What gifts do YOU bring to Jesus?
Gospel reading today is found only in Matthew’s gospel. In fact, we are not sure how many Magi there were … but because there were 3 gifts, tradition has been three magi. What we do know is that they were powerful politically, literally “king-makers”, and used astrology and astronomy to guide their actions.
But its not really important who and how many – the importance lies in what the three gifts were, and what they symbolise.
- Gold – symbol of Wealth & Riches, of what is PRECIOUS
- Frankincense : incense as an image of Prayer rising up to God
- Myrrh … used as an embalming ointment and as a penitential incense in funerals until the 15th century.
At that time, the gifts were an acknowledgement of Jesus’ Human and Divine nature, and a foreshadowing of the path of suffering he would follow.
In our time, we celebrate the events in the life of Jesus each year as a way of re-entering into the mystery of the incarnation. Our liturgies allow us to experience each year the events of the life of Jesus on earth and reflect on its impact on us. They are meant to have a personal impact.
That also applies today …To help us. The Feast of Epiphany, and our readings today, draw us to enter into the event, and to contemplate – what gifts do we bring to Jesus?
Gold – a symbol of wealth and power. Very practical as well. For us a symbol of what is precious.
which leads me to ask – what is precious to us in our lives?
- Maybe it’s money. Maybe it’s our skills. Maybe it’s our time.
- What is precious in your life?
- What do you do with those things that are precious to you.
- How do you use your money? To collect more things? To buy security? To obtain power and prestige? Or do you use them to build the Kingdom of God? To help those in need?
- How do you use your skills? To promote yourself? Or do you put your skills at the service of others?
- And how do you use your time? Do you jealously guard it? Waste it? Or give it to others freely and generously.
- How do you use what is as precious as gold in your lives?
And more importantly, how do you give what is precious to you as an offering to to God??
Frankincense – a symbol of Prayer. It calls us to contemplate –
- What kind of prayer do we bring to God?
- Always Asking?
- Never talk to God much except when we are in need?
- Do we ever say thanks?
- Or just revel in the incredible gift of life and of creation?
- Just sit in the moment and offer up our thoughts, feelings, movement of spirit to God as prayer?
- What kind of Prayer do we offer to God? And how often does the incense of our prayer float up into heaven?
Myrrh – anointing as we prepare to end this life and enter the next.
- How often do we remember, deeply, that our life here is short, transient.
- That our ultimate goal in the journey of life is to be together with God in eternity.
- How are we preparing for the next life as we live this life?
- If we focus just on this part of our existence, we begin to cling to it, and so we want to fill it with the most for ourselves. The most money for ourselves. The most comfort for ourselves. The most time for ourselves. Often to the exclusion of others.
- But if we focus on the next life, we see that living to get the “Most” is not really that important.
- It is more important in the bigger picture, the eternal picture, to focus on the love we share, the concern and empathy we have for others, the time spent in prayer with God, communicating with God, discerning God’s purpose in our lives, and entering into a deep, personal relationship with God. This will not only make a difference in this life, but in the next life. Our eternal life.
Today, we heard the story of the Magi, and the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh they brought to Jesus.
Which leads me to ask …. This year, what gifts will you bring to Jesus?