SCRIPTURE READING: Mt. 2:1-12

“…Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And there in front of them was the star they had seen rising; it went forward, and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

Meditation: Try to answer as many questions as possible

1.      “and having listened to what the king had to say, they set out”: The 3 wise men set out and began their journey seeking God.  Where are we on our journey finding God?  Have we begun setting out on our journey or have we stop searching?  Where can we find God?  

2.      “the sight of the star filled them with delight”:  The 3 wise men had the star as their guide.  Where did this star come from?  What guides us on our journey towards God?  Can we find God by ourselves without any guide?  How can we be able to become guides for someone else who are seeking God?   

3.      “they saw the child with his mother Mary and falling on their knees they did him homage”:  Why did the 3 wise men fall on their knees?  How do we express our reverence to God when we know that he is present before us?  If Herod were present and saw the child Jesus with Mary, what would he had done?  Why?             

4.      “they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh”:  gold is a symbol for royalty, frankincense for holiness, and myrrh for death.  How do these gifts apply to Jesus?  If you could give the baby Jesus a present, what would it be?  Why?      

5.      “they returned to their own country by a different way”:  Why did they return using a different way?  When we have found God and experience his presence in our lives, does God call us to return to our lives also in a different way?  What are the consequences of returning in a different way?     

By Heart: Reflect on this in light of your daily life situation

“We have seen the signs and have come to adore the Lord!”

-          These are the words of the wise men to Herod before they set out on their journey.  Why didn’t Herod see the star and reacted in a similar way like the wise men? 

-          The star brought delight to the wise men but to Herod, the star brought fear.  What do the signs of the presence of God bring you?  Is it joy like the wise men or is it fear like in Herod?  Herod feared that the presence of baby Jesus would threaten his control over his kingdom and that by bowing down to him, he would lose everything.  What do we lose when we let God into our lives?  What do we gain when we let God into our lives?  

The wise men teach us that joy comes journeying with faith searching for the Lord.  Like the wise men of the gospel reading today, our lives must be an ongoing journey of faith through the dark and uncertainty which this world brings. 

 

Intercessions:

1.      For all young people seeking for God in their lives, that they may realize how much God is near to those who search for him and open their hearts to receive him.

2.      For the new year 2009, that all young people may have a renewed zeal for loving God and continue to follow Jesus faithfully even in times of difficulty and persecution.    

3.      For all who have stumbled and fall in their journey, that with the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, they may rise above their failures and continue on the path which leads them to Jesus.

4.      For all who have helped us on our journey, that the Lord will continue to bless them and use us as guides to others who are just beginning their journey of faith. 

Covenant Prayer: