TO KNOW, KNOW, KNOW HER, IS TO LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HER …

So runs an old song we used to sing many years ago. I suppose the author must have been either a descendant of Thomas the Apostle, or one of his followers. I am certain that it was not one of the Three Magi, whom I rather call the Three Wise Men. Without ever meeting Him personally, without having ever heard Him teach, without ever seeing Him one day perform miracles, it was unknown to them that one day He will be walking on the sea; yet, they believed in the new-born king, the Babe in swaddling bands of Betlehem.

The professional thief who managed to steal Heaven whilst dying has to his merits the fact that he had heard about Jesus. He must have listened to Him teaching, and heard people talk about His miracles. Whatever the case he realized who the man crucified next to him was, and that is why he ventured to ask for a final favour. But it was a different matter for the keen-sighted faith of the Wise Men who had no idea about His wisdom.

And yet amid circumstances of extreme privation and lowliness they recognized the majesty of God, and worshipped Him. What strong spiritual discernment they must have experienced to pierce the veil of the Babe’s flesh and declare Him as the King of the glory. Their only known GPS was the knowledge of the stars sustained with great Faith.

The thief recognized Him hanging on the cross, the Wise Men knew Him feeding at His Mother’s breast; the one knew Him groaning, the others knew Him when He was crying. One knew Him when He was fastened with nails, the others when He was wound in swaddling bands; the thief acknowledged Him, as both departed this life. For as the Good Book says: “In His own good time.”

Let us go dear brothers and sisters and seek the newborn in the company of men. Let us no longer seek Him lying in the manger in swaddling bands, we seek Christ in our brothers and sisters, in our neighbours, in our self-same family, in the unfortunate immigrants escaping death from their country … the list is endless. One grave mistake many commit is when they believe that Christ is found only in the church, in Cathedrals and in Prayer Groups. Christ is found in the alleys, in the lazy corners, in the corners of the street, in the hospital wards, in prison cells, in old people’s homes and in the market.

We are sure that the three Wise Men did not appear before their Lord ‘empty handed’. They merited heaven even as a result of their search for Baby Jesus, let enough their mission in their later years. We must not appear in the Lord’s presence empty-handed. And what are we doing about it?  Oh yes! We have sung a hundred times over the Carol, ‘We three Kings of Orient are’ since childhood. We might have even dreamt that we formed part of their retinue. O what fun!

But we do not need to ‘traverse afar’ (quote), we can do it from the comfort of our homes.

‘O Star of wonder’ (quote), our star today is the Teaching of the Catholic Church.

How can I offer Melchior’s ‘Gold to crown Him’ (quote), or Casper’s ‘Frankincense to worship Him’ (quote)? Many are offering only Balthasar’s Myrrh; the bitter perfume, symbol of sorrowing, sighing, bleeding and dying to their neighbor.

St. Basil, whose feast we are celebrating today, gives us the answer: “The bread which is left to rot, or thrown away because ‘it is left over’ … is not your bread, it is unjustly taken away from the mouth of the hungry.

The extra dresses hanging in your wardrobe belong to the naked all round the world.

The shoes, part of a ‘collection’ are not yours, by right they should be given to the bare-footed poor; children, women and men of all ages. How can you rest your head on the pillow and sleep peacefully when so many are crying out their eyes?

The extra food thrown away, especially during these festive days can feed millions. You are responsible for their death.

How can you justify your hoarding up of money in so many bank accounts when many are dying, including Babes, like the one of Betlehem. Are we going to take the Savings with us when they dump us six feet down?

Then we can sing the Carol and pray to God: ‘Guide us to Thy perfect Light’ (quote).