Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2, 1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

The Three Wise Men 

1. Melchior. Today, I’m going to focus more on Church tradition than the Bible itself. Melchior represents the scientific world because, according to tradition, he was a man of science. What the Word of God tries to show us today is that science and faith are related; when science reaches its limit, it kneels before faith. How many times do doctors say, “The only thing left to do is pray”? “Melchior” is traditionally represented as a light-skinned man with a white beard, thus representing old age. His name comes from Hebrew (malkî and ôr), meaning “my king is light” or “king of light.” He offers gold to Jesus. Over the years, you will realize that neither age, nor science, nor money can give you peace and happiness – only God can.

2. Caspar. Caspar teaches us that everyone follows a dream or inspiration, just as he watched the star. The name Caspar traces its roots to Asia, specifically the Persian word kansbar, meaning “treasurer.” Many Chinese Christians believe he came from Mongolia. Caspar symbolizes adulthood and he brought incense as a gift. His story shows that as we mature, our view of life becomes more spiritual than purely physical. Incense was used to honor, reminding us that life should be cherished rather than simply endured. We are called to recognize the value and divine presence in all things—God is in everything. To this day, this lesson is still found in Asian and Eastern traditions.

3. Balthazar. The Gospel of Matthew refers to “Magi from the East” without specifying names, calling them kings, or stating their number. The familiar names—Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar—are believed to come from a Greek manuscript dating back to around 500 AD, later translated into Latin. In the earliest version, the third wise man was called Bithisarea, which became Balthazar in Latin. Myrrh, which was extremely valuable at the time, was the gift he brought; it was used again after Jesus’s crucifixion by Nicodemus for the burial. Tradition identifies Balthazar as the one who presented the myrrh. The name Balthazar, from Greek, means “God protects the king,” reminding us that all political power is subject to God and that only God’s power is eternal.

In summary, Melchior represents the harmony of science and faith, Caspar embodies the connection between nature and faith, and Balthazar signifies the relationship between politics and faith. These three domains—science, nature, and politics—can have great influence and at the same time, the potential to harm humanity, but they can never surpass God. We all stand humbled before Him, for although these things can harm people, they cannot affect God, who became man to draw us under His loving protection.

Remember that something good is on the way! 

God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.