Here in Italy, we celebrate today the Epiphany of the Lord. It calls to mind the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, symbolized by his manifestation to the Magi or Wise Men from the East. Our Christian brothers and sisters of the Eastern church celebrate this as their Christmas. Actually they also refer to this feast as "Holy Lights" because they baptize on this day, and baptism brings about illumination.In our convent tradition in the Philippines, this feast is celebrated on the Sunday after the Holy Family and is the awaited-day when we make our “exchange-gift.” Every member of the community is asked to prepare a package which is put in common under the big Christmas tree and at one moment, during the whole day celebration, we await the arrival of the “magi” which signals the moment for exchanging gifts.
While listening to a program in Vatican Radio yesterday, I got an insight on the appropriateness of this practice, aside from the spiritual meaning that we already have of Jesus being God's gift to humanity, Jews and pagans alike. At any rate, I learned something new from that brief interview: it was not only Jesus who received gifts of gold-frankincense-myrrh from Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar. The baby Jesus also handed them a gift. Here’s the story taken from Marco Polo’s narratives, translated by Ronald Latham, which I found in this website:
In Persia is the city called Saveh, from which the three Magi set out when they came to worship Jesus Christ. Here, too, they lie buried in three sepulchres of great size and beauty. Above each sepulchre is a square building with a domed roof of very fine workmanship. The one is just beside the other. Their bodies are still whole, and they have hair and beards. One was named Beltasar, the second Gaspar, and the third Melchior. Messer Marco asked several of the inhabitants who these Magi were; but no one could tell him anything except that they were three kings who were buried there in days gone by. But at last he learnt what I will tell you.
Three days farther on, he found a town called Kala Atashparastan, that is to say Town of the Fire-worshippers. And that is no more than the truth; for the men of this town do worship fire. And I will tell you why they worship it. The inhabitants declare that in days gone by three kings of this country went to worship a new-born prophet and took with them three offerings -gold, frankincense, and myrrh - so as to discover whether this prophet was a god, or an earthly king or a healer. For they said : 'If he takes gold, he is an earthly king; if frankincense, a god; if myrrh, a healer.'
When they had come to the place where the prophet was born, the youngest of the three kings went in all alone to see the child. He found that he was like himself, for he seemed to be of his own age and appearance. And he came out, full of wonder. Then in went the second, who was a man of middle age. And to him also the child seemed, as it had seemed to the other, to be of his own age and appearance. And he came out quite dumbfounded. Then in went the third, who was of riper years; and to him also it happened as it had to the other two. And he came out deep in thought. When the three kings were all together, each told the others what he had seen. And they were much amazed and resolved that they would all go in together.
So, in they went, all three together, and came before the child and saw him in his real likeness and of his real age; for he was only thirteen days old. Then they worshipped him and offered him the gold, the frankincense, and the myrrh. The child took all three offerings and then gave them a closed casket. And the three kings set out to return to their own country. After they had ridden for some days, they resolved to see what the child had given them. They opened the casket and found inside it a stone. They wondered greatly what this could be. The child had given it to them to signify that they should be firm as stone in the faith that they had adopted. For, when the three kings saw that the child had taken all three offerings, they concluded that he was at once a god, and an earthly king, and a healer. And, since the child knew that the three kings believed this, he gave them the stone to signify that they should be firm and constant in their belief.
The three kings, not knowing why the stone had been given to them, took it and threw it into a well. No sooner had it fallen in than there descended from heaven a burning fire, which came straight to the well into which it had been thrown. When the three kings saw this miracle, they were taken aback and repented of their throwing away the stone; for they saw clearly that its significance was great and good. They immediately took some of this fire and carried it to their country and put it in one of their churches, a very fine and splendid building.
They keep it perpetually burning and worship it as a god. And every sacrifice and burnt offering which they make is roasted with this fire. If it ever happens that the fire goes out, they go round to others who hold the same faith and worship fire also and are given some of the fire that burns in their church. This they bring back to rekindle their own fire. They never rekindle it except with this fire of which I have spoken.
My prayer for you today: May the fire that the Baby Jesus enkindled in you be kept burning the whole year through to warm and enlighten others too.
