Tag: Matthew 2:1-12

This homily is based on Matthew 2:1-12 for the Epiphany of our Lord.

On this Feast of the Epiphany, we remember the visit of the magi–those astrologers (how many they were, we don’t know) who read the stars and were among the first to lay their eyes on Jesus.  They were not exactly kings, but they were certainly wise enough to detect Herod’s schemes and discerning enough to follow the angel’s message to go home some other way.  They are, of course, today credited for the the tradition of gift-giving that has in many ways defined the season of Christmas.  And so today, perhaps it’s good to think about this business of gift-giving.

This homily, based on Matthew 2:1-12, was delivered at the Asian Institute of Management Chapel on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Finding out that the three kings were neither three nor royalty was not quite as traumatic as that other life-changing discovery about Santa Claus. But to whomever thought of coming up with the three kings–what were you thinking?

For years, we staged Nativity plays that religiously featured them with their precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Why, they even had names that not only sounded good together, but also were exotic enough to prove that they had indeed journeyed from faraway lands.

This reflection is based on Matthew 2:1-12 on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Today we have the heartwarming story of the magi who traveled far to visit the Christ Child. They had waited long to see the long-foretold King of the Jews. For years they scanned the night sky in search of the sign–that one star that would signal the birth of the savior. And the moment it appeared, they left their homes immediately in chase of that star.