The Gospel speaks of ‘wise men from the east.’ And also of gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh. Tradition - no doubt inspired by the prophet Isaiah – speaks of kings: e.g. ‘The nations shall come to your light, and kings to your dawning brightness’ (Isaiah 62 v.3, see 1st Reading at Mass). Certainly these men were well off, to provide such gifts, and certainly they were intellectually elite, to be able to spot the Star and understand its significance. Just as God had sent His herald angels to the skies above Bethlehem, so now He has sent His heralding Star to the skies above the foreign lands of the East. And both the poor Israeli shepherds and also the learned eastern sages have responded immediately, enlightened by God’s Holy Spirit.

Today it is appropriate to pray for all the nations of the world, that they may share God’s gift of Peace - peace between themselves, and also the deeper Peace that is born of faithfully following God’s guidance and drawing close to Him. It is also a time to pray for missionaries, that they may carry God’s message of Redemption, Love and Hope to the very ends of the earth. Moreover it is a time to pray for all who have not seen or responded to the Light of Christ. and indeed for ourselves, that Christ’s Light may shine through us to those around us.