Pastor's Column
My family always called Epiphany "Little Christmas". It was the day that the Christmas tree came down and everything got packed away. The toys that were tolerated for the twelve days of Christmas were now properly "put away." It was also the time to bid farewell to my Lionel train for another year. Epiphany was the end of Christmas when I was growing up. As I grew in wisdom and age, I discovered new meanings for Epiphany. It has a special meaning within our religious community, the Servites. The community gathers in a festive setting, usually round the dinner table, and an exchange of small gifts takes place. Each community member draws an envelope that contains a secular quotation, a scriptural quotation, and a special patron saint for this unfolding new year. This custom developed from the Italian custom of celebrating "La Befana", the good witch who brought gifts to children. Somehow this imitates the Magi and their gift bearing to the Infant Jesus.
The many Eastern Churches, both Orthodox and those united with Rome, celebrate their Christmas on this day. The Magi represent the gentiles or non-Jews. So Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus to the gentiles. It is an ancient feast. Today, it almost seems like just another Sunday. The depth of its meaning is lost. I no longer see it as goodbye to my train for another year. Rather, I see it as something positive. I look for symbolic meaning in those gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. For me, the Gold can represent all that I hold dear, especially family and friends. Frankincense is wafting fragrance, often invisible but still very much present. It can represent memories… past, present, and those still to come. It could also remind us of past hurts, even in our relationship with our Church and this is where the Myrrh comes into good use. Myrrh can represent a gentle, soothing balm designed to ease the cares and worries of life and enrich life's meaning.
When you look closely at these three gifts, each seems to emphasize a different aspect of what we call love, which is really the presence of God in our life. Celebrate! Rejoice! Be a Wise Guy (a title used by a 5-year-old theologian for the Magi) -- discover the Lord Jesus in your life!