Visit of the Magi

Today we hear how hundreds of years before Christ was born the prophet Isaiah foretold that kings from the East would come bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; gifts recalling that Christ is Prophet, Priest and King.

The Gospel of Matthew then tells of the fulfillment of that prophecy as the wise men followed the Star of Bethlehem, looking for the newborn King of Israel.

Not everyone welcomes the news of the arrival of the new King however.  Seeking to protect his own worldly kingdom, King Herod reacts to the news of the birth of Jesus by ordering the murder of all male children in the territory surrounding Bethlehem.