Tomorrow we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, when the Magi visited the child Jesus and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
But the Epiphany is not merely an historical event. Nor is it only the Magi who were called to follow the Lord and make an offering to Him. Recently, Marge Fenelon stopped by Morning Air® to discuss the Epiphany and how we can find our own gold, frankincense and myrrh to offer the Lord.
Marge said, “New Year’s resolutions never work for me. I do really good for about a week and then it’s just gone. So I’ve started in recent years to pick a New Year’s direction for myself. And I saw the way things are coming together with the calendar, I saw Epiphany, and I thought ‘That’s it! That’s my New Year’s direction.'”
Marge pointed out that the Magi sought out the Christ Child and brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. That prompted her to ask herself how she is seeking the Lord, and how she can prepare the gift she is going to give Him.
“What are my goals?” she asked herself. “What is my frankincense and my myrrh? It’s been churning in me and I’ve been thinking about looking ahead to be able to do this all year long.”
In pondering the gift of gold, Marge said, “I think about His kingship. So what am I going to do this year, and what direction will I take to assure that He always is my king in all things? Offer Him that gold again and again throughout the year.”
She said that frankincense makes her think of the words of St. Paul, who said, When I am weak, then I am strong. “I think about that, any time I am feeling weak and unable to get things done, or cope with things,” she said. “I want to make sure I offer that frankincense to Our Lord again and again throughout the year. He’s God no matter what, and He will definitely pull me through it.”
Myrrh was often used in burials, and Marge said this led her to think, “He died for me, how can I die for Him this year? Dying to self – I hope and I pray that will be my myrrh this year and that I can truly strive to die to self.”
What spiritual gifts will you be offering to the Lord this Epiphany?