THEY WORSHIPPED HIM & OFFERED HIM GIFTS
Blessed Epiphany! Today, the Church celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ to the whole world. As prayed in the Collect for the Mass during the Day, God revealed His only Begotten Son to the world by the guidance of the star. We who attend the Eucharist today are exhorted in our Entrance Antiphon to “Behold, the Lord, the Mighty One, has come; and kingship is in his grasp, and power and dominion.” So, with a humble spirit & a sense of awe & wonder, we come to worship & adore the Lord Jesus today in His great Epiphany.
Our Gospel today from Matthew 2:1–12 recounts the visit of the Wise Men (or Magi) to Bethlehem. They saw His star & followed it from the faraway & distant lands of Persia, Arabia & even India to pay homage to, & adore the ‘infant King of the Jews’. And once they arrived at the place where Jesus was, they went into the house, worshipped Him & offered Him their treasures of gold, frankincense & myrrh. But they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod – they thus went back to their home country by another route.
What are some of the lessons we can glean from today’s Gospel? Firstly, it takes effort, commitment & persistence to seek the Lord. The Magi travelled long distances, risked the dangers of the threat of robbery on their journey & experienced the disappointments when they lost sight of the star, yet they persisted in their quest & remained committed to finding Jesus. So, we too, should do our best to stay close to Jesus. Let us never allow our busyness, distractions & challenges keep us away from the Lord.
Secondly, we learn from the Magi to offer our treasures, the best of ourselves, to Jesus. Give Jesus the “Gold” of our lives – our talents, gifts, time, effort & resources. He is our King & most worthy of the offering of our very selves to Him. The “Frankincense” we offer to Jesus as God is our heartfelt prayer of praise, adoration & worship. And the “Myrrh” we have to offer to Christ are the daily crosses we bear in our lives – our trials. sufferings, pains, woundedness & illnesses, endured patiently for the love of Jesus.
Finally, the Magi returned to their home country by a different way. We, too, who encounter Jesus as Saviour & King in a deeper & more personal way this Christmas season, must also experience change & conversion in our attitudes, habits & behaviours – for example, by being more kind, caring understanding, patient & forgiving.
May this celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord stir our hearts to love & adore the Lord Jesus more & give Him all the glory & thanksgiving that is due to Him as Lord, Saviour & King.