“WHO COMES BEARING GIFTS?” (Mt 2:1-12): 06 January 2008 (Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday)
Reading: www.nccbuscc.org/nab/010608.shtml
We know the saying, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” It’s a reference to the story of the Trojan War. For ten years, the Greeks waged war against Troy, but for many reasons couldn’t win it. Then Odysseus devised a clever plan: They built a giant hollow wooden horse outside the walls of Troy, and pretended to leave it as a peace offering. Against the advice of their seers, the Trojans accepted the gift and held a night of revelry to celebrate the end of the ten-year siege. Unknown to them, the wooden horse was filled with hundreds of Greek soldiers, who in the dark of night climbed out of their hiding place when the entire city was in a drunken stupor. They opened the gates of the city to let the other Greeks in. Needless to say, the entire city of Troy was destroyed. Hence, the warning about Greeks and deadly gifts.