Celebrating Epiphany ~ What is your gift for Jesus Christ?

Today, January 6, we celebrate the solemnity of Epiphany, a Christian feast that commemorates the revelation of God the son in the human flesh of Jesus Christ. The celebration also remembers primarily the visitation of Magi to the infant Jesus Christ that night that His highness was born in the manger of Bethlehem. 

The gospel today is Mathew 2:1-12 that tells the birth of Jesus Christ and the appearance of the star the led the visitors to the infant’s place. The reading tells us that the son of the Lord is sent to the world and born as human being. This is a sweet revelation that the Messiah is no other than Jesus Christ who came on Earth in human flesh. Thus, when Herod (the king that time) heard of this he gathered the visitors from the East and instructed them to go to Bethlehem and find the infant. 

These visitors then are who we referred as the Three Wise Men or Three Kings who visited Jesus Christ and brought Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

At this time of the year people greet one another a “Happy Three Kings” as marking the celebration of Epiphany. The discussion however with the The Three Kings or Three Magi is still being debated over until now. In the Gospel of Matthew in The New Revised Standard Version Bible, it mentioned there the "Magi from the East", while the other version like the Today’s English Version (or Good News Bible) said the “visitors from the East” mentioning nor king neither magi. Also in all versions, there was no numbers mentioned as to how many visitors were there but the “three” headcounts was based only from the three gifts given to the Holy Infant which were the gold, frankincense and myrrh. Debate has long been going whether they were really king or magi as the Church is teaching to the people.

Whatever maybe the precise details now of whether they are kings or magi or other persons of different ranks from wherever country or tribe, whether there were really three visitors that night or more than, whether their names were really Baltazar, Melchor and Gaspar or something else, there is only one great truth above it all – that those visitors had come to worship the Lord Jesus Christ and they brought Him a gift of great value and importance. 

We are commemorating the visits of the Three Magi not for anything else but to remember that we should also be doing the same and that is to worship the Son of God and give Him a gift that is of great value and importance. It doesn’t mean that we should literally offer the same as gold, frankincense and myrrh (because we don’t have that) but it pertains to other gifts that are within our capacity to give. It could be our time, talent, tithes offering, worshiping, charity works, and lots of other potential gifts that we could offer to Him. But most importantly of course are our love, hope and faith for Him. Thus when we truly worship the Son of God we do not worship empty handed but we got a special gift to offer for Him. If you have a knack for singing, offer to Him your voice and sing to praise His name, if you write well, dedicate to Him your writings and help spread the Good News, if you have lots of resources use it rightfully to help the poor, if you have so much time to give use it to be an active member of your church. You can give gift in so many ways and forms possible and you can always do this not just in times of Christmas but in each and everyday of your life. 

Now this is a question for each one of us, for this year 2014 what are the gifts that we have to offer for our Lord Jesus Christ? 

Happy Three Kings everyone and May The Good Lord continue to shower our life with lots of blessings and love. 

To God Be The Glory!