Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh

As we all know from our nativity sets, some very special guests attended the birth of the Jesus: wise men from the east, bearing gifts for the newborn king - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 states: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. "

THE GIFT OF GOLD

As was customary for royal visits, the wise men came bearing treasured gifts intended to honor the newborn king. And as it is today, gold was a valued commodity in the ancient world. Among the types of assets listed in the Bible (e.g., precious metals, livestock, servants, gemstones, etc.), accumulation of gold was one of the chief measures of wealth (cf. Genesis 13:2, Ecclesiastes 2:8). Because of its scarcity and immense value, gold was particularly associated with royalty and nobility, as is seen in 1 Kings 10 when the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon bearing great quantities of gold as a gift. By bringing a gift of gold, the wise men showed that they did indeed consider Jesus a king. 

In addition to underscoring the royalty of Jesus, some have noted that the wise men’s gift of gold may have foreshadowed another aspect of Jesus’ ministry. Under the Old Covenant, the Most Holy Place (also known as the Holy of Holies) was an inner sanctuary within the Temple where the priest would encounter the presence of God and offer a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Likewise, the incarnation of Jesus heralded the presence of God—Immanuel—and the sacrifice of atonement he would make on behalf of his people when he went to the cross. The wise men may have had this connection in mind because, as described in 1 Kings 6:20-22, the walls of the Most Holy Place and the altar within it were completely overlaid with—you guessed it—gold.

THE GIFT OF FRANKINCENSE

Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin that is still widely used in parts of the Middle East and Africa today. It is produced by scraping the bark of certain native species of trees and then harvesting the beads of resin after they have dried. When burned as incense, it creates a strong and beautiful aroma. In the ancient near east, the cost of frankincense precluded it from being used as a common household air freshener. Rather, the burning of frankincense was closely associated with ceremonial worship of a deity. In this way, the inclusion of frankincense as a gift for Jesus may have indicated that the wise men understood that the prophecy of the newborn king carried with it a claim of deity.

As with gold, frankincense may also have an implied connection with the Temple worship of the Old Covenant. Burning incense at the altar was a key part of the sacrificial system prescribed by God for use in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Temple itself. According to Exodus 30, however, not just any incense would do. A specific recipe of spices mixed with “pure frankincense” (v. 34) was to be consecrated as “pure and holy” (v.35) and was the only incense permitted at the altar. A speculative parallel can be drawn between this and Jesus’ life as a pure and holy offering to the Lord.

THE GIFT OF MYRRH

Myrrh is a fragrant spice derived from the sap of a tree native to the Near East. Like frankincense, it can be used as incense, but in the ancient world it also had wider usage as a perfume, anointing oil, and was even imbibed as a medicinal tonic. Most notable with regard to Jesus’ life, myrrh was a key ingredient in the mixture of spices that were used to prepare bodies for burial (e.g., John 19:39-40). Perhaps the wise men intended this gift as an indication of Jesus’ humanity and the manner in which he would save his people—namely, that he would die for them (cf. Isaiah 53:5).

Just like the first two gifts, there is a Temple connection with myrrh as well. Exodus 30 tells us that liquid myrrh was a main ingredient in the anointing oil used to ceremonially prepare the priests, the instruments, the altar, and the Temple itself before sacrifices could be made. Again, parallels to Jesus’ consecrated life and sacrificial death are immediately noticeable.

https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/gold-frankincense-and-myrrh.html

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NOTES ON CONCLUSIONS (for assignment associated with this source text)

You should reiterate the important significance or rarity or value of each one.

By drawing out one really important significance of each one, you a stronger/better path to your clincher.

But you n=must make sure you have covered this in the body paragraphs (no new info in conclusions!)

---------------------------------------------

IF you have this info in your body paragraphs, you can conclude with more strength (example of conclusion at the bottom)

Gold was symbolic of kingship. By bringing this gift to the Baby Jesus, Melchior, king of Persia/Arabia (modern Saudi Arabia), specifically acknowledged Christ as King.

Frankincense was used for worship in the Temple. By bestowing this gift, the magi Gaspar, king of Tarsus (Sheba?), land of merchants,  demonstrated that he recognized Christ as the High Priest. 

 

Myrrh was a prophetic symbolic of Jesus' death for the sake of truth. Gaspar (Caspar, Jasper), king of Tarsus (Sheba?) (India), land of merchants OR Balthazar, king of Egypt (Arabia)  acknowledged/confessed/claimed/ named/ recognized / professed /  acclaimed / exalted Christ as the High Prophet

(ANAPHORA) Each gift also has special significance to us, as Christians. Each one of these gifts tells us more about this wonderous Christ child.  Each gift reminds us of how to conduct our lives.

gold --> kingship 

we need obey him

frankincense --> worship 

we need worship him

myrrh --> death and mourning

we need to accept the saving grace he gave to us by dying on the cross for us.

