RE at St Thomas More School

You can watch TV programmes with a religious or ethical theme, or listen to relevant radio programmes, by clicking here. Leave a comment if you find anything particularly good!

I was inspired by the Sunday Service on BBC Radio 4, which woke me up this morning. It came from the roof of the Pope’s summer palace outside Rome, home to the Vatican Space Observatory. I am amazed to discover the complete transcript of this service on the internet! You can therefore read it too, in case the “listen again” feature has run out of time by the time you see this! The reason I mention this service is partly because the homily started by asking why didn’t Herod already know about the star, if the Magi did … “But then, when was the last time you looked at the stars?” Often, in our daily lives, we forget to look for stars, or for God. I hope that this year, 2008, is a time when you can all look for God in everything you do and in everything you learn.

I wonder how many of you sang this carol this morning at Church? Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, the time when we remember the Magi, or Wise Men, who visited Jesus bringing gifts. An epiphany is a revelation, or a new spiritual awareness of some truth. The Wise Men, from “the East”, represent Jesus being revealed to Gentiles, not just Jews, as being the Saviour. Read the lyrics carefully.

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray’r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav’n replies

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

In the second verse, we see that the gift of gold represents Jesus being a king. The gift of frankincense represents Jesus being God, and the gift of myrrh, used for embalming bodies, reminds us of the Sacrifice of Jesus.