The Epiphany of the Lord

The Magi actually were not Kings, but likely a caste of Persian priests who served Kings by interpreting dreams and watching movements of stars. The sixth century Italian tradition that identifies three Magi - Casper, Balthazar, and Melchior, is based on the fact that three gifts are mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts may be thought of as prophesying Jesus’ future: gold representing his kingship and divinity, frankincense as a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming. The Epiphany also can be seen as a symbol of our life-long pilgrimage to Christ. This feast invites us to see ourselves as images of the Magi, a people on a journey to Christ.