The symbol "-->" could be replaced with: represents/represented

reminds us

's significance is/was

signifies/signified

was associated with

was symbolic of

GEOGRAPHY

The Magi in the Bible came “from the east.” (Matthew 2:1) The East at the time of Christ’s birth meant Media, Persia, Assyria and Babylonia, countries now encompassed by Iran and Iraq. Justin Martyr in 160 said, “Magi from Arabia (modern Saudi Arabia) came to Herod.” Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) in the Stromata says they came from Persia.

https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/persia

The 9th Day of Christmas - The Epiphany of Our Lord

January 2, Solemnity of the Epiphany

Old Calendar: The Most Holy Name of Jesus

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany.

"The Lord and ruler is coming; kingship is his, and government and power." 

With these words the Church proclaims that today's feast brings to a perfect fulfillment all the purposes of Advent. Epiphany, therefore, marks the liturgical zenith of the Advent-Christmas season.
— Pius Parsch

The Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated either on January 6 or, according to the decision of the episcopal conference, on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8.

The young Messiah is revealed as the light of the nations. Yet, as the antiphon for the Magnificat at Second Vespers reminds us, three mysteries are encompassed in this solemnity:
1) the adoration of the Christ Child by the Magi
2) the Baptism of Christ and
3) the wedding feast at Cana.

Extra candles and/or lamps may be placed around the sanctuary and in other parts of the church to honor Christ revealed as the Light of the Gentiles (Ceremonial of Bishops).

It is customary to replace the images of the shepherds at the crib with the three Magi and their gifts.
— Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, Msgr. Peter J. Elliott, Ignatius Press.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus which is kept on the First Sunday in the year; but if this Sunday falls on January 1, 6, or 7, the feast is kept on January 2.

Sunday, January 2, 2011 - Feast of Epiphany

The Magi, trust their message given in a dream and return, not merely geographically, but wisdom-wise, by an “other way”. 

This “other way” is what Epiphany means.

The Magi symbolize our noblest human efforts. 

They go trekking for the truth. Finding it, they give homage, not to the high and mighty Herod, but to the child of the Most High.

Epiphany is not only a dramatic feast. 

It is a missionary feast as well. Its message is for the nations. And if people of faith do not proclaim it, our children will be left to the Herods of the world.

From Goffine's Devout Instructions on the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays and Holydays:

Why did the Wise Men come from afar to seek the Saviour in Jerusalem? 

They lived in Arabia, and had acquired some information of the prophecies of Israel, particularly of the 

noted prophecy of Balaam, "A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel" 

(Num. xxiv. IT), which was the more significant to them because they were, as their name denotes, skilled 

in astronomy. But to these human considerations must be added the light of divine inspiration, as St. Leo says, 

" The star shone also in their hearts a beautiful example for us to follow, without delay, the inspirations of divine 

grace, and to do the will of God without fear of men." 

What was the significance of the presents which the Wise Men offered to the Saviour?

In offering gold the Wise Men honored the infant Jesus as King ; in frankincense, as God ; in myrrh, as suffering Man. 

How can we offer to Jesus similar gifts? 

1) We can present Him with gold by giving up to Him what we value most, our will;  also by giving alms in His name to the poor.  

2) We can present Him incense in fervent and devout prayers ascending to heaven. 

3) We can present Him myrrh by preserving purity of body and soul.

Here is Scott Hahn's reflection on The Feast of the Epiphany --  Listen Here!  A King to Behold

Readings:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:-12,7-8, 10-13
Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

---

An “epiphany” is an appearance. In today’s readings, with their rising stars, splendorous lights and mysteries revealed, the face of the child born on Christmas day appears.

Herod, in today’s Gospel, asks the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah is to be born. The answer Matthew puts on their lips says much more, combining two strands of Old Testament promise - one revealing the Messiah to be from the line of David (see 2 Samuel 2:5), the other predicting “a ruler of Israel” who will “shepherd his flock” and whose “greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth” (see Micah 5:1-3).

Those promises of Israel’s king ruling the nations resound also in today’s Psalm. The psalm celebrates David’s son, Solomon. His kingdom, we sing, will stretch “to the ends of the earth,” and the world’s kings will pay Him homage. That’s the scene too in today’s First Reading, as nations stream from the East, bearing “gold and frankincense” for Israel’s king.

The Magi’s pilgrimage in today’s Gospel marks the fulfillment of God’s promises. The Magi, probably Persian astrologers, are following the star that Balaam predicted would rise along with the ruler’s staff over the house of Jacob (see Numbers 24:17).

Laden with gold and spices, their journey evokes those made to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba and the “kings of the earth” (see 1 Kings 10:2,25; 2 Chronicles 9:24). Interestingly, the only other places where frankincense and myrrh are mentioned together are in songs about Solomon (see Song of Songs 3:6, 4:6,14).

One greater than Solomon is here (see Luke 11:31). He has come to reveal that all peoples are “co-heirs” of the royal family of Israel, as today’s Epistle teaches.

His manifestation forces us to choose: Will we follow the signs that lead to Him as the wise Magi did? Or will we be like those priests and the scribes who let God’s words of promise become dead letters on an ancient page?



