Christmas And A Journey With The Wise Men to The Epiphany On January 6 th!
Posted: Saturday, December 24, 2011
by elle kynzer
This is not ficton, so we begin the real twelve days of Christmas tonight. In the Jewish tradition the next day begins at sundown the day before. That's why Sunday is the first day of the week, and not the true Sabbath. That's how confusion began on which day Jesus was crucified, but that is Easter, so let's talk about Christmas.... The Magi, or the Wise Men who visited Jesus birth in Bethlehem. Three became the number of men who visited, because of the gifts of Gold, Frankinscence and Myrrh.
We understand The Magi by understanding the gifts they brought. The powerful symbolism of the gifts are:
Gold=An Earthly King or Priest's Virture; purification. 1st Part of the Trinity-God as King and Creator of the Universe provides incarnation as The Messiah.
Frankinscence=the perfume of the Saint's prayers known in the Bible to God, as 'a sweet smelling aroma'...Representing the power of the Holy Spirit (the coming Comforter) and 'Praying in the Spirit."
Myrrh=represents Manna, God's provision of the Savior Jesus, through his suffering on the cross. The miraculous power of the anointing oil, which has the smell of Rose water. A Rose symbolizes the Crown of thorns placed on Christ's head at the crucifixtion, as he was mocked to be "King of the Jews".
Symbolism is the key to undestanding what God has given us in his provision. Those gifts were given as the evidence regarding the fulfillment of God's promise to send 'The Messiah". The gifts only represented what Christ would give to the World, and where Christ was believed those gifts were translated into Christianity, and hope for mankind through forgiveness and transformation.
AS we celebrate the twelve days of Christmas, until January 6 th, there should be 'The Epiphany' in our hearts of what we have been given, and a renewed sense of joy in our Salvation. 'The Epiphany' is not limited to the Catholic faith, it's part of the whole process of acknowledging that Jesus was born and why. I may write many more articles on this season until 'The Epiphany' feast.
The ending of Christmas on December 25th is a retail thing of the Western Modern Culture that takes down the decorations, and goes back to work two days later. We see Santa as the reason for the gifts, and although Saint Nicholas had many virtues, it wasn't his birth that God was celebrating.
Many cultures still give one gift a day for the twelve days, and feast on the Sunday between January 2-8th, and give their children time to understand what this time of celebration is all about. The Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Giving, but not just material gifts, but the gift of understanding and teaching the real meaning of The Magi. Why are they called Wise Men? I believe they were wise because they realized the truth: "that the prophesy of 'The Messiah' was completed that night in Bethlehem." Symbolism reveals the Miraculous.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Loved your article. You are a winner and your write about this topiic lovingly and passionately. Regarding the star. Remember, it's not like millions of people were wondering about the "special light in the sky". It was probably a special conjunction of planets in certain signs. Great article.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for the compliment. You may understand the planets more than I do, and yes, I am passionate about this subject.Please log in to respond to this comment.Following a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus let's say, would give them a time line. They could plan their trip on that basis. Then when the conjunction actually occurred, it might look a little bright singular star in the sky, which would tell them, "aha, this is the time and now let's find him nearby." Again, good article and good timing.Please log in to respond to this comment.Huh? How often does that happen, and isn't that Astronomy? Was that a one time thing or yearly...we see that star occasionally don't we?Please log in to respond to this comment.I am not sure what the "star" was. I am just saying that it was the conjunction's meaning to the wise men, probably not the brilliance of the light.Please log in to respond to this comment.
My parents instilled a bit of knowledge in me about the Three Kings. I like to think of them as Wise Men. As with all things, there are mysteries that abound. There are miracles and unusual occurrences. This is so about the star.
Enjoyed your article very much. It's another fine Elle article!Please log in to respond to this comment.
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