When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.The Wise men came to do him Homage…, I don’t think that the word “homage” in this translation does justice to what is actually being said here. The word in greek (proskynēsai), means to “lay down in front of” or “worship”. The Douay Rheims version of the bible translates this word as “adore” which I think is much better.
So why were strangers coming from distant lands to adore the new king, when at the same time, the people that He was promised to, were trying to kill him. Well the answer is pride and power. The Magi were wise learned men, that have read all of the prophecies and recognized the signs and were humble enough to come and honor the new king. They had nothing to gain, and much to lose, but they came anyway because their love for God was more important than any of their wealth or power.
Herod on the other hand, was a usurper to the throne of David, he had much to lose and nothing to gain by coming to recognize the new king, He loved his power and his wealth, too much to recognize the rightful king of the Jews, and heir to the throne of David…, an heir to “his” throne. You could say the same thing for the pharisees and scribes. They too were usuprers. They were not priests of the tribe of Levi, and they only had their power because the Romans gave it to them.
Nevertheless, and it is easy to miss in this reading, but you will notice that Herod first assembles all of the scribes and pharisees, to hear the news from the magi, and it even says therein, that all of Jerusalem was greatly troubled by this news. This does not mean the faithful Jews that have been waiting thousands of years for this moment were distressed. But it points directly to all of the people in power at this time. Namely the Romans, King Herod, and all the leaders of the temple. They all knew that if a new king were to arrise, one that all of prophecy had foretold, one from the line of David, one that is the true son of God, then that would mean that all of their authority would be questioned, and their tenuous hold on power would be threatened. And that is why they all started scheming a plan to eliminate this threat.
So what is the message for us today? We too have to make the same choice. Do we choose the world, and the things it offers, power, and wealth, or do we recognize the Lord, when He comes into our lives? Do we humbly respond to His offer of eternal happiness, or do we allow the allurements of this world to pull us away from right relationship with Him. I do hope that you will choose the Lord, and eternal perfection with Him in Heaven forever.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh lord, help me today to choose you over this world, am.