Yours in Christ,



Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

SOURCES:

John Kavanaugh, S. J., of Saint Louis University

Larry Gillick, S. J., of Creighton University's Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality 

Goffine's Devout Instructions 
Scott Hahn 

Epiphany's Endgame

This post is from one of my favorite websites, Archdiocese of Washington! This is a wonderful "KEEPER" for my Catholic Notebook.

Going Back to Your Country By Another Route

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

There are so many wonderful details in the Epiphany story that we may lose the essential message which is: Conversion. Now the Latin word from which we get “conversion” is conversio which means “a turning around.” Hence we see the concluding effect of the Magi’s visit to the Lord is that they “return to their country by another route.” To authentically encounter the Lord is to experience conversion. All the elements of this story serve ultimately to lead them to this conversion. Perhaps we can look at the details and stages of how they come to a saving faith and are able to live differently.

1.CALL - When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,  

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Notice the identity of these individuals, they are Magi and they are from the East. Exactly what Magi are is debated. Perhaps they are wise men, perhaps they are ancient astronomers. We often think of them as Kings though the text does not call them that and Herod it seems would have been far more anxious had they been actual potentates from an Eastern Kingdom. In our imagination we often think of them as Kings since Psalm 72 read in today’s Mass speaks of Kings coming from the East bearing gifts of gold and frankincense.
But here is their key identity: they are Gentiles and they have been called. Up to this point in the Christmas story only Jews had found their way to Bethlehem. But now the Gentiles come.
This detail cannot be overlooked for it is clear that the gospel is going to go out to all the world. St. Paul rejoices in this fact in today’s second reading as he says: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.(Eph 3:6) Most of us are not Jewish by ancestry, and hence we ought to rejoice for in the call of these Magi is prefigured our call. God calls them through something in the natural world. In this case a star. God uses something in creation to call out to them. We do well to wonder what is the star that God used to call us? Perhaps it was Scripture but more usually it is someone God has used to reach us, a parent, a family member, a friend, a priest, religious sister, or devoted lay person. Who are the stars in your life by whom God called you? God can even use inanimate creation like he did for these Magi. Perhaps it was a beautiful Church, a painting or a song. By someone or something God calls. He puts a star in our sky. These wise men, these Magi, follow the call of God and begin their journey to Jesus.

2. CONSTANCY - Upon their arrival in Jerusalem the Magi find a rather confusing and disturbing situation. The reigning King, Herod, knows nothing of the birth of this King. It must have seemed probable that the newborn King would be related to the current King so his surprise may have confused them. But Herod seems more than surprised, he seems threatened. Even more puzzling, he calls religious leaders to further inform him of this King. They open the sacred writings and the Magi hear of a promised King. Ah, so the birth of this king has religious significance! How interesting. But, these religious leaders seem unenthusiastic of the newborn King and after giving the location of his birth seem to make no effort to follow the Magi. There is no rejoicing, no summoning of the people that a longed for king had finally been born. Not even further inquiry! So the wicked (Herod) are wakeful and the saints are sleepy. How odd this must have seemed to the Magi. Perhaps it occurred to them to suspend their search. After all the actual King knew nothing of this birth and those who did seemed little interested. Ah, but praise the Lord they persevere in their search. They do not give up! Thanks be to God too, that many today have found their way to Christ despite the fact that parents clergy and others who should have led them joyfully to Jesus were either asleep, or ignorant or just plain lazy. I am often amazed at some of the conversion stories I have heard, people who found their way to Christ and his Church despite some pretty discouraging obstacles like poor religious upbringing, scandalous clergy and bad example. God sometimes allows our faith and call to be tested but Those who persevere to the end will be saved (Matt 24:13).

3. CONFESSION OF FAITH – After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. – With what little information they have they set out and continue to follow the call of God through the star. Notice too that they enter a “house.” We often think of the Magi as coming that same Christmas night to the cave or stable but it seems not. Mary (Joseph) and Jesus are found now in a house. It would seem that decent lodging has now been found. Has it been days since the birth? Perhaps even longer but we are likely dealing with a different day than Christmas Day. Notice too that they “prostrate” themselves before Jesus. The Greek word is προσεκύνησαν (prosekunēsan) which means more literally “to fall down in worship” or “give adoration.” The verb is used 12 times in the New Testament and it is clear each time that religious worship is the purpose of the prostration. This is no mere homage to an earthly King this is religious worship. This is a confession of faith. So our Magi have come to faith! But is it a real faith, or just a perfunctory observance? It’s not enough to answer an altar call, or to get baptized. Faith is never alone. It is a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. So lets look for the effects of a real and saving faith.

