Baptism of Jesus by Tissot

"Jan. 13. Consider first, how St. John the Baptist, being sent as a fore-runner of our Lord, to prepare the people for Him, by preaching to them penance, and a thorough conversion from their sins; when a multitude of publicans and other sinners resorted to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins, and receiving from him the rules of a new life: our Lord Jesus also came among them, as if He had been one of their number, and stood in need of that baptism of penance for the remission of sins, and desired to be baptized by him. Admire the humility of this Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world, and yet here associates Himself with sinners, and is willing to pass for one of them. The Baptist was astonished at it, and refused to baptize him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus insisted upon his doing it: for so it becometh us, said he, to fulfill all justice, (Matt. iii. 14, 15.) that is, to exercise, and to give examples of all virtues; amongst which, humility is the foundation which sustains all the rest. O give us thy grace, dear Lord, that we also may fulfill all justice, by the imitation of thy humility.

Conclude to keep as close as thou can to the Lord Jesus, in every step He takes, and to have thy eye always upon Him; that thou mayest copy out His virtues in thy life." Considerations upon Christian Truths and Christian Duties, Bishop Challoner

"1. The offering of frankincense to any one has always been regarded by the common consent of mankind as an acknowledgment of inherent Deity. When the Christians were commanded to throw a grain of incense on the altar of Jupiter or Minerva, it was in acknowledgment of their divinity. The Magi, then, by this offering to Christ of incense, were the first Gentile witnesses to His Divinity. They made thereby an implicit act of faith in His Godhead, and proved the honor they paid Him to be that highest honor that belongs to God alone.

2. Frankincense is, moreover, a symbol of all that is sweetest and most fragrant. What so sweet to Jesus as the complete offering of ourselves to Him implied in the homage paid to Him as God! Jesus, my God, my all, I offer Thee my heart, my soul, my self!

3. Frankincense is the material symbol under which prayer is indicated in Holy Scripture. The angel offers in the Apocalypse the prayers of the saints in a golden censer, and there comes up continually from earth the cloud of prayers as a cloud of incense. Among them my prayers arise. Are they such as will be fragrant and pleasing to God? "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. Why did the Magi offer gold to the Babe in Mary's arms? It was in recognition of Him as their King. It was the tribute by which they declared themselves His vassals, professed their loyal submission to His sway. This is the very foundation of all supernatural virtue, not only to acknowledge Christ as our King, but to pay Him the homage which is His due as the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth.

2. The Magi also by their offering of gold gave to Him the most precious gift they had to give. They were the first Christian almsgivers, and their almsgiving was a pattern to all who should follow them. They gave liberally; they gave royally; they gave gifts which cost them something. Is this the character of my almsgiving, or do I give sparingly and grudgingly? I must not forget that Christ sees and remembers not only the amount of the gifts I give to Him, but the spirit in which they are given.

3. The gold of the Magi also signifies the virtue of charity, without which we can do nothing to please God. Charity is the gold fire- tried which He counsels the tepid to buy of Him. It is the virtue which is the standard by which the value of all other virtues is tested. It is the virtue which caused Jesus Christ to come and dwell upon earth. Oh, that I had more self-denying charity to others, more of the gold wherewith heaven is bought! "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. It must have been rather a surprise to the Magi to find the new-born King so poorly housed and humbly clad. Their Eastern ideas of magnificence must have had rather a shock from the absence of all visible splendor from the cradle of the King of kings. Yet their faith never wavered. God was their teacher, and they had learned from Him the difficult lesson of not judging by outward appearances and the impressions of sense.

2. With beating hearts they knock at the door, and Joseph opens to them. Within they find Him Whom they were seeking, in the arms of Mary His Mother. That humble dwelling is full of a celestial light. Sweet songs of angel minstrelsy ring in their ears. Their hearts are full of an unspeakable joy and assurance that before them they have the King of the Jews, nay. the Lord of heaven and earth, their Savior and their God.

3. The first impulse of their hearts is to fall prostrate before that little Child. They fell down and adored Him. What a happiness it was to them to make their submission to Him ; to profess their loyalty; to declare that they belonged to Him body and soul for time and for eternity! O Jesus, to Thee, and to Thee only, I belong. Make me Thy faithful servant now and forever."

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. When the Wise Men had obtained the information they needed, they wasted no further time at Jerusalem, but turned their steps towards the village of Bethlehem. Their faith was being very sorely tried. The star had disappeared, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, instead of sharing their eagerness to find the new-born King, seemed to be either indifferent or positively hostile to the idea of His presence in their midst. So Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament lies waiting in the tabernacle for a visit from those whom He loves. They have no longing after Him, no desire for His company. Only a few faithful souls go to pay their court to Him. Am I one of them ?

2. Scarce had they quitted the city when the star appeared again to their joyful eyes. There it is; there is no mistaking it. God has not deserted us. He is still guiding us, and we shall find Him Whom we seek. No wonder that they rejoiced with great joy. So to those who have persevered amid doubt and darkness God soon restores the light of His presence. Courage, faint heart, the star will soon re-appear.

3. At length the star, instead of moving above them in the heavens, came nearer to earth, and settled on the humble dwelling-place where Jesus and His Mother abode. What! the King of the Jews in that poverty-stricken shed? Yes, so it is; Christ scorns the gilded palace, and loves the humble hut. There He is at home; thither He invites His friends to come and see how He dwells with the poor and humble of heart. "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. When the star disappeared, the Magi were not disconcerted. If God saw fit to withdraw His direct and extraordinary supernatural guidance, they must fall back on the ordinary means. So they sought for information from those on the spot as to the birthplace of the King of the Jews. Sometimes God leads us by His holy inspirations, sometimes He leaves us to discover His will by natural means. We cannot expect to live always in the blaze of supernatural light showing us the way.

