Epiphany
6 January 2008 
Fr. Carl McCarthy

        We all know the story of the three wisemen, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn king.  But do you know the whole story? We only know the story as the bystanders saw it. But the whole story is this. 

        Gasper was the first of the three wisemen to arrive at the stable where Jesus lay.  He carried with him a box of gold. As he approached the door to the stable, an angel stopped him. “Have you brought with you a gift?” the angel asked. “Of course I have brought a gift. I have brought the finest of gold.” “Is gift the very essence of who you are?” the angel asked. “Of course it is,” Gasper replied.

          He entered the stable and laid the box of gold at the child’s feet and opened the box.  To his horror, the box did not contain gold but a crude hammer. “This cannot be,” he shouted. “But this gift reflects your heart,” the angel said. “This is the hammer of your greed, which you have held onto since your youth. And we can only give God’s Son the very essence of who we are.” 

          Melchoir was the next to visit the newborn king.  He was also stopped by an angel. “Have you brought a gift?” “Of course I have brought a gift. I have brought the finest of frankincense, the scent of days and lands long past.” “Is it the very essence of who you are?” The angel asked. “Of course it is,” Melchoir replied. 

            He entered the stable and opened the vial of precious ointment. But to his horror, he did not smell the scent of frankincense but  the smell of bitterest vinegar. “This is some cruel trick, “ he shouted. “But this gift reflects your heart,” replied the angel. “This is the vinegar of your anger and hurts that you have carried with you for years; you cannot find forgiveness in your heart to give another.  And we can only give to God’s Son the very essence of who we are."    

            Balthasar was the final wisemen to enter the stable.  He too, was stopped by the angel. “Have you brought a gift?” “Sure, I have brought a gift. I have brought myrrh, the most precious steel of conquest. Many have fought and died for this.” “Is this the very essence of who you are?” “Oh, but of course,” he said. 

            He entered the stable and was so taken aback by the sight of the child that he closed his eyes and laid the casket of myrrh at the child’s feet. Then he opened his eyes, and he was horrified at what he saw. For at the child’s feet lay, not myrrh, but a spear. “This cannot be,” he yelled. But the angel replied, “But his is the truth of your heart; thousands of enemies have cast their spell on you and turned your soul into a spear. You delight in winning battles. And you can only give to God’s Son the very essence of who you are."

             Could these have been the real gifts that the three wisemen laid at the feet of the newborn child? For we cannot give to Christ anything less then the essence of who we are. Christ will not be fooled by anything less. And of course we know the irony behind these gifts is that they turned up again. On a hill, called Golgotha, the sound of hammering, the smell of vinegar, and the sharp blade of a lance were found at the site of redemption. 

          And so the love of this Child shall redeem us all when we give to Him the very essence of who we are. What gift will you give to God’s son?