Inspired by Another Wise Man

​Last evening, as we concluded our celebration of the Epiphany, we watched the 1985 movie, The Fourth Wise Man.  This compelling story is actually based on a book with a slightly different title, The Story of the Other Wise Man. 
 
Saturday morning, when we met for our semi-monthly convent scripture sharing, where we prayed with and discussed the gospel for the morrow, this story came to my memory. 
 
One evening in my early adolescence, my dad had read the story to us kids.  It was so enthralling that we kept him reading far into the evening. 
 
Last night, as on that evening years ago, I was deeply touched by the story.  Its implicit urging to live the Gospel actually brought me to tears and encouraged me to be more generous in how I respond to “the least of my brothers”…whenever and however I may meet them throughout the day. 
 
The movie, and the book that preceded it, is not a sermon on social justice.  It does not quote from the Catechism, nor does it share adages from the saints on the moral life.  Instead it shares an imaginative account of a fourth magi who never made his rendezvous with Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar but found the sought-after King in each needy person before him.
 
I don’t want to say too much to give away the story for any readers here who have not yet experienced its simple beauty, but if you want to be renewed in your life of generous discipleship, watching or reading it could be a great help.   ​