Mt 2:1-12
Pilgrims Left Off the List
And behold, the star preceded them
Beyond the long tradition of the three kings,
the Greek text of the Gospel according to Matthew
states only that the “magi came from the East.”
Matthew sets some pagans on the road,
people who rely on magic,
something God rejects;
he sends the least suitable pilgrims to Bethlehem,
those we would have discarded from the list.
Pilgrims bearing gifts.
Gold for the royalty of every child,
the child we were and who still lives within us,
and the one we would have liked to be.
Incense for prayer, thanksgiving, gratitude.
Myrrh, the bride’s oil,
a symbol of a covenant that takes the form of love,
to build fragrant relationships
and to sharpen our sense of smell
to recognize the times and places in our lives
where this fragrance has passed.
© Monache benedettine del monastero di Sant’Anna a Bastia Umbra,
Schizzi di Vangelo, Paoline 2025
