Painting by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia

Another form of meditation is known as "contemplation" and involves using our imagination to place ourselves in a scene from the Bible. We can think deeply and meditatively on being there with the shepherds on a cold windy hillside when the angels came to announce the birth of the Savior. Or on this night, we can imagine being present in the stable on the night before the three Kings came (the feast of the Epiphany).

"The holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel appeared to [Mary and Joseph] and said: 'Divine Providence has ordained that three kings of this world shall come from the East in search of the King of Heaven, and shall adore the Word Incarnate in this very place. They are already ten days on the way and will shortly arrive.' Joseph and Mary therefore set about preparing the grotto for the visit of the Kings, and during the following days the Blessed Virgin saw in visions the Magi traveling together across the deserts east of the Holy Land.

"The three Kings, whose names (according to tradition) were Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior, ruled over what is now Iraq and Iran. Gaspar of Mesopotamia, the youngest, was light brown in appearance, Balthasar of Parthia was dark brown, while Melchior of Media, the oldest, was rather stout and had an olive-colored complexion."

~ Raphael Brown, The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics, imprimatur 1951.

How would Mary and Joseph feel, as a poor carpenter and his wife, knowing that mighty, wealthy kings from far away were coming to their poor shelter to worship the Infant Jesus?