“On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother; and they knelt down and paid Him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

The final piece of the story of Christmas is told in the Gospel of Saint Matthew 2:1-15, who in his account of the story of Jesus, tells of the Magi, three men from the East, who have been called “priests, sages, philosophers and astrologers,” who were guided by a “star” to the house where they found the mother and the young child Jesus.

Although no one can definitely mark the day when the Anointed — the “Christos” of God — was born, whether it be Dec. 25 or at an earlier time, Christians around the world believed it happened.

And while no one can definitely say when the Magi came to visit the child Jesus, Christians around the world believed it happened. For many in the “secular world,” the events that took place that first Christmas may sound like a “good story,” but for Christians around the world, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of our Lord took place.

In the Polish tradition, on the Feast of Epiphany, Jan. 6, a special blessing of chalk, charcoal and incense takes place before the celebration of Holy Mass and is offered to the faithful to be taken to their homes. While this blessing may seem mundane to some, these three elements represent the gifts given unto the Lord Jesus, and they also have a special significance for those of the Polish ethnicity.

The chalk

The chalk, which is blessed, is used to mark the doorpost of the homes of the faithful following the Feast of the Epiphany. In the spirit of the visitation of the Magi, each house which is blessed in this New Year will be marked with the following: “20 K + M + B 23,” denoting the traditionally accepted names of the three kings: “Kasper, Melchior and Baltazar.”

The prayers that are offered at this special blessing first recalls the day when the blood of a lamb was placed over the doorposts of the homes of the children of Israel for protection and deliverance. In the same way, prayers for health and protection are offered by the priest to all who enter these blessed homes.

The charcoal

There is a basic understanding that without smoke there is no fire and we learn that without charcoal, an agent of fire, incense cannot be offered as a “sweet-smelling fragrance to God.”

The incense

Do you know that incense from Somalia, Egypt and other regions of the world were once considered more valuable than gold? The incense that are blessed on Epiphany are a combination of frankincense and myrrh.

The three gifts offered to the Christ child by the Magi truly represented gifts offered to a king.

Gold

As it is today, gold was a valued commodity in the ancient world and was one of the chief measures of wealth. One of three attributes of the “promised” Messiah would be His “kingship.”

Frankincense

An aromatic resin used in worship. This gift was to denote the “deity” of the Christ child.

Myrrh

Another fragrant spice used in many applications, including an “anointing oil” prepared by the Jewish priests. We find in John 19:39 that the body of Jesus was anointed with a mixture of “myrrh and aloes.” It is said that this gift was to denote the “humanity” of Jesus.

As the world enters a new year of new hopes and promises, may we all ask ourselves, what can we give for the good of humanity? Christmas is truly a time for gifts and giving and in John 3:16 we learn “that God so loved the world, He gave His Only Begotten Son.”

Holy Name of Jesus Polish National Catholic Church is at 15 Thayer St. in South Deerfield. We are a family-oriented church established in 1929 by a community of parishioners whose legacy of spiritual freedom is still with us after 80 years. We are a democratic, non-papal Catholic parish, with a Liturgical worship style. Follow us on Facebook. Reach out by phone at 413-665-2129.

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