When the maji followed the start to Bethlehem, did they really know why they were doing it and what they would find? They were looking for the newborn King of the Jews according to Matthew 2:1 but did they really know what significance that title held? What was their religious background? How were they trained? What did they believe? All these years later, we really don't know the answers to those questions. In the end, does it really matter? They exhibited a brand of faith that Jesus would preach about himself. He calls us all to have the faith of little children. That is best described as inquisitiveness and inquiry. A wonderment about the how and why of things. God's lesson in the maji's journey could be that we are to follow the star to find Jesus. What star you might ask? The star can be whatever it is you are called to do. What has God placed on your TAG? When we are conceived, God creates a TAG for us that includes our Talents, Abilities, and Gifts. How we choose to use them is our call. Sometimes we ignore them completely and look longingly at someone else's TAG. But God calls us to follow the star to Jesus and that means we should be good at what we do. If you are a husband, you should be the best husband. If you are a father, you should be the best father. If you are a teacher, you should be the best teacher. That is the way to Jesus. Using the best of what God has given you will help you to follow the star to Jesus. And as we learn in Luke 9:28-36, the way to God is through Jesus. Some of the disciples learned this first hand as witnesses to the transfiguration of Jesus. When God tells the men that Jesus is His chosen Son and that they should listen to Him, I wonder what they thought? If they had any doubts at all, they had to be gone at that point. What a magnificent scene. How blessed were Peter , John, and James to witness the majesty of the Father and Son? If we just follow the star, we will also be blessed. We will also experience the transfiguration and know God's glory in the presence of Jesus.
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
Comments
Post a Comment