At the start of a new year we step out on fresh ground in our life journey. We do not know how long the rest of our journey will be but we can learn more about how to make the journey from those who have gone before us.
The magi were led in their journey to the Christ-child and they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They can teach us in their giving how to make our journey.
They gave Christ their gold, symbol of their prosperity and all the things that money can buy. Powerful though it may be, gold cannot buy love or truth or eternal treasures. It can never satisfy the heart. Here is wisdom. We must yield to Christ all we possess.
They gave to Christ their incense; all that speaks of the routines of religion, science, understanding. Recognising something of the mystery of life there before them, they kneel in wonder. It has been said “when the heart is right we have a sense of wonder at the smallest thing and all life becomes a sign of God’s Presence”
They gave Christ their myrrh; symbol of their intuitive awareness of the suffering and death that would mark Jesus’ life. All the sadness and sorrows of life must be dealt with. These men show us how to accept and be dignified in times of loss, downturn or disappointment.
Pray with me…
High King of the universe
We offer you our possessions; make them all your own.
We offer you our mind-sets and we place them at your feet.
We offer you the shadows of our lives; the things that are crushed; the little deaths and our final death.
May all these be like the straw in the out-stable
May something beautiful for you be born in all this straw.
Based on celtic prayer by R Simpson