4. COST – There is a cost to discipleship. The magi are moved to give three symbolic gifts as a result of their faith and they are costly gifts.
Gold is a symbol of all our possessions. In laying this gift before Jesus they and we are saying, “I acknowledge that everything I have is yours. I put all my resources and wealth under your authority and will use them only according to your will.” A conversion that has not reached the wallet is not complete.
They give the gift of frankincense. This is the gift of worship for in the Bible incense is a symbol of prayer and worship (eg psalm 141). In laying down this gift we promise to pray and worship God all the days of our life. To be in his holy house each Sunday and render him the praise and worship he is due. To listen to his word and to consent to be fed the eucharist by him. To worship him worthily by frequent confession and to praise him at all times.
And they give a strange gift of myrrh which is burial ointment. Surely this prefigures Jesus’ death but it also symbolizes our own. In laying this gift before Jesus we are saying, my life is yours. I want to die so that you may live your life in me. May you increase and may I decrease. Use me and my life as you will. So here are gifts that are highly symbolic. The magi have done more than give a little homage to Jesus. They are beginning to show the fruits of saving faith. And if we can give these gifts so too are we.

5. CONVERSION – And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. Here it is, the evidence is in: conversion. They are walking differently now. They are not going home by the same way they came. They’ve changed direction, they’ve turned around (conversio). They are now willing to walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life rather than the wide road that leads to destruction. They are going to obey Christ. They are going to exhibit what St. Paul calls the “obedience of faith” (Rom 1:5; 16:26). They have not just engaged in a possibly perfunctory worship, they are showing signs of a true and saving faith. They are not just calling Jesus “Lord, Lord!” They are doing what he tells them (cf Luke 6:46).

So there it is. Through careful stages the Lord has brought the Gentiles (this means you) to conversion. He has called. They remained constant, confessed him to be Lord, accepted the cost of discipleship and manifested conversion. Have you? Have I? Wise men still seek him. Even wiser ones listen to him and obey. Are we willing to go back to our country by another route? Is on-going conversion part of our journey home to heaven? If Epiphany means “manifestation” how is our faith manifest in our deeds and conversion?

This song says, “It’s a highway to heaven! None can walk up there but the pure in heart. I walking up the King’s Highway. If you’re not walking start while I’m talking. There’ll be a blessing you’ll be possessing, walking up the King’s Highway. ”

20 G+M+B 10

A portion of a great post from A Concord Pastor Comments written in  2009:

". . . . The magi had to let go something of their self-determination
and let God have a hand in charting their journey…

The magi are important for us
not so much for their finding the Christ Child,
but in their seeking him:
their looking up beyond themselves;
their willingness to leave some things behind
in favor of finding something more valuable;
and their letting God stake a claim on their hearts."

The Feast of The Epiphany falls on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. In most countries, including the United States, the celebration of Epiphany in 2010 is transferred to Sunday, January 3.

I pray we can be more like Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthesar and seek Jesus beyond our human definition of comfort & security. And may we joyfully let God have the reins of our life's direction.

We are so incredibly fortunate to be back in our home and will be blessing it as we did  on The Feast of The Epiphany 2008.

20 G+M+B 10

May Christ bless our House…
And All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Who Are Welcome in His Name

The Feast of the Epiphany

I love celebrating The Feast of the Epiphany. I like how it is "transferred" to the closest Sunday before January 6 even though the actual date for the feast is January 6.  On the Sunday following January 6 we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord.
But what all of this means to me is that I can sort of dwell in the Feast of the Epiphany for a number of days! It must have taken a number of days for the magi to reach the Christ child. Imagine the anticipation during their journey and the wonder-filled joy at journey's destination.  I am finding some great posts about the magi and the Feast of the Epiphany.  I wanted to record (@ least part of ) them here in my Catholic Notebook. I hope you will enjoy reading these snippets of wisdom, too.


from A Concord Pastor Comments
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

Perhaps the most important part of this story for us is:

not the star
not the prophet’s words
not the audience with King Herod
not the visit to the Christ Child
not the gifts…

but perhaps, for us,
the most important part of the story of the Magi
is how they went home…
They went home by another way…

In the grand revelation
of God’s love made manifest to us in Christ,
this story of the Magi is meant to remind us
that Christ came not only for the chosen people of Israel
but for us, too -Gentiles-
represented by the mysterious visitors from the East.
And there’s something to be learned
from how their pilgrimage and meeting with Christ
served to re-orient them: how they went home by another way.

Simply having met Jesus made them marked men in Herod’s court.
They had met the “newborn King of the Jews”
and that encounter was a threat to those in power.
Because they had met Jesus,
the Magi were no longer welcome or safe in Herod’s palace.

(Painting to the right is a Rembrandt)

Because they had met Jesus,
their journey home had to be re-routed.
Because they had met Jesus,
their old maps would no longer be enough.
They were beginning a journey that would take them
on a path that was new to them,
a path they’d not walked before.

And therein might lie the importance of this story for us.
Are we not those who have met Jesus?
Would we be here today if we hadn’t already met Jesus?
But if we’ve met the Lord -
has that encounter re-routed our lives’ journeys?
Whose star do we follow?
What prophet’s words shape our thoughts, influence our choices?
What gifts do we work for?
To whom do we offer them - and why?

Has our encounter with Christ
made us more welcome or unwelcome in places of power?

Has our having met Christ “marked” us
as men and women whose path leads them
by another way - by a way that many will not walk?

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

It’s important to see that the Magi did go home.
They were not asked to leave their home but rather, to approach the familiar from a new, a different perspective.

