The Epiphany of the Lord

Today's Mass Readings

We all know the three gifts the Magi brought to Jesus at the Epiphany—His “manifestation” to all peoples of the world. What do they symbolize? Gold has an easy answer: recognizing Christ’s kingship. The incense may be harder, as even modern Catholics do not seem to know—much less appreciate—why we use incense to this day. Incense, however, is connected to religious ritual, and this denotes the mystery of the Incarnation in that this baby is also the Eternal Son of God. It’s that last gift of myrrh that is so tricky.

Myrrh was a perfumed ointment made from the same tree sap sourced in Arabia used to make incense. An exported and regulated good such as this reiterates the point that the Magi represent people from all over the world – not just the Jewish people – who will worship Christ. “The Kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage.” Jesus is not the Savior for only one nation, but He is the universal Savior.

However, myrrh is a very specific perfume used to anoint a dead body. While it is a costly gift to a king, it also symbolizes that this God-king will die. This is the great mystery of God’s humility of taking on flesh and our human condition in all things but sin. There is a tension because Jesus had to be fully man to repair the rupture with God that we could not. Yet Jesus also had to be God or it could not happen. And death had to be defeated by dying—that is, Jesus had to taste death and then swallow it in His Cross and Resurrection.

Christmas, then, always sets before us the link between the Incarnation and the Passion, death, and Resurrection: the wood of the crib becomes the wood of the Cross. Because He is God, Savior of all peoples, then in His dying and Rising, He also gives us the power to overcome death.

We read today that King Herod and all of Jerusalem were greatly troubled at the news of Jesus’ birth; even though the people hated the pretender-king Herod, they preferred the devil they knew to the devil they did not know. The oppressed people under Roman rule enjoyed the Pax Romana, the Roman peace that allowed for stability, prosperity, and easy travel; they worried what this so-called Prince of Peace would bring. We should not be dismayed by myrrh’s presence at Epiphany. It is a reminder that we must leave all sinful attachments and bring our gifts to the Lord to be transformed into something even greater. We should not fear death but look forward to the glorification that Christ will affect in us as coheirs to His Kingdom.

Reflection Questions: Do you fear death? In what ways are you praying, living, and preparing for a “Happy Death”? How have modern healthcare, comforts, and worldly ambition contributed to a generalized fear of death in our culture? How can you speak the Good News of Jesus Christ to those with this anxiety?

Reflection by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB