For the Solemnity of the Epiphany (2021)

 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.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

—Matthew 2:9b-11

When Saint Luke wrote his account of the birth of Jesus, he spoke of shepherds tending their flocks by night. Inspired an angelic messenger and the multitude of the heavenly host with their songs of God’s glory, these shepherds “went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). We hear this story in the gospels proclaimed in the Masses of Christmas “During the Night” and “at Dawn.” 

 
Saint Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus has a very different tone. Concerned as he is with demonstrating how Jesus was the fulfillment of the promises made to the People of Israel in past generations, Matthew draws on Old Testament images that would have been quite familiar to his Jewish-Christian audience. And so, Matthew omits Luke’s pastoral account of the shepherds’ visit and tells a story of very different story of sages from the East who travel great distances—from far beyond the borders of Palestine—to worship this newborn “king of the Jews.”

"Adoration of the Magi" from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception,
Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri

Unlike Saint Luke’s shepherds, who would have most likely been Jews, Matthew’s magi represented the nations, the Gentiles. And so, one of the primary messages of the Solemnity of the Epiphany is that this newborn King is not only the “king of the Jews,” as the magi called him (Matthew 2:2), but that he is truly a king for all people. We hear this beautifully proclaimed in the First Reading, taken from Prophet Isaiah: 

Nations shall walk by your light,
and kings by your shining radiance…
for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,
the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you,
dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;
all from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense,
and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.  

Beyond this important truth—that Jesus is the Savior of all nations and peoples—is the meaning of the gifts brought by the Magi. In the First Reading of the Mass (quoted above), we find reference to the gold and frankincense which the magi presented to the Child. These have traditionally been understood as references to the Christ’s royal status (the gold) and his divinity (the frankincense—which would be offered to a deity in religious rituals). 

In the reference to myrrh, however, Matthew draws on other sources. 

In the ancient world, myrrh served as an elixir or medicine, as a drug, and, more specifically, as a perfume used in burial rites in various cultures. In the Old Testament, it is most notably used by Moses (see Exodus 30:23) as an ingredient in the oil used by sacred anointings, as well as by Queen Esther in a ritual of purification (see Esther 2:12). Scholars tend to agree, however, that the gift of myrrh, as presented by the magi in Matthew’s gospel, not only included these references to purity and religious ritual, but it also served to help us understand that this Child, who is both a royal and divine, is also mortal and that human death will be an indispensable part of his story. This striking sentiment is even captured in John Henry Hopkins’ classic carol “We Three Kings”: 

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;—
Sorrowing, sighing,
Bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

As we consider the gifts of the magi—including the gift of the myrrh—we are reminded that the celebration of the Epiphany is a celebration of who this Child was—and is—even as as we reflect on the other various moments of revelation that are celebrated in the feast (cf. the Magnificat Antiphon for Evening Prayer II). 

The myrrh at the manger is a reminder to us that the mystery of the Incarnation is inseparably enfolded within the fullness of the Paschal Mystery. Yes, this child is both God-and-human, but the reality of his suffering and death are also part of the Christmas story, just as they are part of our own stories. This is the source of our hope and consolation as we confront dark realities in our lives and in the world, even as we continue to journey through this season of light. We know that the cold of the tomb, symbolized by the myrrh, is not the end of the story. 

These Christmas days are illuminated by the light of Easter glory.

 
The invitation for us on this Epiphany is to reflect on the full meaning of the Christmas Mystery and on Who it is who has been born for us. Take time in these holy days to offer a prayer of thanks for the gift of this newborn King. 

For Reflection

What are the “stars” who have helped guide you to Christ during the course of your life? 

Which of the gifts of the magi—the gold, frankincense, and myrrh—speaks to your heart this Epiphany?

What does the presence of the myrrh at the manger mean for you as we continue to face the realities of the coronavirus pandemic and so much uncertainty and grief in the world? 

What gift can you offer the Holy Child as we continue to celebrate the Christmas season?

Words of Wisdom: “If we went to the Lord empty-handed, today we can remedy that. The Gospel, in some sense, gives us a little 'gift list': gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold, the most precious of metals, reminds us God has to be granted first place; he has to be worshiped. But do that, we need to remove ourselves from the first place and to recognize our neediness, the fact that we are not self-sufficient. Then there is frankincense, which symbolizes a relationship with the Lord, prayer, which like incense rises up to God (cf. Psalm 141:2). Just as incense must burn in order to yield its fragrance, so too, in prayer, we need to 'burn' a little of our time, to spend it with the Lord. Not just in words, but also by our actions. We see this in the myrrh, the ointment that would be lovingly used to wrap the body of Jesus taken down from the cross (cf. John 19:39). The Lord is pleased when we care for bodies racked by suffering, the flesh of the vulnerable, of those left behind, of those who can only receive without being able to give anything material in return. Precious in the eyes of God is mercy shown to those who have nothing to give back. Gratuitousness! Gratuitousness is precious in God’s eyes."

-Pope Francis, 

Homily for Epiphany 2018