Four Kings and a Baby

St Mary Major; 13th century mosaic: Adoration of the Magi, by Franciscan, Jacopo Torriti.

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On this traditional day of Epiphany (we'll celebrate it liturgically tomorrow), a reminder that "this feast is not a quaint fairy tale from the past but a bold proclamation of the gospel that contrasts two starkly different worldviews": that of the three kings, "motivated by their love of nature and their search for the truth," and that of the fourth king, Herod "the Great," who "uses naked power to oppress and divide peoples." Read more here (by Donald Senior, CP).