First of all, please permit us to pray and wish that you will have a better year than the last. Isn’t it great and a privilege to live through to the third millennium? Well, with this privilege, let us continue getting to know Christ and to love and serve the Lord by making use of the weekly Gospel readings arranged by our Church.

          From the Gospel of last Sunday, we learned that the presence of Jesus made the family of Joseph and Mary the Holy Family for all of us to emulate. The Gospel for this Sunday according to Matthew 2:1-12, is telling us how other people saw Jesus. Read it first to your family and then try to study the persons mentioned in the Gospel. These persons are: the wise men, King Herod, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. What can we learn from them? . Talk about how each one of them received the new-born baby of Joseph and Mary. Request the family members to imagine themselves accompanying the wise men through their journey to Jerusalem, and to Bethlehem.

          The wise men "observed" the rising of a star and responded by coming to honor the new-born king of the Jews. Matthew did not mention that they were Jews but men from the East. How did they know that the star they saw signified the birth of a new-born king of the Jews? Being "wise men," they could have developed this sensitivity to discern signs such as a rising star. We do not know. But what the Scriptures said was that the wise men had told Herod about a newborn king of the Jews. They came to honor Him. They did not come to even respect the present king. Herod had to call them.

          These wise men from the East are the first indication that the Church whom Christ would later build shall include the Gentiles.

          Herod, the then king of the Jews, upon hearing the purpose of the coming of the wise men from the East must have felt threatened. He was upset. His replacement had been born. He could not hide the expression on his face from the wise men.

          Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have been a graceful host to the wise men. For sure, she must have engaged them in a conversation and must have heard that these men passed by Herod in Jerusalem and that he instructed them to let him know where to find the newborn king of the Jews. Mary must have related this conversation to Joseph, who was not mentioned in this Scripture but was surely nearby. He would not leave Mary and the Child alone. Now, Herod knows the birth of their Son and will surely know where to find Him. (According to Luke 1:33, the angel of the Lord, told Mary that her Son will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever and His kingdom will never end.)

          The determination of the wise men to find Jesus and the fulfillment of their mission were the work of the Holy Spirit. The discernment of Joseph and Mary on the coming danger was also the work of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer and Reflection ~

          Thank the Lord for the Holy Spirit who will reveal God’s plan for the family as He guided the wise men, and Joseph and Mary. Request the family to spend time with the Holy Spirit everyday and to listen to Him.

Joe & Charito

THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
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