After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of king Herod, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who was born King of the Jews? We saw his Star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 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.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the Star they were OVERJOYED. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
When they had gone, an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the LORD has said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my SON”
Matthew 2:1-2, 7-15
Meditation:
JESUS came for ALL people. He is the Greatest Gift Ever!
When we see representations of the Magi coming to worship the new King, we notice that they are of mixed races. We are aware that they are not Jews, but they seem to know that the star they noticed "at its rising" is a sign that the promised one has been born.
At this moment in time, we seem to be having difficulty seeing that we are all images of the one God, brothers and sisters regardless of race, nationality or religion.
We have some choices to make in this New Year. We can follow the example of Jesus who welcomes all, or we can follow the example of Herod who wishes to destroy.
The road to peace is a bumpy one and requires effort. It is a road of acceptance, compassion, forgiveness and taking responsibility for our actions.
We can choose to fuel the fires of division and hatred, or we can choose love and peace. As we count down the last few days of this Christmas season, let us decide how we want the world to look.
What is the legacy of all our prayers during Advent and Christmas? Let us open our arms to receive one another in peace and love so that all may feel welcome in our churches, our neighborhoods and our community.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us to choose JESUS, follow His Example Living with, Harmony, Love, Joy, Peace, Unity, recognizing you in the faces of all your children and making them feel welcomed. in Jesus’ name we Pray. Amen
Jose Reyes
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