Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions,
“Go and get accurate information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I, too, may go and honor him.”
After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again. They went into the house, and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshiped him.
They opened their bags and offered him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.
In a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their home country by another way.
LECTIO DIVINA:
Read: Isaiah gives hope to the Jews of his time that light has come for them. Paul extends this hope to the non-Jews,
who are now given the inheritance in Christ Jesus. The visit of the wise men, narrated by Matthew,
symbolizes the universal gathering of the peoples around Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of all hopes.
Reflect: Who is this newborn babe whom wise men from the East seek? Why did the wise men travel so far to worship him and offer him precious gifts?
Where does he come from and how was he received? Matthew presents Jesus, as the king of the Jews, the Messiah, son of David born in Bethlehem, the fulfillment of the Old Testament. In Jesus, all their hopes were fulfilled. Jesus is worshipped by the wise men in Bethlehem, but rejected by King Herod and all in Jerusalem. The new year challenges you to accept Jesus, who alone can fulfill your hopes.
Pray: Lord, I place all my hope in you, for you alone can grant me peace throughout my life.
Act: Be a messenger of hope to all people you meet, especially those who are marginalized and rejected by society.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020