God, the tireless seeker

Human longing does not arise in a vacuum.

- FR. ROLANDO Y. DELA ROSA, 0.P.

Whether we seek truth, meaning, love, or God, the impulse itself is not merely a matter of personal choice. It is stirred by something already present within us, awakening a desire that can be satisfied only when it encounters its true object.

Our Gospel reading today affirms this truth. It recounts how the Wise Men, commonly called "the Magi," arrived in Jerusalem seeking the newborn Jesus (Matthew 2:2). They are often pictured as heroic and learned men crossing vast deserts in pursuit of a child quietly waiting to be found. Yet the Gospel hints at a deeper reality.

The Wise Men appeared to be searching for Jesus, but in truth, Jesus had been actively seeking them all along.

God is always the first seeker. The Magi's journey did not end in the discovery of a hidden God, but in the recognition of a God who had been patiently pursuing them and calling them to respond in love. Grace always precedes every human effort to look for God. This is precisely why today's feast is called the Epiphany or "revelation." We celebrate God who tirelessly reveals Himself, guiding and even redirecting our search for Himself.