"Nagluhod sila kag nagsimba sa kay Jesus"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 2:1-12)

Domingo (Enero 5)

Sang natawo na si Jesus sa banwa sang Betlehem nga sakop sang Judea sa panahon nga si Herodes ang hari, may nag-abot nga mga tawo sa Jerusalem halin sa sidlangan, nga nakatuon sang mga bituon.

Nagpamangkot sila, "Diin bala ang bata nga natawo nga manginhari sang mga Judio? Nakita namon ang iya bituon sang pagsubang sini sa sidlangan, kag nagkari kami sa pagsimba sa iya." 

Sang pagkabati sini ni Haring Herodes natublag gid sia kag amo man ang tanan nga mga tawo sa Jerusalem.

Ginpatawag niya ang tanan nga pangulo nga mga pari kag ang mga manunudlo sang Kasugoan kag nagpamangkot sia sa ila, "Diin bala magapakatawo ang Cristo?"

Nagsabat sila, "Didto sa banwa sang Betlehem, sakop sang Judea, kay amo ini ang ginsulat sang propeta: 'Ikaw, O Betlehem, sa duta sang Juda, Indi ikaw ang pinakakubos Sa mga pangulo sang Juda, Kay sa imo magagikan Ang isa ka pangulo Nga magatuytoy sa akon mga tawo Nga Israel.' "

Dayon ginpatawag ni Herodes sing tago ang mga dumoloaw halin sa sidlangan kag nagpamangkot sia sa ila kon san-o gid nagsubang ang bituon.

Dayon ginpakadto niya sila sa Betlehem kag ginsingganan, "Lakat kamo kag pangitaa gid ninyo ang bata, kag kon inyo sia makita pahibal-a ninyo ako, agod makakadto man ako kag magsimba sa iya."

Sang makasiling sini ang hari naglakat sila. Sa gilayon nakita nila ang bituon nga nakita nila anay sa sidlangan, kag nag-una ini sa ila kag nagdulog sa ibabaw sang duog sa diin nahamtang ang bata.

Nagkalipay gid sila, sang makita nila ang bituon!

Nagsulod sila sa balay kag nakita nila ang bata kaupod sang iya iloy nga si Maria. Nagluhod sila kag nagsimba sa bata. Dayon ginbuksan nila ang ila mga dala, kag nagdulot sila sa iya sang bulawan, insyenso, kag mira.

Ginpaandaman sila sang Dios sa damgo nga indi sila magbalik kay Herodes; gani nagpauli sila paagi sa lain nga dalan.

Prayers:

"Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for bringing salvation to all the nations. May the gospel of salvation be proclaimed to every nation today and to every person on the face of the earth. Help me to be a good witness of the joy of the gospel to all I meet."

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Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

If Jesus truly is who he claims to be, the eternal Son of God and Savior of the world, then why is he not recognized by everyone who hears his word and sees his works? John the Evangelist states that when Jesus came into the world the world knew him not and his own people received him not (John 1:10-11). Jesus was born in obscurity. Only the lowly shepherds recognized him at his birth. Some wise men also found their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King of Israel. These men were not Israelites, but foreigners. They likely had read and discussed the Messianic prophecies and were anxious to see when this Messianic King would appear. God led them by means of an extraordinary star across the desert to the little town of Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

John Chrysostom (347-407), in his homily on this passage from Matthew 2, explains the significance of the star of Bethlehem:

"Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way. The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger." [The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 7:3]

In their thirst for knowledge of God, the wise men from the East willingly left everything, their home and country, in pursuit of that quest. In their diligent search they were led to the source of true knowledge – to Jesus Christ, the Light and Wisdom of God. When they found the newborn King they humbly worshiped him and gave him gifts fitting for a king. How could they recognize this infant as both divine and a human king - born of flesh yet sent from heaven? The early church fathers taught that only divine revelation could open the minds and hearts of people to recognize and receive Christ as their King and Savior. Chromatius (died 406 or 407), a contemporary bishop and friend of Ambrose, Jerome, and John Chrysostom, wrote:

Let us now observe how glorious was the dignity that attended the King after his birth, after the magi in their journey remained obedient to the star. For immediately the magi fell to their knees and adored the one born as Lord. There in his very cradle they venerated him with offerings of gifts, though Jesus was merely a whimpering infant. They perceived one thing with the eyes of their bodies but another with the eyes of the mind. The lowliness of the body he assumed was discerned, but the glory of his divinity is now made manifest. A boy he is, but it is God who is adored. How inexpressible is the mystery of his divine honor! The invisible and eternal nature did not hesitate to take on the weaknesses of the flesh on our behalf. The Son of God, who is God of the universe, is born a human being in the flesh. He permits himself to be placed in a manger, and the heavens are within the manger. He is kept in a cradle, a cradle that the world cannot hold. He is heard in the voice of a crying infant. This is the same one for whose voice the whole world would tremble in the hour of his passion. Thus he is the One, the God of glory and the Lord of majesty, whom as a tiny infant the magi recognize. It is he who while a child was truly God and King eternal. To him Isaiah pointed, saying, “For a boy has been born to you; a son has been given to you, a son whose empire has been forged on his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6).” [Tractate on Matthew, 5:1]

The Lord of the universe who revealed the star of Bethlehem to the Gentiles of the East so they could come and worship Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and King of Kings (Revelations 19:16), gives each one of us the same light of revelation to recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. It is through the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and opens the eyes of the mind, that we are able to understand, accept, and believe the truth which God has revealed to us through his Son, Jesus Christ. In faith, the human will and intellect cooperate with grace. "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).

To know and to encounter Jesus Christ is to know God personally. In the encounter of the wise men with Jesus we see the plan of God to give his only Son as King and Savior, not just for the Jewish people but for all the nations as well. The Lord Jesus came that both Jew and Gentile might find true and lasting peace with God. Let us pray today that Jew and Gentile alike will find the Lord and Savior on their journey of life. Do you bring the light of Jesus Christ to those you meet through the witness of your life and testimony?