Voice: Doreen
Today is Wednesday, 24th of December. It is Christmas Eve.
Let us pause to gather our scattered thoughts and focus our spirit on His presence.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
In your tender compassion
the dawn from on high is breaking upon us
to dispel the lingering shadows of night.
As we look for your coming among us this day,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
We read Psalm 63
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Matthew 2:1-12
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Even Wise Men Seek Jesus
Even Wise Men Seek Jesus
“Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?”
Ironically, this question was asked not by an insider to the Jewish world, but by outsiders—Persian Magi, likely astrologer–priests who were sincere seekers of truth.
They came from afar. They travelled a long and costly distance to seek Jesus. Along the way, they asked questions and were directed by Jewish religious leaders who possessed the Scriptures and knew the answers. Yet these leaders, though informed, were indifferent. They were not looking out. Steeped in apathy, they were simply not seeking.
When King Herod heard the news, he was deeply troubled. He imagined that this newborn King would dethrone him. Proud, self-absorbed and insecure, he interpreted the appearance of the star differently. When the wise men found Jesus, they worshiped Him. Herod, too, wanted to find Jesus—but only in order to destroy Him.
From the religious leaders, we see apathy. From the political ruler, we see hostility.
The wise men could have been richly rewarded had they returned to Herod with their discovery. Instead, having been warned by God, they chose to protect the child. They took another road. They aligned themselves not with power, but with the purpose of God.
This Christmas, these anonymous wise men model for us how we are to approach this child.
We are called to have hearts that seek after God: to ask what He is doing, to discern the signs of the times. Like “deep calling to deep,” we pursue the things of God, refusing to be distracted by the many noises and voices that do not matter in the Kingdom. Having seen the star, we ask: “Where is He?”
Unlike Herod, we do not misread the signs of the times. We do not resist the work of God, like Saul who “kicked against the goads.” Resistance only wounds the one who resists.
Instead, we humble ourselves and submit to Christ’s lordship. We kneel. We worship the child who is King.
It has been said that only a few are wise, most are otherwise.. This Christmas, will we join the few wise men and take the quiet path of trust, worship, and obedience? Or will we stand among the crowds—caught in apathy, self-occupation, or even hostility toward the work of God?
We end with the collect for Christmas Eve :
Almighty God,
you make us glad with the yearly remembrance
of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer,
so we may with sure confidence behold him
when he shall come to be our judge;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We wish you a blessed Christmas. If these weekday devotions have been a blessing, we would like to hear from you. Your feedback can guide us as we welcome a new year and how we may continue to work on them. Special thanks to those who have given us feedback. You can email terrywg@gmail.com or text him if you have his handphone number.
Be blessed by this classic, This Little Child.
Who would have thought that long ago
So very far away
A little child would be born
And in a manger laid
And who would have thought this little child
Was born the King of Kings
The Son of just a carpenter
But for whom the angels sing
And who would have thought that as He grew
And with other children played
This child with whom they laughed and sang
Would die for them some day
And who would have thought this little child
Could make a blind man see
Feed the hungry, make rich the poor
And set the prisoner free
Oh who would have thought this little child
Was who the prophets said
Would take away the sins of man
And rise up from the dead
And I believe and I will always sing
This little child is the King
And I believe and I will always sing
This little child
He is the King of Kings
Many years have come and gone
Yet this world remains the same
Empires have been built and fallen
Only time has made a change
Nation against nation
Brother against brother
Men so filled with hatred
Still killing one another
And over half the world is starving
While our banner of decency is torn
Debating over disarmament
While killing children before they’re born
And fools who march to win the right
To justify their sin
Oh every nation that has fallen
Has fallen from within
Yet in the midst of this darkness
There is a hope, a light that burns
This little child the King of Kings
Some day will return
And I believe and I will always sing
This little child is the King
And I believe and I will always sing
This little child
He is the King of Kings
Who would have thought this little child
Is who the prophets said
Will return to judge this world
The living and the dead
Oh can’t you see, that long ago
So very far away
That Jesus Christ, our only hope
Was born the King that day
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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