Christmas
Text by Pat Austin, St. Patrick's Cathedral RCIA Instructor
The Feast of the Epiphany -- also referred to as "Little Christmas." The arrival of the Wisemen in Bethlehem. Traditionally, January 6. In the United States it is celebrated on the first Sunday after January 1. It is a holy day of obligation in some countries. In some countries, especially Spanish culture, gifts are exchanged on this day.
The word Epiphany means "to make known, to manifest, to show." To show what? To show that the Messiah came for all mankind, not just the Jews.
Scripture reference - Isaiah 60:3-6, Psalm 72:10-11, Mt.2
These visitors to the infant Jesus are referred to as Wisemen/Kings/Magi, and more recently - astrologers.
The term "king" probably came from Scripture, Is., Ps., Mt., refers to expensive gifts so bearers became known as Kings.
The term "Magi" originally the name for powerful priests of the Zoroastrian religion of ancient Persia. They, the Magi, were pious and learned men. Eventually the Babylonians applied the name to magicians and astrologers.
The number of Magi is not really known. Paintings in Rome in the early Church show two and as many as eight.
Western Church -- 3 -- probably because of 3 gifts - Mt. The Eastern Church -- 12.
Gifts -- gold, frankincense, myrrh -- were probably symbolic. Gold represents kingship of the Messiah, Frankincense represents divinity of the Messiah and Myrrh represents the Redeemer - Savior, suffering/death.
The time of the arrival is not known.
Herod gave an order to kill all male Jewish babies two years old and under. Mt. states that the Wisemen "entered the house to worship the child." Jesus was still in Bethlehem 40 days after his birth because He was presented in the Temple at that time.
The star -- it is not really known what phenomena occurred that got the attention of the Wise men.
One of the Theories --
2 planets, Jupiter and Saturn coming close together (conjunction) in the constellation of Pisces (Fishes).
Astronomers would draw the conclusion -- There will appear in Palestine a ruler of the last days. Plus, these were educated men who would know the teachings/prophecies of others. Astronomers say that in 7 B.C. this conjunction occurred three times. Mt. mentions two positions of the star -- Mt. 2:2, - rising; Mt. 2:9-10 - guiding.
Names of the Wisemen - Sixth-century Italy -- Balthasar, Melchior, Gasper, these names appear. By the twelfth-century most of Western Europe accepted these. The three are buried in the cathedral of Cologne, Germany, since July 23, 1164 A.D.
Some cultures put +B, +M, +G over their entrance door for this feast.