Following the Wise Men

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well as we begin this new year in faith, hope and love.  This Sunday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany (transferred from Jan 6th).  Epiphany is an important feast day.  It is the day that we celebrate the arrival of the three wise men at Jesus’ birthplace.  We think about the star that they followed from their homeland in Persia and reflect on the light of Christ shining in the world today. In Christian tradition, the wise men represent the spread of Christianity throughout the world. 

It’s amazing to think in our day and time about making such a long journey based on curiosity about an unusual star appearing in the sky.  People in ancient times were very attuned to changes in the sky.  The wisemen were probably astrologers whose life’s work was interpreting the skies for others.  When we look at the sky in our day and time, we are reminded of the vast mystery of the universe.  The story of Jesus’ birth against the backdrop of the night sky inspires awe and wonder at God’s work in the world. 

The gifts that the magi offered the Christchild also inspire wonder.  Gold, frankincense and myrrh have great symbolic importance in Christian tradition.  Gold was a precious offering, worthy of a king.   Frankincense was a costly incense, anticipating the prayers of Christians throughout the ages.   Myrrh was a spice used for burial, so myrrh reminds us of Jesus’ suffering and death.  Frankincense and myrrh have long been used in incense for Christian worship.  It adds a sense of mystery and reminds us that our prayers are “fragrant offerings” to God.  The incense that we used at the 10 p.m. Christmas Eve service was handmade by the Episcopal monks at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York, using frankincense and myrrh imported from Sumatra and Ethiopia.  The trees that frankincense is made from are endangered, so it is especially precious. 

I look forward to coming together on Sunday to reflect on the significance of the mysterious “wise men from the East” and the gifts they still offer us today. 

Yours in the light of Christ,
Shearon+