MATTHEW 2:1-12
YOU WILL NOTICE THAT IN THE GOSPEL
READING WE HEAR ABOUT WISE MEN WHO CAME FROM THE EAST. SO WHERE DID
WE GET THE IDEA THAT THERE WERE THREE OF THEM AND THAT THEY WERE
KINGS? AFTER ALL, EVERY CHRISTMAS WE SING “WE THREE KINGS OF
ORIENT ARE...” SINCE I WAS A BOY, THE NEXT LINE IS EITHER “BEARING
GIFTS WE TRAVEL AFAR” OR “TRIED TO SMOKE A RUBBER CIGAR”. BUT
THE FACTS ARE CLEAR. WE REFER TO THEM AS KINGS BECAUSE OF THE PSALM
WE HEARD, WHERE IT SAYS THAT “ALL KINGS SHALL PAY HIM HOMAGE”.
BUT WE AUTOMATICALLY THINK THERE WERE THREE BECAUSE OF THE THREE
GIFTS. AFTER ALL, IF THERE WERE MANY MAGI AND ONE OF THEM BROUGHT
ALL THREE GIFTS, WE JUST DON'T SEE THAT AS NORMAL. ONE GIFT, ONE
KING. THAT MAKES SENSE TO US.
IN THE FIRST READING, BY THE WAY, WE
HEAR ABOUT CAMELS AND DROMEDARIES BEARING GIFTS OF GOLD AND
FRANKINCENSE. CLEARLY MATTHEW KNEW ABOUT THIS PASSAGE FROM THE
PROPHET ISAIAH – IN HIS GOSPEL MATTHEW OFTEN SHOWS THAT HE KNOWS
ISAIAH'S PROPHECY. IN FACT, IT IS SO FULL OF PREDICTIONS ABOUT JESUS
THAT IT HAS BEEN CALLED THE “FIFTH GOSPEL”. BUT MATTHEW REPORTS
THAT IN ADDITION TO GOLD AND FRANKINCENSE, THEY BRING MYRRH. GOLD
MAKES SENSE; THAT'S A GIFT FOR A KING. FRANKINCENSE MAKES SENSE,
THAT'S A GIFT FOR A HIGH PRIEST. BUT MYRRH? THAT'S LIKE GIVING A
NEWBORN BABY A JAR OF EMBALMING FLUID. BUT FOR MATTHEW IT MADE
PERFECT SENSE, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT JESUS WOULD BE KING AND HIGH
PRIEST, BUT THROUGH SUFFERING AND DEATH. SO MYRRH IS A SYMBOL OF
THAT.
BUT BACK TO THE THREE KINGS, AND THE
THREE GIFTS. EACH KING HAS A DIFFERENT GIFT. YOU AND I, AND EVERY
MEMBER OF SAINT MARY'S PARISH, HAS A UNIQUE GIFT. WE HAVE SOMETHING
THAT WE CAN GIVE AWAY, SOMETHING THAT THE CHURCH NEEDS (AND BY THE
CHURCH WE OF COURSE MEAN THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH – ?CHURCH, AFTER
ALL, MEANS “ASSEMBLY”). AND IN FACT WITHOUT OUR GIFT, THE CHURCH
CANNOT THRIVE, IT CAN'T REACH IT'S FULL POTENTIAL. NO MATTER HOW
SMALL WE THINK OUR GIFT IS, IT'S NECESSARY.
YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT IN ORDER TO
HONOR JESUS' ROLE AS KING AND HIGH PRIEST, AND THE ONE WHO SUFFERS
AND DIES, THE THREE GIFTS ARE NECESSARY. ONE WOULD NOT EXPRESS THE
WHOLE STORY. SO EACH KING BRINGS A GIFT, BUT NO KING IS ABLE TO
BRING ALL THE GIFTS; HE SIMPLY DOESN'T HAVE THEM TO GIVE. WHETHER
YOUR GIFT IS SOMETHING SPECTACULAR, MAYBE FOUNDING A RELIGIOUS ORDER
LIKE MOTHER THERESA, OR SOMETHING NOT SO FLASHY, LIKE FIXING A MEAL
FOR SOMEONE GOING THROUGH A CRISIS, ONE GIFT DOES NOT OVERSHADOW
ANOTHER. AND EVERY GIFT ORIGINALLY COMES FROM GOD ANYWAY.