(Painting to left is by Leonard da Vinci)

Does our knowing Christ re-orient us
and how we approach the familiar ups and downs of our lives?

Did our recent celebration of Christmas,
re-chart the journey we’re on?

Or are we already back in Herod’s court,
our encounter with Christ tucked away for another year
with the Christmas lights and decorations?

What we celebrate in the Christmas mystery
is how God remapped divinity and visited us in Jesus
- and then, went home by another way,
went home by way of human suffering and death,
went home to prepare a place for us in heaven
even as Christ prepares a place for us at this table
where we remember the path home he walked to the Cross,
in whose shadow we pray.

May the Eucharist we receive, wherein we meet Christ Jesus,
strengthen each and all of us,
to go home by another way…

from The Deacon's Bench
The story of the magi is one of the more mysterious in the New Testament. The gospel doesn't tell us how many of them there were; one early Christian tradition actually told of 12 astronomers making their way to Judea, presumably paralleling the 12 tribes of Israel and, of course, the 12 apostles. But somehow - probably because of the number of gifts mentioned - the number over the centuries dwindled to three. Matthew's gospel is the only one that even mentions them. We really don't know much more about them, except that they were searching for Jesus.

As I told my wife the other day: their visit to Herod is the last time in recorded history that a group of men stopped somewhere to ask directions.

But there is something about their journey that is both poignant, and profound. Among other things, the travels of the magi teach us the value of trust. They trusted in power from above to pierce the night and point the way. Their story also tells us that even the wisest of men need help to find their way.

It's significant, I think, that the magi traveled as a group - because no one makes a journey of faith alone. As a church, we are a community: a body of people looking out for one another, supporting one another. We are all traveling, somehow, in the same direction. And when we can, we also help one another to read the skies, and follow the way to the light.

So it was with the magi.

(Painting above is a Durer)

@ About Catholicism

Prayers:

Collect for the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ (from the Mass of St. Pius V):
O God, Who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, who know Thee now by faith, may be so led as to behold with our eyes the beauty of Thy majesty. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

History:

The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the oldest Christian feasts, though, throughout the centuries, it has celebrated a variety of things. Epiphany comes from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal," and all of the various events celebrated by the Feast of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ to man. Like many of the most ancient Christian feasts, Epiphany was first celebrated in the East, where it has been held from the beginning almost universally on January 6. Today, among both Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, the feast is known as Theophany—the revelation of God to man.

Epiphany originally celebrated four different events, in the following order of importance:

1. the Baptism of Christ
2. Christ's first miracle, the changing of water into wine at the wedding in Cana
3. the Nativity of Christ and 
4. the visitation of the Wise Men or Magi

Each of these is a revelation of God to man: 

1. @ Christ's Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that Jesus is His Son
2. @ the wedding in Cana, the miracle reveals Christ's divinity
3. @ the Nativity, the angels bear witness to Christ, and the shepherds, representing the people of Israel, bow down before Him
4. @ the visitation of the Magi, Christ's divinity is revealed to the Gentiles—the other nations of the earth.

Eventually, the celebration of the Nativity was separated out, in the West, into Christmas; and shortly thereafter, Western Christians adopted the Eastern feast of the Epiphany, still celebrating the Baptism, the first miracle, and the visit from the Wise Men. Thus, Epiphany came to mark the end of Christmastide—the twelve days of Christmas, which began with the revelation of Christ to Israel in His Birth and ended with the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles at Epiphany.
Over the centuries, the various celebrations were further separated in the West, and now the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, and the wedding at Cana is commemorated on the Sunday after the Baptism of the Lord.  (painting to right is a Botticelli)

In many parts of Europe, the celebration of Epiphany is at least as important as the celebration of Christmas. In Italy and other Mediterranean countries, Christians exchange gifts on Epiphany—the day on which the Wise Men brought their gifts to the Christ Child—while in Northern Europe, it's not unusual to give gifts on both Christmas and Epiphany (often with smaller gifts on each of the twelve days of Christmas in between).

@ Canterbury Tales
According to legend, the bodies of Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior (the traditional names of the Wise Men) were discovered by Saint Helena during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The fourteenth century account by John of Hildesheim entitled History of the Three Kings explains how Queen Saint Helen brought the mummies of the Magi to Constantinople.

After she had found the bodies of Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar, Queen Helen put them into one chest and ornamented it with great riches, and she brought them into Constantinople.

Later, the three mummies were transferred from Constantinople to Milan. The city of Milan was once known for its festive observance of the feast of Epiphany, and the presence of the three Wise Men's relics in that city may be the context and origin for this ancient custom. The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick moved the mummified Magi one last time to Cologne in AD 1164 where they rest till this day. If you get to Germany, be sure to check it out.

Photo of the golden casket of the three Wise Men

Are the bones of three Wise Men really in Germany? God only knows...but I like to think so. And remember: Wise Men still seek Jesus.

