Here is another story in Library Lady’s Christmas Stories series.
THE THREE HOLY KINGS
ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND, AND OTHER SOURCES
Edited by Jane Mouttet
In a far country, in the days before Jesus was born in Judea, some great astronomers studied the heavens by night and by day, for they knew of the prophecy that said a star would be born from Jacob’s family and a man would arise of the lineage of Israel. Twelve were chosen to pay attention. They ascended the Hill of Victory every year. For three days, they stayed there and prayed to our Lord that He would show them the star that Balaam had said and prophesied.
Now, they were there on the day of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. A star came over this mountain, which had the form of a right fair child. Under his head was a shining cross, and from this cross came a voice saying, “Today is there born a King in Judea.”
A king called Melchior reigned in Arabia, where the soil was red with gold. And in Saba, where frankincense flows from the trees, King Balthasar ruled. And in the land where myrrh hangs from the bushes, the kingdom of Tharsis reigned a third king named Caspar. These three kings also saw the star and heard the voice, and they each prepared to go on a journey. The three were surprised that the others intended to make a pilgrimage. They gathered their treasures to present to the King whom they should seek and summoned those who should attend them. So, each set out with a great company and grand estate. As they journeyed, they found the mountains made level as the plains, while the swollen rivers became dry land. And never did they lose sight of the star, which shined upon them like the sun, always moving before them to guide them on their way.
But when they came within two miles of Jerusalem, the star disappeared, a heavy fog arose, and each party halted. Melchior took his stand on Mount Calvary, Balthasar on the Mount of Olives, and Caspar between them. When the fog cleared away, each was astonished to see two other great companies besides his own. Then, the kings first discovered that all had come upon the same errand, and they embraced with great joy and rode together into Jerusalem.
When they came into the city, Herod and all the people were troubled because of their great company, which was like an army. Then they demanded in what place the King of the Jews was born, for, said they, “We have seen His Star in the Orient, and therefore we come to worship Him.” And when Herod heard this, he was much troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Then Herod called all the priests of the law and the doctors and demanded of them where Jesus Christ should be born. And when he had understood that He should be born in Bethlehem, he called the three kings apart and demanded of them diligently the time the star appeared to them. And he said to them that as soon as they should have found the Child and have worshipped Him, they should return and show it to him, feigning that he would worship Him also, though he thought that he would go to slay Him.
As soon as the kings entered Jerusalem, the star disappeared from their sight. But when they left the city, the star appeared again and went before them until it came above the place in Bethlehem where the Child was. They had journeyed for thirteen days.
When they entered where the Child was, they worshipped the young Child and Mary, His mother. Now the kings had brought great treasures with them, for it must be known that all that Alexander the Great left at his death, and all that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon, and all that Solomon collected for the temple, had descended to the three kings from their ancestors. They had brought with them. But when they bowed down before the Child, they were filled with fear and amazement because of the great light in the place. And they each offered quickly the first thing that came to their hands and forgot all their other gifts. Melchior offered thirty golden pennies, Balthasar gave frankincense and Caspar myrrh, but they quite forgot all else. They only remembered that they bowed before the Child and said, “Thanks be to God.”
They wanted to stay to honor the Holy Child, but an angel came to them in a dream to warn them against Herod, who would do them harm. So, they each departed to their own country, journeying for two years. And they preached to the people, telling them of the new-born King, and men placed the figures of a star, the Child, and a cross everywhere upon the temples.
Years later, St. Thomas the Apostle journeyed to the far country to preach and wondered why the star was placed upon the temples. Then, the priests in those temples told him about the three kings and how they had journeyed to Bethlehem and had seen the young Child.
The three kings were very old and feeble, but when they heard about St. Thomas, each set out from his own place to meet him. When they came together, they built a city for them and lived there for two years, worshipping God and preaching. Melchior died and was buried in an extensive and costly tomb. When Balthasar died, he, too, was buried there. Finally, Caspar was placed beside his companions.
In the days of Constantine the Great, his mother Helena was determined to find the three kings’ bodies. She made a journey to the faraway country. When she saw them, she brought them to Constantinople to the Church of St. Sophia, where they were held in much honor. From Constantinople, they were taken to Milan, where, again, many pilgrims came. When Frederick Barbarossa laid siege to Milan, he rejoiced to find them there. He took them to Cologne, where a golden shrine was built, where the bones of the three holy kings were placed so they might remain until Judgment Day.
Purchase a PDF of this story – https://payhip.com/b/lrSiw