2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
This story is often referred to as the Three Wise Men. Singing “We Three Kings of Orientar”, gives a special Christmassy sense of mystery, adventure, and the exotic. But where were the Three Kings from? Well, many Chinese Christians believe that one of the magi came from China. And various traditions of the Church name the three members, Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar.
After visiting the Christ Child St. Matthew’s gospel tells us that the three wise men, “being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, departed to their own country by another way” (Matthew 2:12).
One tradition claims that after leaving Bethlehem, they travelled to India and built a chapel on the Hill of Vaus. Each year they returned to this chapel and prayed to God that they would be baptised before they died.
One year they heard of a disciple of Jesus preaching in India. It was St. Thomas, and they went to find him. After telling him the story of their visit to the baby Jesus, Thomas told them the Gospel message. Then he baptised them and later ordained them priests and bishops.
The three wise men, or Magi, travelled a great distance when they saw the “Star”. The Jews believed that a heavenly sign announced the birth of a new king.
Many Christians believe the star was a miraculous sign and fulfilled a prophecy, known as the Star Prophecy, and Astronomers have made several attempts to link the star to a celestial event, such as a comet.
Whatever it was, it caused the three travellers to go on a significant journey, and at the end of it, they found Jesus. What journey are you on? Do you know what to follow or how to find a way in life? Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. And you are freely invited to follow him.
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