Epiphany - The Three Wise Men & Stewardship

 

Today, we celebrate the Epiphany, the day the three wise men discovered the Child Jesus with Mary and Joseph after following a star.

There is a tradition concerning the magi (wise men). They were pagans, non-Jews, yet they came to adore the newborn King and to offer Him gifts. Their names are Balthazar, Melchior, & Casper. Balthazar was from Ethiopia in Africa. He brought myrrh. A bitter perfume used in burial practices of Jews. It symbolizes the death of Jesus, and His body being anointed with myrrh for burial. Melchior was from Persia, which is modern day, Iran. He brought Frankincense, which comes from aromatic oil, used by Jews to offer sacrifice. It is a symbol of prayer and sacrifice. As the smoke of the incense rises, so our prayers rise to God. Casper was from Tarsus. He was European, whose gift was gold. Gold is for a king, and symbolizes the Divinity of the Child Jesus, the newborn King. It is believed all three, although from different countries, providentially met on their journey to Bethlehem. When they left their homes and families and set out to follow the star, they did not know how long their journey would be. Since they were not Jewish, they may not have realized they were fulfilling ancient Jewish prophecies, such as Isiah who said, “Caravans and 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.” The three wise men recognized their gifts, they laid their gifts at the feet of the Infant Jesus. Today, their bones are located in the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) As Christians its important to recognize the gifts God has given to us and to be thankful for those gifts. When we recognize every good gift comes from God, we will want to use our gifts for His glory and honor and for the good and love of our neighbor. Stewardship is “the grateful response of a Christian disciple, who recognizes and receives God’s gift and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor”. For example: We can clean an elderly neighbor’s sidewalk after a snow storm or mow their grass in the summer. If a carpenter, we can build things to help others. If we have a good job, we can use our income to help the poor, the widows and single parents with children. If we can sing, we make others happy singing in the choir, or singing at the nursing home for the residents. To play the organ, decorate the church, to clean the linen, to bring up the gifts, to pray a Holy Hour every week, to mow the grass of the church, to water the flowers, to clean the church and the classrooms, to be a CYO leader, to teach PSR, to count the collection, to be a sacristan by setting up for Mass, to create the bulletin, to lector, to be part of an organization such as the altar society or the Knights of Columbus, where we meet together to do things for others. If we can have a contagious smile, we can make others happy by smiling at others. If we have the gift of gab, we can call lonely friends and relatives or visit them. If we enjoy sewing, we make blankets for pregnancy centers or altar cloths or a corpus Christi canopy, to be an altar server. If we have the gift of being called to pray for others, we can help many by our prayers. To volunteer to feed our neighbor’s cattle when they are sick or away. To do maintenance at the church or for others. To make food for funeral dinners and the serve the dinners. If we are a good cook, we make food for someone who doesn’t cook or can’t cook well. If we have the ingenuity to fix about anything, we can help others to repair things. If we have the gift of giving authentic compliments, we can be an encourager. Visiting the elderly at their home or in the a nursing care center. Tithing to the parish and donating to charitable organizations. All of these ways are stewardship. Where we give our time, talent and treasure. We first recognize the gifts God has given to us and share them with others for love of them and especially for the love of God. We can’t take our gifts with us to heaven, but our good deeds and our love, will go with us.

When we come to Mass, what gifts do we give to Him? Do you recall mentioning to you, every time we come to Mass we are give gifts to the Lord. Our works, our good deeds, our prayers, our sacrifices are to be offered with the bread and wine, which are then offered to God the Father, through Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit. Every Mass, we should have the intention of giving not only our gifts, but our self to God. When the priest holds the paten with the host above the altar and says, “Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.” At this moment of the Mass, we are to offer our self to God and our gifts, sacrifices, works, good deeds. And then God gives Himself to us, in Holy Communion. We receive the true bread of Life, Jesus our Savior in the Holy Eucharist inside our heart. And that union with Jesus lasts at least 10 to 15 minutes according to some of the saints.

The wise men give us an example of searching for the Lord, finding Him, and giving back to Him, at least a portion to what He has given us. Do you want to be wise? Search for Jesus and when you find Him, prostrate yourself in adoration before the God, who loves us so much, He became one of us as a child, to one day, proclaim the Good News, to die on the Cross, to rise from the dead, to save us from our sins and be with Him in forever in heaven. Now that is an awesome God!

Today, and at every Mass, let us place on the altar our self, our gifts, our sacrifices, our talents, our time and our treasure and unite them with the bread and wine offered to the Father, through Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit and then rejoice when the Lord gives Himself to us and may we prostrate our hearts before Him in humble adoration, knowing He is God and we are His people, the sheep of His flock. The wise men found Jesus in the arms of Mary. So if we want to be wise, we must remember that Mary is always with Jesus and to allow Her to help us to adore Her Son.