A Lenten Journey with Mary: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem-Day 4

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” Matthew 2:1-2

It turns out that the huge commotion we heard outside the cave last night, was not the shepherds like I expected. Joseph went to check what was happening, and he came back to say that there were three men who claimed to be Kings of the East. They were dressed with colorful clothing, and had come riding camels all the way from Persia to adore our Child.

I could not believe what I was hearing, but I didn’t have much time to think about it because the three Kings of the East entered the cave. I must confess that I was a bit scared so I grabbed the Baby and held Him in my arms.

At the sight of the Son of God, they prostrated themselves upon the earth, and in this position they worshiped and adored the Infant, acknowledging Him as the true God and man, and as the Saviour of the human race. Arising, they congratulated me, and they said that I was their Queen because I was the Mother of the Son of the eternal Father; and they approached to reverence me on their knees.

I told them that I did not deserve their reverence. I told them that the only King in that cave was my Baby Boy, the Son of God. Therefore, they prostrated themselves anew, this time in front of the Baby, in profound humility. “They fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (1) Gold because He is a King; frankincense, an allusion to His Divinity; and myrrh signifies that my Child has been born in order to die.

I once more realized that my Son does not belong to me, He belongs to the world. And not just to our people, the Israelites, since these Kings were not of Jewish descent. These Wise Men were the first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation.

After they worshipped my Infant Boy, they introduced themselves. The youngest is Caspar. He represents the dawn of innocence. Balthazar, with the maturity of middle age, represents the noontime of life. And the oldest, Melchior, represents the setting sun. They brought with them faith, hope and charity.

The Wise Men told us that they would stay in Bethlehem for a few days. By this time, they had attracted the attention of the shepherds and many others. They were led to town to find shelter, and once more, we were left alone to marvel at the strange company that our Baby Boy draws to Himself.

Reflection:

Adoring Jesus was the sole purpose of the Magi’s journey. What is my sole purpose during this Lent? Toward what goal in my life do I direct all my energy?

References:

1. Matthew 2:11

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:

1. The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Live of the Virgin Mother of God by Venerable Mary of

Agreda

2. The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen

3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet

4. My Soul Magnifies the Lord: A Scriptural Journey with Mary by Jeanne Kun

All Bible references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise specified.