“Then they opened their treasures and offered him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”
Why gold, frankincense, and myrrh? It was the ancient Eastern custom, never to appear without presents before a prince or king. It is taught, the Magi, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, presented gifts which honored Christ as God, king, and as man. [1] “To offer gold is to proclaim Christ’s kingship, to offer incense is to adore his Godhead, and to offer myrrh is to acknowledge his mortality.” [2]
What are the meaning of the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh? The gifts and their meanings are as follows: [3]
Gold
Gold is a precious metal. It is seen as having value both now and at the time of Jesus. The gold, which was presented to Christ, is a symbol of his royalty. As Christians today, we should want Jesus as our King and ruler. We should offer him “the precious gold we receive when in spirit we are detached from money and material goods. Let us not forget that these things are good, for they come from God, but the Lord has laid down that we should use them, without allowing our hearts to become attached to them, by putting them to good use for the benefit of all mankind.” [4]
Frankincense
Frankincense is incense, a perfume like substance that was burned each evening on the altar as a symbol of the hope placed in the Messiah. We use incense to show adoration to the Most Blessed Sacrament, veneration to the altar, the Gospel, icons, and respect and honor for the presiders, ministers, and congregation. “The pleasant smell of incense comes from some small, hidden grains of aromatic material placed upon the burning charcoal. Likewise is the sweet fragrance of Christ is noticed among men - not in a sudden burst of flame, but in the constant re-hot embers of virtues such as justice, loyalty, faithfulness, understanding and cheerfulness.” [5]
Myrrh
Myrrh is similar to Frankincense in that it grows from small trees or shrubs and can be burnt. It is for Jesus a sign of His mortality and death. After Christ had died on the cross and was buried, they covered him with Myrrh oil. [6] Myrrh is the spirit of sacrifice that can never be lacking in a Christian life.
How can we sacrifice? What else can we offer to God? We should offer our whole-selves everyday. We can make our offering through daily Mass or at the very least reading the daily readings. We can sacrifice by “small conquests”, such as “smiling at those who annoy us, denying the body some superfluous fancy, listening to others, making full use of the time God allots us, and so many more.” [7] By truly and genuinely giving of ourselves little by little everyday, they acquire a far greater value than gold, frankincense or myrrh, because they are united to the sacrifice of Christ, the Son of God who offers Himself there. [8]
[1] The Church’s Year pg. 67
[2] Saint Odilo of Cluny
[3] In Conversation with God pg. 329-330
[4] St. Jose Escriva, op cit, 35
[5] ibid, 36
[6] John 19:39
[7] ibid
[8] Offertory Prayer