January 10, 2026
Summary of the Morrow’s Meditation
We will meditate tomorrow upon the sojourn of the Magi at Bethlehem, and we shall consider: 1st, how holily they lived there; 2nd, how we may imitate them. We will then make the resolution: 1st, to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament during the day, after the example of the Magi visiting the Child Jesus in His crib; 2nd, to keep ourselves as much as possible in a spirit of recollection and of union with God. Our spiritual nosegay shall be the words of the Imitation: “To be with Jesus is a delightful paradise” (II. Imit. viii. 2).
Meditation for the Morning
Let us adore Jesus Christ kindly receiving the Magi each time that they went to visit Him during their sojourn at Bethlehem. O precious visits! O moments of Paradise! Let us congratulate the Magi on them. Let us thank Jesus Christ for them.
FIRST POINT
How Holily the Magi Lived during their Sojourn at Bethlehem.
The thrice-blessed Magi took care not to quit Bethlehem after their first visit; it is impossible to enjoy so much happiness without wishing to prolong it; people do not come from so great a distance to enjoy so pure a joy without giving themselves the pleasure of multiplying it; moreover they must rest after enduring so much fatigue. And therefore, there is no doubt but that the Magi remained several days at Bethlehem; and during that time they often went to visit the Child-God: they took Him in their arms, contemplated His divine features, pressed Him to their bosom, covered Him with their kisses, watered Him with their tears; and who can say with what sentiments of admiration, of love, of thanksgiving, and of devotion they gave up their whole persons to the service of the Divine Child? Who, on the other hand, can say what enlightenment, what benedictions, what flames of love the Infant Jesus shed upon their souls, and how short each one of their visits seemed to them? It was with regret that they withdrew, and as soon as they could they hastened to return, saying with David: “As the hart panteth after the fountains of waters, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God!” (Ps. xli. 2.) And they were always kindly received, and new graces followed upon the preceding ones; then, after having rendered their homage to the Child, they spoke to Mary and to Joseph, begging them to explain the marvels of the mystery they had come to contemplate. And Mary and Joseph, always ready to give them pleasure, told them all they knew. O holy intercourse! how it ravished the hearts of the Magi, how it was impressed upon their memories! They spoke in their turn; and from the depths of their hearts issued words which Mary deemed worthy to be kept in her heart (Luke ii. 19). In the interval of these holy interviews, of what did they think except of Jesus? Jesus was everything to them (Col. iii. 2). So holy was the life of these happy Magi during their sojourn at Bethlehem! What a lesson for us! How well it teaches us the profit we may derive from the real presence of Christ in our tabernacles!
SECOND POINT
How we ought to Imitate the Magi in their Sojourn at Bethlehem.
We can imitate them, 1st, when we visit the Blessed Sacrament; for in the tabernacles we have the same Man-God who was in the crib, with this difference, and it is one which overflows with love, that the Magi arrived at the crib only after having taken a long journey, whilst tabernacles, numerous as they are, are never at any great distance from us. Oh, if we could but take to these tabernacles the faith and the piety of the Magi, how many graces should we not bring away! We can, 2nd, imitate the Magi when we communicate; for then we not only press Our Lord in our arms, as these happy travellers did, but we receive Him in our hearts; we are one with Him, so to speak; and this is a happiness the Magi did not possess. After having thus incorporated Him, we can during our act of thanksgiving converse with Him, speak to Him and listen to Him, taking the Magi at the crib as our model of acts of thanksgiving after each communion. We can, 3rd, during the course of the day, imitate the holy life of the Magi outside the stable of Bethlehem, by means of the spirit of recollection which makes of our hearts a sanctuary, where we converse with God, an amiable solitude, where nothing enters except God and the soul. There, like the Magi in the stable of Bethlehem, we enjoy God, we can see Him, speak to Him, listen to Him, take advice from Him in our doubts, call Him to our aid in difficulties or dangers, tell Him that we love Him, and ask that we may love Him ever more and more; offer Him our actions, our life, consecrate ourselves to Him without reserve, thank Him for His benefits, burst forth into adoration, praise, thanksgiving, entreaties, and supplications. There, with gratitude and love, we gather together the good thoughts which He sends us, the pious sentiments which He suggests to us, the holy resolutions He puts into our hearts, and we thus make our whole life holy, as was that of the Magi. Happy the soul which understands these things! more happy still he who puts them in practice! (III. Imit. i.)
Resolutions and spiritual nosegay as above.