Ten Lords a Leaping

January 3, Solemnity of the Epiphany Epiphany is a large celebration, especially in Spanish speaking countries. Things look different around the household: the infant Jesus in the manger now has a small gold crown and is wearing regal robes. The figures of the wise men have reached Bethlehem, completing the nativity scene. The Church extends itself on Epiphany to the homes of the faithful. The custom of blessing the home on this day probably originated from these words in the Gospel, "And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary, His Mother, and falling down they adored Him." The priest blesses the house if he can be present, but if not, the father of the family may do so. Ten Lords a Leaping reminds us of the Ten Commandemnts Day Ten activity (Epiphany Party) Day Ten recipe (Twelfth Day Cake)

The Magi, The Epiphany, Blessing Homes

I am so excited to have found yet more information about the magi, The Feast of the Epiphany and the blessing of houses with chalk. This information comes to you by way of a blog by Father Z called, What Does The Prayer Really Say? His source: The 1962 Missale Romanum Here is part of what I found . . . .

The tokens brought by the Magi, representing the hopes of the nations of the earth, were “types”, foreshadows of the Lord who would offer Himself on the Cross. Fathers of the Church and medieval writers such as Jacobus de Voragine (+1298) wrote with creativity and insight about these symbols.

Gold symbolizes the kingship of God to be mirrored in the purity of our hearts, so precious to Christ the King.

Frankincense, annihilated by burning, symbolizes Christ’s divinity. Only God should receive sacrifices. The burning of something so precious reminds us of the immolation Christ submitted Himself to on our behalf. The total destruction of incense produces smoke, which rises like our prayers upward to God. During a Traditional High Mass as the priest incenses the altar he quietly recites,

“May this incense, which Thou hast blessed, O Lord, ascend to Thee, and may Thy mercy descend upon us. Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight: the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door round about my lips. May my heart not incline to evil words, to make excuses for sins. May the Lord enkindle within us the fire of His love, and the flame of everlasting charity. Amen.”

This prayer was done away with in the Novus Ordo, as were many direct references to sin.

Myrrh, a balm used to prepare the bodies of the dead, underscores Christ’s humanity through which He suffered and rose from death.

You can find my Catholic Notebook saved copy of Father Z's post here. Graphic Credit ~~~~> artist, Wayne Henry from Perth, Western Australia

Gifts of The Magi

This beautiful graphic is from one of my favorite daily check-in blogs: Holy Cards for Your Inspiration.

This, I also read there:

The Three Gifts
The Gold of Love,
the Myrrh of Self-denial,
and the (Frank)Incense of Prayer.

I don't know exactly why The Feast of the Epiphany creates such a stir in my heart, but it does. I much prefer this Feast Day to our secular New Year's Eve and Day.

The journey and gifts of the Magi provide a grounding to me. I, too, feel I must sometimes travel unknown territory to find Christ. I find myself on that path a lot, especially when I have had a time of spiritual denial. That can happen in an instant or over time. The evil one is so cunning in trying to draw us away from God.
I, too, am called to go against the secular norm. I must walk in faith, as they surely did.
Maybe it is no coincidence that our parish, when I was a child, was Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church.

20 G+M+B O9

A portion of a great post from A Concord Pastor Comments:

". . . . The magi had to let go something of their self-determination
and let God have a hand in charting their journey…

The magi are important for us
not so much for their finding the Christ Child,
but in their seeking him:
their looking up beyond themselves;
their willingness to leave some things behind
in favor of finding something more valuable;
and their letting God stake a claim on their hearts."

The Feast of The Epiphany is Tuesday.

I pray we can be more like Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthesar and seek Jesus beyond our human definition of comfort & security. And may we joyfully let God have the reins of our life's direction.

We will be blessing our new nest as we did at our home last year on The Feast of The Epiphany.

20 G+M+B O9

May Christ bless our House…
And All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Who Are Welcome in His Name

Epiphany - 1962 Missale Romanum

Source: What Does The Prayer Really Say - Father Z's blog

Epiphany (1962 Missale Romanum – Roman Station: San Pietro in Vaticano)

“Epiphany” comes from the Greek word for a divine “manifestation” or “revelation”.  The antiphons for Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours reflect the ancient tradition that Epiphany was thought to be the day not only on which the Magi came to adore the Christ Child, but also the very day Jesus changed water into wine at Cana, and also the day He was baptized in the Jordan by St. John.  All three events reveal Jesus as more than a mere man: He is God.   There are many “epiphanies” or “theophanies” in Scripture, such as when Moses encountered God in the burning bush (Exodus 3). 

The celebration of Epiphany stretches back to the Church’s earliest times.   In the Greek East, Epiphany was of far greater importance than Christmas, which was a relative latecomer.  In the Latin West, Christmas developed first, Epiphany later.  In many countries people exchange presents on Epiphany, in imitation of the Magi bringing their gifts.  Epiphany falls on 6 January, the twelfth day after Christmas, as in “On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”, and also the title of Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night.  In the reformed, post-Conciliar calendar Epiphany is usually transferred to a Sunday so that more people can attend that Mass.  I think it is a mistake to transfer important feasts like Epiphany in Christmastide, and Ascension Thursday in Eastertide.  These feasts are pegged to the key celebrations of Christmas and Easter for a reason.  When we transfer these feasts to Sunday, we diminish the meaning of the entire liturgical year. As our obligations as Catholics are made ever more lax and easier to fulfill, a subtle signal is sent that none of our obligations, practices or teachings are important enough to warrant a sacrifice.  

