Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/January 6

In Christianity, the Biblical Magi (/ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/ MAY-jy or /ˈmædʒaɪ/ MAJ-eye; singular: magus), also known as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, and Three Magi, are distinguished foreigners who visit the infant Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In Western Christianity, they are commemorated on the feast day of Epiphany—sometimes called "Three Kings Day"—and commonly appear in the nativity celebrations of Christmas; in Eastern Christianity, they are commemorated on Christmas day.

The Magi appear solely in the Gospel of Matthew, which states that they "saw his star in the east" and came to worship the "one who has been born king of the Jews". Their names, origins, appearances, and exact number are unmentioned and derive from the inferences or traditions of later Christians. In Western and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, they are usually assumed to have been three in number, corresponding with each gift; in Syriac Christianity, they often number twelve. Likewise, the Magi's social status is never stated: although some biblical translations describe them as astrologers, they were increasingly identified as kings by at least the third century, which conformed with Christian interpretations of Old Testament prophecies that the messiah would be worshipped by kings. (Full article...)
Attributes: With rich oriental clothes, with presents in front of the crib, one of them with dark skin color
Patronage: Town of Cologne, travelers, pilgrims, furriers, producers of playing cards, against storm and epilepsy
See also: Rafaela Porras Ayllón; Juan de Ribera, Spain; Charles of Sezze; André Bessette, Canada