Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you. You are the Lord of Creation, higher than all the powerful of this world, yet you came among us as a man, to be one like us. I know it takes much effort to discover you and many give up because of the difficulty. Some would have you eliminated. Your are what is most important for me. I place all my trust and hope in you, no matter how little I understand your ways. I want to love you as you deserve, and to show my love by opting to be faithful to you, and by giving you the best I have, like those three wise men from the East.  

Petition: Lord, fill me with the Spirit of Wisdom, which is the fruit of the life your Son gave for us.

Gospel: Mt 2:1-12

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel."

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him. When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the East, went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

1. The Star Goes Before Us; We Follow God's Plan, Not Our Own.

We know the three wise men from the East set out on their journey led by faith and trust. As they began their fourney they did not know where the star was going to lead them, yet they went. They had no human assurances, and they may well have faced much skepticism and mocking on the way. Dreamers!, A star, you say? What makes it so different? Yet God was working in a mysteriously powerful way in their minds. Powerful, but not overpowering. They still had to make the free decision to set out. They still had to renew that decision every stage of the way. Any turning back and they would not have ever experienced what God had in store for them.  They are magnificent role models.

For us the path is much clearer, more objective, there are many who have gone before us to make this journey to find God in Christ and to give their gifts to him. Yet it is still a challenge for each one of us. Each on of us has only one life, and to see God touch it in this way.  Each of us would like to be a little more certain, that everyone else would agree with us.

2. Major Difficulty, and the Scandal of Inaction.

God tests them in many ways, especially at the most crucial point in their journey. As they are getting close to their objective, their principal support, the star, disappears from their sight. What was their reaction?  First of all, they did not doubt all their previous experience. Secondly, they used what they still had, their minds, their intelligence, the help of others. So often when we are faced with difficulties in our path in life our first reaction is to doubt all that has gone before and to think we are on the wrong path, pursuing the wrong dream. Difficulties are the time to renew our commitment and our faith.   The wise men do the only thing they can think of, they are looking for the new-born King of the Jews, so they go to Herod, the king. The important thing is that they do not let their fear paralyze them.

Herods priests and scribes found the answer for the wise men. We can imagine their joy, we can imagine them asking who wants to come with them, to show them the exact way and to have the opportunity to be among the first to see for themselves this new King foretold by the prophets. The answer, dead silence. Maybe a muttered excuse. Whether it was their fear of Herod whose record for dealing with rivals was well known to them, or their own singular skepticism, the fact is they did not budge. What a blow it must have been for the wise men who had sacrificed all to come from afar to see the King to see such indifference precisely among the men for whom this would truly be the long-awaited King.

What must a non-believer, or someone barely approaching the faith and beginning to believe make of our indifference towards the Mass, our unwillingness to seek him out and adore him, and our avoidance of meeting the Good Shepherd in Confession? What must they make of our bargaining, hesitation and fear when faced with his call?

3.  Prize and Commitment.

What a moment of joy when the star reappeared! God tests but does not abandon us. He is a God of joy and life. The star leads them to the King, the enter in, the adore him, present their gifts, perhaps converse in wonder with Joseph and Mary about what has brought them there, telling them all about their journey. Time and time again their eyes returned to Jesus, for although he couldnt say a word he was the very center of everything.

But God has another test in store for these heroic men, a dangerous petition. And they did what God wanted. They ran the risk of the wrath of an unscrupulous king, they disobeyed his wishes and did not go back to Jerusalem. In a race against time they journeyed back to where they came from by another route.  They learned by their own experience that those whom Jesus draws close to him he calls to share in his life of suffering to bring salvation to others. Following Christ is never compatible with our ease and comfort. We cannot find Christ in our comfort zone, he is always somewhere beyond.

We can imagine their hurried good-byes to Mary and Joseph, the stab of fear that must have entered their hearts as well, their silent prayer to God for his protection.

Conversation with Christ:  Lord, send me your light to know the road to travel. I want to find you and be with you. I want to renew my commitment to seek you and to be faithful to you. I want to shake off once and for all the false Christianity that shies away from the cross and sacrifice. Help me to examine my life sincerely, and grant me the courage to choose you above everything else and not to be afraid of the cost.

Questionnaire:  This optional questionnaire is intended to help you evaluate your life in light of the inspirations God just gave you in these moments you spent with him in prayer.

1. In what way have I seen God directing my life, and where is his star leading me? Is my attitude towards his will one of trust and peace, or does it bother me?

2. Am I ready to face difficulties in order to do what God wants of me, or do I still think that following Christ must be accompanied by prosperity and comfort? 

3. What is my attitude compared with Marys, Josephs and the three wise mens, when I receive him in Communion?