The Joey Scam
Wise Men from the East
Photo By: Flickr/Lawrence OP- Journey of the Magi
At Mass this morning,
as always,
we began with prayer intentions,
both those mentioned by the priest,
and those known only to ourselves.
I thought of all the prayer intentions, all the needs, really,
of all the people I could see from my perch
in the choir loft.
So many needs, so many intentions.
But, wait, there were more.
I thought of all the needs beyond my imagining,
of all the things that are.
I thought of the stars in the sky
and all that stretches
beyond my sight.
I thought of all the things that are so small,
even the sub-atomic particles.
I thought of God
who knows all of this
and holds it in the palm of His hand.
It was the Feast of the Epiphany,
the Three Kings,
the Wise Men from the East.
We know and love the story:
how they saw His sign in the sky
and followed His star,
how they endured great hardships
and dared approach murderous kings,
like Herod.
“We have seen his star in the East,
and have come to pay him homage,” they said.
They brought the Babe gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
You can buy little packages of these gifts
in the marketplace
of the Old City of Jerusalem, to this day.
And then, having been warned in a dream,
they returned home by another route,
to protect the Child from His enemies.
What were they really seeking,
these Wise Men from the East?
They had lived their lives,
looking into the cold, clear, night sky of the desert,
seeking answers.
They wanted to understand.
It was that simple.
They saw mystery
and they wanted to understand.
They discovered understanding
as they traveled along.
It involved hardship,
and danger,
the setting aside of their own needs,
the caring for one another
and those they met in their travels.
And the bringing of gifts.
We, too, are the Three Kings,
we too are a little bit like Wise Men from the East.
In our own partial, imperfect ways,
we want to understand.
We learn as we go
that it involves
self-sacrifice
and the bringing of gifts.
We, too, are the Magi.
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About the Author
I grew up in Yakima, Washington and attended St. Joseph Grade School and St. Joseph Academy, going on to Gonzaga University as a National Merit Scholar. In my 40's, I went to Washington State University and earned a master's degree in English. I am a wife, mother, grandmother of five and have worked as a teacher and geriatric care manager. I take care of my 89 year old mother, who lives independently in an apartment near our home.