When you move Epiphany to Tenth Night we get short-changed.

Exquisite customs grace Epiphany.  The most famous is the blessing of chalk used to hallow homes. On the lintels of the doors the priest writes with the chalk “20 + C + M + B + 09”, i.e., the year and initials of the names of the Magi indicated in Rituale Romanum: Gaspar (G and C being related), Melchior et Baltássar.  The names of the Magi are traditional, not scriptural and some ancient authors thought there were as many as 24.   Some say “C + M + B” stands for “Christus Mansionem Benedicat… May Christ bless this dwelling”. Though clever, that’s probably wrong. Water is blessed at Epiphany because of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan.  People give presents and enjoy King Cake and Lamb’s Wool (a drink made from cider or ale with roasted apples, sugar and spices).  Apple trees were blessed by pouring cider on them!  In Italy children wait for “la Befana” (from Italian “Epifania”). La Befana is old woman who was invited by the Magi to accompany them on their journey to find the newborn King. She declined because she was busy sweeping her house. Later, she realized her error followed the Magi but never caught up.  Thus, la Befana is still searching for Jesus, zooming around Harry Potter-like on her broomstick.  Santa-like, however, she visits homes and leaves toys and candy for good children, and the nasty lumps of coal for the naughty. 

In today’s technological society, instead of coal she and jolly old St. Nick would do better to leave an obsolete cellular phone or maybe a first generation X-Box.

Santa gets cookies and milk by fireplaces to sustain him on his way, but Italians appropriately leave wine and oranges for la Befana.

COLLECT (1962MR):
Deus, qui hodierna die Unigenitum tuum gentibus stella duce revelasti:
concede propitius; ut, qui iam te ex fide cognovimus,
usque ad contemplandam speciem tuae celsitudinis perducamur.

This prayer, in the 8th century Gregorian Sacramentary, survived the scissors of the Annibale Bugnini’s post-Conciliar reform as the Collect in the Novus Ordo.  Your revelatory Lewis & Short Dictionary manifests celsitudo as, in older Latin, a “loftiness of carriage”. In later Latin it points to “majesty”, as in the title “Highness”.  The ending of revelasti is “syncopated” (abbreviated) from revelavisti.  Stella duce is an ablative absolute (duce is from dux).   The adjective hodiernus, a, um, is “of this day, today’s”, so hodierna dies literally is “today’s day”, stronger than a simple “today”.  Perhaps we could say, “this day of days” or “this of all days”.

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
O God, who this very day revealed your Only-begotten, a star having been the guide,
graciously grant,
that we, who have already come to know You from faith,
may be led all the way unto the contemplation of the beauty of Your majesty.

In this life we know God only indirectly, by faith.  This is St. Paul’s “dark glass” (1 Cor 13:12) through which we peer toward Him in longing.  In the next life we will not need faith. We will have direct knowledge.  In the phrase usque ad contemplandam speciem (a gerundive construction indicating purpose) we pray to be brought “all the way to the beauty” of God “which is to be contemplated”.  Our encounter with His beauty will increase our knowledge of Him, and therefore our love, for all eternity.  This is what we were made for: His glory and splendor.  St. Hilary of Poitiers (+367) spoke of the gloria of God as a transforming power which will divinize us, conform us more and more to His image.  In our Collect, note the move from faith to knowledge in the Beatific Vision. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the Beauty and Truth of the Father.

Our Catholic faith, our splendid liturgy both show forth God’s truth and beauty.  Proper worship requires the most accurate, the most beautiful words, actions, and music we can summon from human genius.  What we do and say in church should be a foretaste of heaven and the Beatific Vision.  Think simply of the effect music has on people.  Last year in National Review Michael Knox Beran wrote that, “if good music does not always save the soul, bad music never does. When the electric guitar sounds during the Sacrifice of the Mass, the cherubim weep” (“Mysterious Encounters – Benedict XVI resurrects the aesthetics of the Mass”, 24 Dec. 2007).  Holy Church is reclaiming her great liturgical treasury, especially since Pope Benedict gave us Summorum Pontificum.  The new translation of the Novus Ordo Missale Romanum will help.

We move ahead in the Mass.  The gifts are on the white linen over the mensa.  The altar is wreathed in the smoke of sacrificial incense. The priest, alter Christus, raises his hands and whispers…

SECRET (1962MR):
Ecclesiae tuae, quaesumus, Domine, dona propitius intuere,
quibus non iam aurum, thus et myrrha profertur,
sed quod eisdem muneribus declaratur, immolatur et sumitur,
Iesus Christus.

