Through the Eyes of King Melchior
I was a man with a keen mind—even a brilliant one, many would often say. I was well-educated, acquiring tremendous knowledge of the various disciplines, which brought me much praise and applause. And yet my passion was always to explore and discover the true essence of things. I felt confident in these abilities, and (I must admit) I enjoyed the admiration for my efforts…. Now, here we were on a journey different from all the others. We had studied the stars and the prophetic writings, and with the passing of time, we had become thoroughly convinced the message was true. The anticipation grew in our minds—this search for the King…. Now, we made our way through the darkness, the heavy-laden camels dragged slowly behind. We had crossed empires and deserts, but the last few miles from Jerusalem seemed endless.
We made our way through the narrow streets and found the light falling upon the simplest of dwellings. Unable to wait until the sun rose above the hills, my companion knocked. The door opened, and without hesitation (as if he had been waiting for our arrival), a kindly man with gentle features ushered us in from the cold. We were led to a dimly lit corner where sat a young woman. As we reverently approached, she glanced up and smiled, and I spontaneously bowed—for she had the nobility of a queen…. Now, no man could ever know or comprehend what I must tell you next. The young woman bent low, as if to direct our gaze to him. In an instant, I was on my knees, transfixed before the most beautiful of all faces. It was the face of a child. What I encountered in that brief but momentous minute was so astonishing I can barely say. Here, in this poor, humble, little King I found all the wisdom that ever was. Here, I somehow knew, was the source of all truth. Overwhelmed, I could not utter a single word, but simply knelt in adoration.
The Sisters of Life
From Epiphanies: Meditations with Scripture, a collection of Scriptural meditations in the Ignatian tradition. © Sisters of Life, New York, NY. www.sistersoflife.org.