The tragedy of the Jewish People often lay in the fact that, while they knew the right place, they did not realize that the right time had come. The Magi did not know where Bethlehem was, but, when they saw the star in the East, they were wise enough, sensitive enough, to realize that this was a moment of grace, a time in which to be prompt and ready to follow the invitation of God. When they came to Jerusalem looking for the infant Jesus, the Jews could open the scriptures at the right place and direct them on their way. But they themselves did not realize that this was the fullness of time.

When we come to pray we may be like the Magi. We may not know where to find the readings in our Bibles; we may not know where to start; we may not know where to find God. But the important thing is rather to realize that the time is more important than the place: each time of prayer is a time of grace, a time for worship and for offering God the gift of ourselves.