An old friend, Dennis, and I once said at the same time that there are no coincidences with God. We are always where God wants us to be. He always wants us to do good and never bad. We always have a choice.
What brought the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem?
They came to do Him homage, but something else drove them. Have you ever been in a wild and desolate place where civilization was far, far away. At night the sky is alive with stars that you could never see when you are close to a larger city with lights. Nature is a beautiful thing. The night sky gives direction in the dark of night. The Wise men had one holy star to follow.
When my wife and I lived in Florida we took our granddaughter to Tarpon Springs, Florida. Every year on the Epiphany, large number of young Greek Orthodox teenagers dive for a cross on this feast day in Tarpon Springs Harbor. The city was settled by Greek Orthodox sponge divers over a century ago. It is a great religious celebration. The young man who retrieves the cross is supposed to receive good luck for a year. We met a man who once had that honor. He was now in his forty’s and no longer a teenager. He still felt the honor and expressed the truth that his life was blessed and changed by his experience. He testified that his good luck and the blessings of Jesus had gone with him the rest of his life.
I maintain it was not because he caught the cross that was thrown into the water. It was because the true light of the world was in his heart. That light is Jesus. A good portion of the world exchanges presents but we have the most important gift of Jesus whose star is our guiding light.
And you Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah for out will come a leader who will shepherd my people, Israel.
I was never a great swimmer. The water for this ex-Florida boy is too cold. Nonetheless, the star of Jesus is within my grasp.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The gifts were truly gifts that a King would receive and probably helped the Holy Family when they escaped Herod by fleeing to Egypt.
The wise men came to Bethlehem because of an ancient prophesy. They brought gifts for a King. Earthly gifts can be stolen or destroyed. Each one of us has an incorruptible gift of Jesus Christ. Whatever other gifts we have we have the best present in, the form of Jesus in the Eucharist. All other earthly gifts pale to the gift of Our Savior.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please pray for the spiritual and physical well-being and salvation of the people of the Ukraine. Please pray for all Cancer victims and their caregivers.
