Dear Friends of Carmel Mission,
On this Feast of the Epiphany we remember the arrival of the Three Wise Men, or Magi, at the stable in Bethlehem. They had followed a star from a place somewhere in the East. Some have speculated that they came from what is now part of modern day Iran. Others have put forth the theory that they journeyed all the way from China. They carried with them on their camels, gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – gifts fit for royalty. (If they were to make the same journey today, they would definitely use their private jets!)
They endured a long and hazardous journey in the very heart of winter in their search for what they believed would be a world-changing event.
They left behind their culture, their people, their palaces, their way of life. They took an amazing risk and were uncertain about what they would discover.
What they discovered was the birth of the Savior of the World! They did not discover the Savior of the Middle East, nor the Savior of the Far East, nor the Savior of the Western world. No, Jesus is the Savior of all humanity. Sometimes we fail to realize the implications of that fact.
For the Magi, life was changed utterly and nothing would ever again be the same for them.
Lord of heaven and earth, as I gaze upon your infant face and your swaddling clothes, I realize my own nakedness, and the scars of my sinfulness. I pray that I may be given some of the wisdom, insights and courage of those Three Wise Men. As I return to my daily duties, may I be changed by this encounter with you, a baby in a manger, the Son of God made flesh for me.
Please change my life for the better. May I never be the same again. Amen.
Fr. Paul
Pastor at Carmel Mission