CHAPTER 1, PAGE 6

The Three Kings

by Henry Wardsworth Longfellow

Three kings came riding from far away,

Melchior and Gaspar and Balthasar,

Three wise men out of the East were they,

and they traveled by night and they slept by day,

For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star,

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,

That all the other stars of the sky,

became a white mist in the atmosphere,

And by this they knew that the coming was near,

 Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle bows,

Three caskets of gold with golden keys,

Their robes were of crimson, silk with rose,

Of bells Pomegranates and frivolos,

Their turbans like blossoming almond trees,

And so the three kings rode into the West,

Through the dusk of night, over hill and dell,

And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,

And sometimes they talked as they paused to rest,

With the people they met at some wayside well.

 "Of the child that is born," said Balthasar,

"Good people I pray you tell us the news,,

For we in the East have seen this star,"

And have ridden fast and have ridden far,

 To find and worship the King Of The Jews."

And the people answered, "You ask in vane,

We know of no king but Herod The Great."

They thought the wise men were men insane,

As they spurred their horses across the plane,

Like riders in haste who can not wait.

And when they came to Jerusalem,

Herod The Great who had heard this thing,

Sent for the wise men and questioned them,

And said, "Go down unto Bethlehem,

and bring me tidings of this new king."

So they rode away and the star stood still,

The only one in the gray of morn,

Yes it stopped, it stood still, Of its own free will,

Right over Bethlehem on the hill.

The City Of David where Christ was born.

And the three kings rode through the gate and the guard,

Through the silent street till their horses turned,

And nayed as they entered the great in-yard,

But the windows were closed and the doors were barred,

And only a light in a stable burned.

And cradled there in the scented hay,

In the air made sweet by breath of kine,

The little child in the manger lay,

The child that would be King one day,

Of a kingdom not human but divine.

His mother, Mary of Nazareth,

Sat watching beside his place of rest,

Watching the even flow of his breath,

For the joy of life and the terror of death,

Were mingled together in her breast.

They laid their offerings at his feet,

The gold was their tribute to a king,

The frankincense with its odor sweet,

Was for the priest, the Paracleet,

The myrrh for the body's burring.

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,

And sat as still as a statue of stone,

Her heart was troubled yet comforted,

Remembering what the angel had said,

Of an endless rain and of David's throne.

Then the kings rode out of the city gate,

With a clatter of hoofs and a proud array,

And they went not back to Herod The Great,

For they knew his malice and feared his hate,

And returned to their homes by another way.

Good Morning!

Today is the celebration of the 3 kings or Epiphany. This ends the season of Christmas.  Officially it will be on Sunday this year according to my church calendar. Appropriate for the Lord’s Day.

Every day is created just for you and for me and I’m reminded once more of the importance of celebrating each day. It is a gift!

Now that my Christmas decorations are coming down I have to find some way to brighten the house a little. It tends to look a little dull after the Christmastime glitter. We’ll see…

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

The Gifts of the Magi

Unconditional

Love

Selflessness

Trust

Faith

Forgiveness

Wholeness

Second Chances

Comfort

Joy

Peace

Reassurance

Rejoicing

Generosity

Compassion

Charity

Wonder

Acceptance

Courage

May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !

 

And as this Christmas Season comes to an end, I wish you… Peace my friends,

Christmas love with out end.

MA

 

 

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