Gospel Mt 2:1-12
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.
Homily
I have often remembered the word “Eureka”. It is a Greek work meaning ‘I have found it!’ It is a word which I first heard in Mathematics class but which has stayed with me over the years. I have exclaimed “Eureka”, many times in life but especially when I have found something which was proving very hard to get. Sometimes it was a book long out of print or a computer accessory but every time I have exclaimed “Eureka” it was with tremendous joy, principally because I had found something which I had sought for a long time and which of course was important to me.
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The story we know very well. Wise men from the East see a very unusual star which to them heralded the birth of a new Judean king. The star leads them on and in the vicinity of Jerusalem, they decide to enter the city and go to the royal family of that city to ask for the whereabouts of the new born king. They had stopped following the star and began to depend on worldly wisdom to guide them. When that happens, when they decide to follow worldly wisdom, they only meet murderous intrigue. We are told that Herod the King was deeply troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Herod, afraid that he would lose his throne plots to get rid of this threat. He meets with the wise men in secret, sends them to the town, Bethlehem, where he has learnt that the new king is to be borne with instructions to return after they have found the infant to tell him just where the infant is to be found. When the wise men leave Jerusalem and its intrigue, the star once more appears to them, they follow the star and arrive at the the place where the child was. We are told in the story that “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.” They had learnt their lesson, they returned to their countries by another way.
The three wise men lived a story which all of us face. We are all faced with things, persons and events which can distract us from the real purpose of our journey through life. The way we deal with these distractions is the difference between success and failure. When the purpose of our journey through life, when the purpose of our undertakings recede from the forefront of our minds, we never achieve the goals which we have set ourselves be this in academics, business, sports etc. The same applies in our relationship with God and the work for God’s kingdom to which every baptized person is called. When we lose focus, we never achieve the goals.
If the wise men from the East had remained in Jerusalem, they would not have been wise and they would never have seen the Christ child. They were wise men precisely because they maintained focus. This is how all the saints lived. They focused and maintained focus on the goal, i.e., becoming more and more Christ – like. This is how you and I must live. Today let us thank God for the example of the saints who show us that it is possible to remain focused on the goal and arrive at the goal just as the wise man from the east did.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, we thank you for the wise men from the East, through whom you remind us that you came for all humanity. They journeyed long and far to meet you and never lost their focus. Even when they followed worldly wisdom it was with a desire to meet you more quickly. Help us all in our journey through life to be as focus as they were so that we may achieve our goal of union with you one day in heaven. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our mother and Jesus, your son. Amen.