This oration from the ancient Gregorian Sacramentary, survived as today’s Super Oblata in the Novus Ordo.  Notice how all those passive forms (-tur) create a powerful climax at the end when the prayer concludes suddenly with the Holy Name … like a little theophany

There are two words for “gift”: donum and munus.  The L&S says that in classical Latin literature donum is associated with gifts of incense in a passage from the Aeneid of Virgil: dona turea (6, 225).  The verb sumo is basically “to take, take up, lay hold of, assume.”  In some contexts it can be also “consume”. In older English usage “to take” means “to eat, consume food”.  Declaro is “to make clear, plain, evident (by disclosing, uncovering), to show, manifest.”

LITERAL TRANSLATION
Graciously gaze down, we beseech You, O Lord, upon the gifts of Your Church,
in which gold, frankincense, and myrrh are no longer laid before You,
but rather that which is revealed, sacrificed and received by those same gifts,
Jesus Christ.

The tokens brought by the Magi, representing the hopes of the nations of the earth, were “types”, foreshadows of the Lord who would offer Himself on the Cross.  Fathers of the Church and medieval writers such as Jacobus de Voragine (+1298) wrote with creativity and insight about these symbols.  Gold symbolizes the kingship of God to be mirrored in the purity of our hearts, so precious to Christ the King.  Frankincense, annihilated by burning, symbolizes Christ’s divinity. Only God should receive sacrifices.  The burning of something so precious reminds us of the immolation Christ submitted Himself to on our behalf.  The total destruction of incense produces smoke, which rises like our prayers upward to God.  During a Traditional High Mass as the priest incenses the altar he quietly recites, “May this incense, which Thou hast blessed, O Lord, ascend to Thee, and may Thy mercy descend upon us. Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight: the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door round about my lips. May my heart not incline to evil words, to make excuses for sins.  May the Lord enkindle within us the fire of His love, and the flame of everlasting charity. Amen.”   This prayer was done away with in the Novus Ordo, as were many direct references to sin.  Myrrh, a balm used to prepare the bodies of the dead, underscores Christ’s humanity through which He suffered and rose from death. 

At last we have received Communion.  Returning to our places we consider the ineffable encounter with mystery taking place even as our thoughts shift to returning to the activities of the world.

POSTCOMMUNIO (1962MR):
Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus:
ut quae solemni celebramus officio,
purificatae mentis intellegentia consequamur.

This ancient prayer did not make the cut in the Novus Ordo.  Intellegentia is the “power of discerning or understanding”. Ancient authors such as St. Jerome (+420) and John Cassian (+435) use it for the ability to see the deeper, symbolic meaning of Scripture, allegorical meanings.

LITERAL TRANSLATION: 
Grant, we beseech You, Almighty God,
that we may attain with the understanding of a purified mind,
the things we are celebrating with solemn observance.         

Participation at Holy Mass should be truly full, conscious and active.  We actively engage all we see and hear so as to receive what God offers through our Holy Church’s sacred mysteries.  We will have our own “epiphanies” during Mass. We will have moments of revelation about ourselves and the state of our soul, or what we ought to do in life. 

Remember that the Word, who is God eternal, became flesh also in order to reveal us more fully to ourselves (cf. Gaudium et spes 22).  In the life to come, only the pure may see God.  Is this not enough of a motive to participate actively, with interiorly active receptivity, in this encounter with mystery?  Seek cleansing of your sins through confession and sacramental absolution.  The reality of our unavoidable judgment must at some point dawn upon us like a thunderclap.  When you finally grasp that you must one day die and face judgment, you will understand why Holy Mass must be nothing other than an encounter with mystery, and not a distracting celebration of ourselves.

When you go to Mass, go like Moses.  He removed his sandals before the burning bush.  He peered through the cleft in the rock as God passed.  Be like Paul peering through the shadowy glass. Imitate the Magi, whose penetrating sight fixed on nothing other than the coming of the mysterious King, in whose perfect image something of the invisible Father is revealed.

Blessing Our Homes @ Epiphany

H/T to Catholic Mom in Hawaii for sharing this Epiphany Blessing

20 C + M + B 08
May Christ bless this House…
All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Whom they Welcome in His Name
....................

<~~~~ This image of the Three Kings is by James C. Christensen. Found at A Concord Pastor Comments.

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Let us pray, In the name of + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.

V. On entering the house, the Magi found the Child Jesus with Mary his mother.
R. They did Him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great King, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death.

Let us pray, God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, You revealed Your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know You by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of Your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son, Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth found in St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

V. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth …for Your light has come!
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
V. All nations shall walk in Your light and kings in the splendor of Your birth.
R. And upon You is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now, a Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord
from St. Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12.
V. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.
R. The prophets foretold His coming, and the angels and shepherds adored Him.
V. The Magi rejoiced to find Him and they lay their treasures before Him.
R. All you nations and peoples, …come and adore Him!

All recite The OUR FATHER as all the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water …and also if possible with blessed salt.

Let us pray, Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have received all benefits. Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, - and thanksgiving to God, + The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Sacred Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and may God's grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

NOTE: The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are to be written with the blessed chalk above all the entry doors of the house in the following manner:
20 C + M + B 08

(Some interpret the letters to stand for Christus Mansioni Benedicat! May Christ bless this house! )

Catholic Mom in Hawaii also directs us to her post from last year for more info: Epiphany Blessing