2. When Herod heard of the arrival of these distinguished strangers, and of their inquiries after a new-born King, he was troubled. The tyrant dreaded lest he should be superseded. It is one of the miseries of pride that it lives in continual dread of being set aside and humbled. Humility is never troubled, because it always loves the lowest place and rejoices in its own discomfiture.

3. The priests, when consulted, declared with one voice that Bethlehem is to be the birthplace of the King of the Jews. Yet they manifested no desire to follow the Magi thither. Their knowledge of the truth created in them no wish to carry it into practice. They could teach others, but they did not themselves act on the lessons they taught. How often have I done the same! I preach so well: I practice so ill. "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1. The journey of the Magi from their own country to Palestine, just because a star appeared in a certain quarter of the heavens, was very like a fool's errand. Was a mere floating tradition a sufficient ground for undertaking a long and costly journey ? Were not their duties at home of more importance, and had they not a greater claim than this strange apparition which tempted them away ? What is folly with man is often wisdom with God. How often have similar arguments been used to deter Protestants from making their submission to the Church, and to dissuade Catholics from consecrating themselves to God ! Perhaps I may sometimes have followed the dictates of mere worldly wisdom, neglecting supernatural grace.

2. The star led the Magi on till they arrived at Jerusalem, and then it disappeared. In the bustle of the city no star. In the palace of Herod no star. The busy hum of the crowd seems to be a hindrance to God's holy inspirations.

3. Did the Magi, under these circumstances, accept the situation and devote their time to the sights and wonders of the Holy City? No, nothing would satisfy them except the fulfillment of their mission. What a lesson to us who are so easily diverted by worldly things from seeking after God "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

Abraham Bloemaert - The adoration of the Magi

"1. The three kings who came to do honor to Jesus on the feast of the Epiphany are also called the three Magi, or three Wise Men. They were the rulers of an eastern tribe at some distance from Bethlehem. Like Abraham, they left home and country at God's command. If Abraham thus deserved to be called the Friend of God and Father of the faithful, so these Wise Men were not only the subjects but also the friends of Christ, and the spiritual fathers of all faithful Catholics. We are their spiritual offspring; the innumerable company of Christians in heaven will all have to thank them for having led the way to Jesus.

2. What led them to this long and apparently aimless journey? In their tribe there had long existed a tradition that one day or other a star would appear which the princes of the tribe were to follow, and following it, to find the King of heaven incarnate upon earth. How many generations had looked and longed for the promised sign! Yet it came at last. God always grants sooner or later the desires of those who long after Him.

3. When the star appeared, the Magi lost no time in setting out to follow it. Prompt obedience was their watchword; prompt obedience brought them to Jesus. Prompt obedience made them the earliest converts and the earnest of God's saints. Prompt obedience to God's holy will is the secret of all sanctity."

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"I. The Sun of justice that rose on Christmas morn did not shine on the Jews only. The light that shone upon the rejoicing earth was a light that was to enlighten the Gentiles as well as to be the glory of the people of Israel. The feast of the Epiphany was the declaration of the world-wide dominion of the new-born King. It proclaimed that the kingdoms of this world were to be the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ. Rejoice with the Infant King in His universal sovereignty, and pray that His kingdom may speedily be acknowledged by all His subjects.

2. Those who came to visit Jesus on the Epiphany were three kings. They came as the representatives of all earthly monarchies. They came to do homage and to adore the universal King of the whole earth. What a shadow of a shade is all temporal dominion compared with the dominion of Jesus ! What unlimited homage we all owe Him ! How we should rejoice to acknowledge Him our King and Lord by our loyal obedience to Him !

3. This festival is especially the festival of converts. Our ancestors were once pagans until the Vicar of Christ sent to our beloved country the apostle who proclaimed to us the faith of Christ. This faith in many lands has faded now, and mockery sits on Juda's throne. Alas, to think that those who had the inheritance of the faith have lost it ! How can I ever be grateful enough for the light that shines on me ! "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891

"1 . One of the most difficult things in the world is to submit to anything that lowers us in the opinion of men and tends to give them a false impression respecting us. Our self-love revolts against the wrongful suspicion, and nature is eager to prove its injustice. Our Lord in the circumcision submitted to a rite which seemed to imply that He was born in sin, in order to teach us, at the very opening of His life, a willingness to be misunderstood and judged guilty of faults we have never committed, and to be credited with natural disadvantages which we do
not really possess.

2. We cannot all aim as high as this, or at least we have not yet reached this love of being wrongly judged and despised without cause. But at least we can learn to recognize how utterly opposed to the spirit of Christ is any attempt to make ourselves out better than we are, and to try and lead others to attribute to us virtues or advantages that are not ours, whether it be generosity, or piety, or learning, or riches, or high birth, or wide influence, or a distinguished position in the world.

3. If we want to test our humility, we cannot have a safer touchstone than this willingness to be underrated or disesteemed without any fault of our own. Happy those who can rejoice to suffer shame without giving cause for it ! Am I one of these ? "

Meditations for Christmas . By Rev. Richard F. Clarke S.J. The Catholic Truth Society, London 1891