In his Epiphany Sunday homily, he would compare certain gifts he had received with the significance of the Magi's gifts to the Christ Child.
The gold was given to acclaim Jesus as King. The frankincense recognizes that He is a Priest, with the purpose (or vocation) of bringing us to God. The myrrh honors the sacrifice Jesus made in His humanity for the sin of all people.
I use symbols to reflect on some of the gifts I gave and received for the occasion of the Nativity of the Lord.
Gifts I gave
Gold: I gave my sister-in-law Naomi some Hawaiian coffee from Trader Joe's, since she and my brother Eric had that when they went to Hawaii a year ago. I was very pleased with the coffee selection at Trader Joe's.
Incense: I was at Bed Bath and Beyond with my parents, and my Mom noticed a special circular knife there and remarked how nice of a tool it was. That gave me a great idea, so while she was elsewhere in the store, I bought it.
Myrrh: There's a woman I've gotten to know very well at Ascension, especially by being fellow Religious Education catechist-teachers. To return the favor of a gift she gave me, I gave her gift money to the Sugar Beet, a co-op store in Oak Park with a lot of goods from farms. It was the winner of Rubicon Global's "Best Small Business in America" contest. There are a lot of wonderful things to buy there, and I'm glad to support this business because it helps support sustainability--and I'm making it #4 on my list to celebrate Illinois's 200th year of statehood.
Gifts I received
Gold: Abuela gave me some tasty waffle cookies.
Incense: I received many wonderful gifts from my RE students. One that stands out in a special way in a jumbo-sized mug with an artistic map of Illinois printed on two sides of it. I've enjoyed using it for eating oatmeal on all these cold mornings we've been having the past couple of weeks, as I am reminded of the wonderful ways I've connected with those to whom I pass on the faith. Another gift was a glass ornament from Pier One Imports.
Myrrh: My parents gave me a new pillow for sleeping on. I saw a coupon for Bed Bath and Beyond, which caused me to remark in my Mom's presence that I could go there to get a new pillow. Clearly, that planted an idea in her head.
Epiphany is also a time for a house blessing, with the following symbols marked out:
20+C+M+B+18
How fitting it is to offer a prayer of house blessing following on the heels of the recent anniversary of my quarter-century here in Oak Park. |
| Mom took this picture of me enjoying some Brown Cow ice cream on a very mild December evening at home, before the Arctic cold spell hit. |
It is in this place I have experienced the love that abounds in relationships, and truly this place I call home is a gift.
God first showed us what love means by coming to Earth as the baby Jesus, Who furthermore showed us how to express love within the context of relationships, especially family relationships. That is what truly gives these gifts, and all the others I received, their extraordinary meaning. Just as the adage says, "Home is where the heart is," so I have experienced the heart of God in gift-giving and the love that infuses it.
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