Today we reflect upon and ponder
the journey of faith of three men of the ancient world
whose lives are caught up in a search for Christ.
Legend and history combine to help us imagine these men and their journey.
First, there is Gaspar…
His name is from the Persian word for “treasurer.”
Gaspar is a man of wealth and power…
dressed in fine robes of purple silk…
his head crowned with an elegant turban.
He makes his way down from the region around the Black Sea…
to bring his treasure box to the newborn king:
a beautiful vessel of frankincense…
fragrant African aromatic resin…
symbolic of prayer…and laced with gold.
He brings incense…an ancient symbol of the presence of God.
All the treasure in the world cannot compare to the joy and splendor
of being able to adore the Christ Child.
Second, there is Balthazar…
His name is of Phoenician origin, meaning “Lord protect the king.”
Legend says he was a Nubian, the king of Saba in Africa.
He brings to Jesus a vessel of myrrh, an aromatic oil
that comes from the bark of thorny African trees.
The gift of myrrh keeps the inevitable passion of Christ in our minds.
For myrrh is a symbol of suffering…
and was used in the ancient world to anoint the bodies of the dead.
Hidden in that precious gift to the baby Jesus…in a time of joy and love…
was the gentle warning that suffering was to come…
that the passion would come.
Finally, there is Melchior…
His name is Semitic, from the Middle East, meaning “king city.”
He is a wise and dignified man, allegedly the eldest of the Magi.
He is a king in the ancient Arab world.
He brought to Jesus the precious gift of gold…
a fitting honor for this child who is also a king.
[PAUSE]
These men of wealth, power, and prestige…
men who had all they needed to be comfortable in this world…
set out on a journey
which was the goal and summit of their whole lives.
They set out separately…each from their own homeland…
following the same star through deserts and mountains…for perhaps years…
until at last the star…a sign of God’s providence…
showed them the way to Bethlehem.
They meet one another near the city and together approach Herod
to discover the precise place where they will find Jesus.
Imagine the excitement in these men’s hearts as they encounter one another…
realizing how God has drawn them together from separate and distant places
and has woven their lives together for a very special purpose.
They represent all the nations of the world coming to adore their king and God.
Imagine the stories they share with one another about their unique journeys.
Imagine their amazement at realizing they are not alone in this journey…
that God was leading them to Christ…and to one another…as well.
With Herod’s directions, they make the last steps of their sacred journey.
One might imagine that they are dead silent…
overcome with anticipation and awe as they approach the Holy Family.
They lay down their treasures…fall to their knees…prostrate…and adore Jesus.
Humbly, they place their costliest treasures before Him.
Humbly, they lay down themselves before Him!
Rising, they are filled with grace and peace.
They are changed forever, renewed and enlivened by their encounter with Christ.
They depart…as the Lord tells them…by another route.
[PAUSE]
The Lord has touched our hearts and called each of us from different places
to meet him face-to-face…and to be members of His holy Church.
His providential hand has led us through deserts of suffering
and the seemingly insurmountable mountains of life’s troubles.
Each of you has a uniquely amazing and beautiful story
of how you came to truly know Jesus Christ.
We could share with one another our stories…
and be amazed at how God has drawn us to Himself…and to one another.
We are Christians…and we have been drawn into a relationship with Christ.
Christ awaits us.
He waits for us to lay down before Him all that we treasure…
the material things that we hold on to…
to return to Him…for His glory…the gifts He has bestowed upon us.
But it does not end there.
He waits for us to lay down ourselves before Him…as the wise men did…
to lay down our egos, our pride, the ideas we hold contrary to the Church,
our vanity, our need for approval…everything.
Having come to Jesus silently…in awe…in trembling…
Having spiritually prostrated ourselves before Him…
Having done Him homage in our prayer and works of charity…
Having laid down our whole lives at His feet…in His service and for His glory…
We shall rise!
We shall rise filled with grace and peace…
changed forever…and renewed in Christ.
Once we have truly known and loved Jesus Christ…
we cannot possibly take leave of him by the same route.
The old way of sin by which we have lived needs to be closed to us.
We cannot return to past sins.
We have all come to know Christ in our lives.
We need to go forward having encountered Him…
and journey toward our true heavenly homeland
by a new and different route…the road of holiness and love.
The hand of God has led us from distant places to His own beloved Son.
We…like the magi…have made the journey of a lifetime.
From this moment and forever…may we travel by a different road!
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