Gospel: Mt 2:1-12
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the time of King Herod. Then wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the King of the Jews who has been born? For we have seen his star rising and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this, he was startled, and all Jerusalem with him; and he summoned the chief priests and the scribes of the land and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. They answered him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so the prophet has said, ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judea, are by no means the last of the cities of Judea, for out of you will come a leader who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'” Then Herod secretly summoned the magi, so that they might tell him the time when the star had appeared, and sent them to Bethlehem, saying to them, “Go and find out carefully what is about the child, and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may come and worship him.” They, having heard the king, set out, and suddenly the star they had seen began to guide them until it came to stand above where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with immense joy. They entered the house, saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling on their knees, they worshiped him; then opening their coffers, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received in their dreams an oracle, that they should not return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Fruit: Trust in the true Light, the light of Christ, and let it reign in my heart.
Guidelines for reflection
Christmas days are over. Children and young people begin their lamentations, because they will have to go back to school or university; more than one parent breathes easy: at last the children will be in school and the house will be calm again. But before that, the Church gives us a very special feast: the Epiphany, or the Three Kings Day. This feast and the Gospel passage we have read can guide us in answering a simple question: How did I go to Bethlehem? And what example do I take from Bethlehem for this new year?
Herod and the Christ Child
The Gospel shows us that Herod knew perfectly well the birth of Jesus. One fine day some wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem, whom tradition later called the Magi. They asked for the king of the Jews who has just been born. Herod, king of Judea, is troubled. Has a usurper of his throne been born? His egoism does not admit this; he is king, and he will not allow anyone to usurp his throne. He informs himself in detail, consulting the Jewish sages, and then hatches his plan: to pretend to be interested in the child and then to kill him. Perhaps during these days we have been a bit like Herod. We know, and we have been told a lot, that Jesus has been born again in our world and in our hearts. We know that He is king, and that He comes to reign within us. We know it, in our heads, but has that conviction penetrated our hearts? Are we willing to let Him reign in our lives, to lead us on His way, following the Gospel, loving God and others? Or is the Child Jesus a usurper of our “good life”, the one we do not want to leave behind to live something better.
2. The Magi and the Baby Jesus
The Magi come to Bethlehem in a very different way. They sensed that someone great had been born; deep inside they felt the impulse to leave their home, their lands, their security and their comfortable life to go and adore the one who would radically change the world. They knew much less about the Messiah than Herod, but they searched with an open heart. These three people knew how to trust fully in God. They attentively discovered a sign in the stars, matured the conviction that it was a divine sign and set out in pursuit of it. Full of confidence, they embarked on a journey of weeks, who knows if months. And suddenly, the light that guided them disappears. No problem," they thought, "let's go to some expert, and we will reach our destination. They continue in an attitude of trust, trust in the star, trust in the means God uses, trust that He will lead them to their destination. And this trust, rooted in deep humility, bears fruit: how joyfully they approach the Child and adore Him! They do not even hesitate to see that the King of the universe has been born in a dark and dirty cave. Their hearts are open to God's plans and they are uncomplicated.
3. The Baby Jesus and I
And what is my attitude? I know that this Child, as helpless and weak as any child, is the Messiah King. Like Herod, perhaps I know where he is, where he was born, how I can find him. But I can also be like the Magi: in my heart I have perceived a call, the call to follow him as a committed Christian in his Church. A star shines within me, my conscience, guiding and illuminating me; it is true, I also go through moments of darkness, cloudy days when the sun seems to have gone out. The dilemma now is: do I trust and let Him reign in my heart, or do I cling to my own throne, annihilating any sign of goodness that pretends to reign within me?
Purpose: I will make an examination of conscience to see in which areas of my heart I do not allow God's criteria to reign and open these recesses of my heart to Jesus Christ.
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You may be interested in: Epiphany, the Magi.
