Gospel – Matthew 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.
Reflection on the Gospel
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.
In this Sunday’s gospel reading, we see the all too familiar story of the three wise men coming to find the infant Jesus. These three Magi from the east use the astronomical events to find the newborn king, to pay him homage and to offer him gifts. They must have been very surprised to find this infant king lying in a manger. Whether we know it or not, we all end up seeking Christ, seeking what He made us to do. The Magi used the astrological signs to point them but how do we seek Christ in our own lives. For them to travel from the east, these three wise men’s hearts must have very restless. There must have been a big yearning in their hearts for something greater than what had been already offered to them. St. Augustine in his Confessions wrote “Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you” and indeed we are all restless. But it is what we do with this restlessness that is so important. Do we seek the newborn Christ as the Magi did, or do we just wait, troubled like Herod? Do we trust in the vulnerable infant Christ or do we seek outside confirmation in our world of what we believe? May we always seek Christ first in our lives and finally find peace in our restless lives.
Mr. Jeff Petroski
St. Peter’s Boys High School
Saint John Baptist De La Salle…Pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts…Forever.