FINALLY, THE THREE KINGS MADE A LONG
AND DIFFICULT JOURNEY TO LAY THEIR GIFTS AT THE FEET OF JESUS. ONE
OF THE TRAGEDIES OF OUR MODERN CHURCH IS THAT WE DON'T MAKE THE
EFFORT TO BRING OUR GIFT TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED. THERE ARE SOME
REASONS FOR THIS, OF COURSE; WE CAN ALWAYS FALL BACK ON BEING TOO
BUSY. BUT REALLY, ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT WE DON'T MAKE THE
EFFORT TO KNOW OUR GIFTS. SOMETIMES WE DON'T SEE OUR GIFT, OR WE
DON'T VALUE IT AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD BE VALUED – AND THE SECOND
PROBLEM IS THAT WE AREN'T HELPING EACH OTHER DISCOVER OUR GIFTS.
THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF PARISH LIFE – AS WE GET
TO KNOW EACH OTHER IN THE SERVICES WE DO, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO
SOCIALIZE, AND OUR MEETING TOGETHER FOR LITURGY EVERY WEEK, WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO HELP EACH OTHER DISCERN HIS OR HER GIFTS. DO YOU HAVE
THE ABILITY TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER BY YOUR WORDS? ARE YOU GIFTED
WITH WISDOM, SO THAT YOU SEE WHAT ACTION TO TAKE? DO YOU HAVE THE
GIFT OF LEADERSHIP? ARE YOU A GOOD “DETAIL PERSON?” CAN YOU
MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH? DO YOU HAVE RARE PATIENCE? CAN YOU TEACH IN AN
EFFECTIVE WAY? WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THESE GIFTS IN EACH OTHER, WE
SHOULD POINT THEM OUT. OF COURSE, EVEN IF WE KNOW OUR GIFTS, ANOTHER
DANGER IS THAT WE PUT OFF GIVING THEM AWAY.
FINALLY, THERE IS A LEGEND FROM THE
MIDDLE EAST THAT COULD GO HERE. THERE WAS ONCE A KING WHO WOKE UP IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE OF SOME THUMPING ON THE ROOF. “WHO'S
THERE?” HE CALLED. “A FRIEND”, REPLIED A VOICE. “WHAT ARE
YOU DOING ON THE ROOF,” DEMANDED THE KING. “I'M LOOKING FOR MY
CAMEL.” “YOU FOOL!” HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY FIND A CAMEL ON A
ROOF?”, SAID THE KING. “YOU FOOL,” REPLIED THE VOICE, “HOW
COULD YOU POSSIBLY FIND GOD INSIDE YOUR PALACE IN SILK PAJAMAS IN
YOUR SOFT BED?”
JESUS MADE IT CLEAR, ABUNDANTLY CLEAR,
THAT IF WE WANTED TO FIND HIM, WE HAVE TO GIVE AWAY OUR GIFTS.
REMEMBER THE STORY JESUS TOLD? “THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SAY, 'LORD,
WHEN DID WE FEED YOU, AND GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO DRINK?' … AND THE
KING REPLIED, “WHATSOEVER YOU DO FOR THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN, YOU
DO FOR ME.” HAVING A GIFT IS A WONDERFUL THING, EVEN A SMALL GIFT,
EVEN SOMETHING THE WORLD MIGHT CONSIDER INSIGNIFICANT. A GIFT TELLS
US THAT GOD LOVES US, AND HAS GIVEN US SOMETHING UNIQUE, SOMETHING
WHICH CAN HELP BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM. RECOGNIZING THE GIFT IS EVEN
BETTER, BECAUSE THAT IS A SIGN THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WORKING IN US,
HELPING US TO KNOW OURSELVES. BUT GIVING AWAY THE GIFT, THAT IS THE
GREATEST THING OF ALL, BECAUSE WHEN WE GIVE AWAY OUR GIFT, WE FIND
GOD.
DURING THE NEW YEAR, LET US RESOLVE TO
GIVE AWAY OUR GIFTS TO EACH OTHER. AND WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE
WILL BE GIVEN GREATER GIFTS, AND THAT THE GREATEST OF ALL GIFTS WILL
BE THAT GOD ENTERS INTO OUR LIVES, GOD BECOMES ONE OF US. THAT AFTER
ALL IS THE MEANING OF THE EUCHARIST WE CELEBRATE EVERY WEEK; WE
OFFER GOD BREAD AND WINE, AND HE RETURNS TO US HIS SON.
