – speaks the supreme Word of wisdom – the Λόγος for all which is. It was of this Word or Λόγος which Isaiah prophesied: For as the rain and the snow come down from the heaven, and return not from there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.2 This is the Word of wisdom who … came forth from the mouth of the Most High … [to whom] the Creator of all things gave commandment … Make your dwelling in Jacob and in Israel receive your inheritance,3 the Word who was in the beginning with God - ᾿Εν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος4 - the Word through whom and for whom all things came to be, who became flesh - Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο5 - and dwelt among us.6 At Babylon, in the time of the prophet Daniel six centuries before Christ, King Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream. He summoned the court Magi – the wise men, those who were supposed to seek wisdom and reveal mysteries – and told them to reveal to him both the dream and its interpretation. The Magi protested: there is none who can show it to the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.7 Six centuries later, at Babylon, the successors of those Magi sought to know the truth, sought after wisdom. Like Moses on Horeb, they had been drawn by a wondrous light. And like Moses, they too turned aside

1 Ex 3:1-3 2 Isa 55:10-11; c.f., Jn 4:34 3 Sir 24:1, 3, 8; c.f., Jn 8:42; 16:27 4 Jn 1:1 5 Jn 1:14 6 Jn 1:1, 3, 10-11, 14 7 Dan 2:11 to see what portent it announced. And so … in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came Magi from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east ...8 They came like the Queen of Sheba, who, having heard of the fame of King Solomon,9 ... came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with camels, bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon … Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her. And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon … there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king: The report was true which I heard in my own land of … your wisdom … Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones … And King Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba all which she desired, whatever she asked … So she turned and went back to her own land.10 Those Magi - like Moses - had seen a great sign and turned aside to see it. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.11 Moses saw the wonder of a bush, aflame and yet unconsumed: the Magi saw the wonder of a mother, her virginity unconsumed. The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon with camels, and gifts of spices and gold. Having heard the words of Solomon … she turned and went back to her own land. Those Magi entered the house and … opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.12 The Queen of Sheba came to hear words spoken by him who had wisdom from God.13 The Magi came to find him who is the Eternal Word spoken by the Father, who is the wisdom of God. The Magi in the time of Daniel protested when King Nebuchadnezzar sought revelation of mysteries that … there is none who can show it to the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. These Magi now sought revelation of mysteries from the God whose dwelling was with flesh: they sought light from Him who is light, who enlightens everyone born into this world;14 they sought the truth from him who is the Truth15 - who was sent to bear witness to the truth;16 they sought wisdom from him who is Wisdom, who is the Word communicating wisdom; wisdom which judges all things by the first and highest cause, answering not just how but why, providing the explanation – the λόγος – for all which is.

8 Mt 2:1-2 9 c.f. Mt 1:6, 16; 7:24; 12:42 10 1 Kgs 10:1-13 11 Mt 2:10 12 Mt 2:11-12 13 1 Kgs 3:5-14 14 Jn 1:9 15 Jn 14:6 – In his divinity. 16 Jn 18:37 – In his humanity. And falling down they adored him. Unlike Moses, who … hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God,17 they could look upon the face of God. Like the Queen of Sheba, they could … test him with hard questions. And as for the Queen of Sheba … the king would answer all their questions … there would be nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain … the King could give to them all which they desired, whatever they asked: who made the heavens and the earth?; who necessarily was there when all things came to be in resplendent order according to their kinds?; who causes all things to be?; to what end – for whom – do all things exist? what – who – is the explanation – the λόγος – for all which is? Like Moses, they would hear the voice of God; like Moses they would hear the Word of wisdom, and indeed, in answer to their questions, the very same word: I am. In the name of the Father ...

17 Ex 3:6