Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/010211.shtml
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
The first half of the Christmas season focuses on Jesus as a baby or child – the feasts of the Nativity, the Holy Family, even Mary, Mother of God. The second half of the Christmas Season focuses more on the meaning of Jesus’ Incarnation.
Already one hears some of this latter focus at the last of the four Masses on December, 25th, Feast of the Nativity, the Mass of the Day that day in which the Gospel Reading is from the Prologue to John’s Gospel (“In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”). One hears this more today on Epiphany, where the Gospel, though cute and fascinating to countless children over the centuries, is about the “Three Kings” (actually “Magi” who are remembered as coming to Judea in search of the “new king who’s star they saw rising” (Jesus came for everyone). And we will hear more on the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation next Sunday when we remember Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordon River by John the Baptist.
Still Epiphany (and to some extent, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God) serves something of a bridge between a child sense-oriented faith and then the adult theology behind it.
And let’s not knock childhood faith. This morning, I had the opportunity to celebrate Mass for Epiphany in Czech/Slovak at St. Simon the Apostle Church for the Slovakian congregation there. Walking into the church, I was _immediately floored_ by the beautiful nativity scene that they have there: BIG WOOD CUT STATUES of the baby Jesus, Holy Family, Shepherds with their sheep, the Star (and of course today the THREE KINGS with their camels). And I was transported back to being a kid.
At Annunciata, we have a lovely nativity, no doubt. At every place I’ve ever been at, there’s always a lovely nativity. THE ITALIANS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR COMPLICATED NATIVITIY SCENES. But THIS ONE, in that old Slovakian parish just screamed “CZECH-O-SLOVAK,” “CENTRAL EUROPE.” And for I found myself transported back to a place I actually never even was (the "old country" of my parents' stories) but it felt UTTERLY like HOME.
***
There are all sorts of lovely traditions associated with the Three Kings coming from all sorts of cultures. The Czechs and the Poles share the Central European tradition of putting the initials of the Three Kings (Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar) on the top of the front door of one’s homes. My step-mother was a big one on this tradition. The Poles at Annunciata also know this tradition well.
The Feast of the Three Kings is actually the day that gifts are given in Spain and most of the Latin countries. I first learned this from a cousin of mine who married a Spaniard and raised her family in Spain. (And it makes sense. The ONLY place where there is reference to gifts being given is by the Three King presenting the gifts of gold, frankincense, and mhyrr to Jesus on the day that they arrived to see him (traditionally Jan 6, or the Feast of the Epiphany).
I know from my time with the Puertorican community at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Kissimmee, that “El Dia de los (Tres) Reyes” was extremely important and that a good number of the older Puertorican parishioners had fairly large collections of statues of the Three Kings.
Part of the celebration of Three Kings Day in Mexico is through the eating of the “Rosca de Reyes” a special cake made for this day.
And almost all the Hispanics that I know from various countries have told me that traditionally gifts were given on Three Kings Day rather than on Christmas (the Feast of the Nativity). Christmas Eve (La Noche Buena) was a special evening. But the gifts waited until the Feast of the Three Kings.
***
And the story of the Three kings (traditionally from three different continents – Africa, Asia and Europe) following a star across the desert at night in the midst of sand and an occasional Oasis with Palm trees, arriving on exotic animals (camels) meeting the middle Eastern king Herod along with his priests and scribes is JUST PERFECT to capture the imagination of kids.
In modern times, we have the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia, Star Wars. But as good as they are, put a crown on a kid’s head, ask him to draw a camel, put a pastor’s staff in his hand, and a fake beard on his face, dress your little girl in blue with a veil and with a doll her hands ... and my God ... we’re all transported to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. It hasn’t been called “The Greatest Story Ever Told” for nothing ;-)
This is "the hook" of our faith, that when it catches us as kids, never lets us go.
AND IT’S A GOOD THING, because AFTERWARDS as we grow up, we come to discern and appreciate the adult message behind it, that “God is with us” in good times and especially in bad, when he need him.
For the adult message BEHIND THE THREE EXOTICALLY DRESSED KINGS traveling on EXOTIC GOOFY LOOKING ANIMALS (camels), offering Jesus EXOTIC GIFTS is that Jesus came for / on behalf of _everyone_ and NOT MERELY people of ALL NATIONALITIES / RACES, but ALSO of ALL AGES, all NEEDS, all HOPES and DESIRES.
Jesus came for us all. That is the adult message of today's Feast. And we'll develop it more next week, when we remember at Jesus' baptism that Jesus eventually grew up and began his adult ministry and preaching.
But for today, let's still glory in the kids' wonder of the Three Kings story, remembering that Jesus really did come for us all, the big, the small, for the adults and for the kids.
And that God does love us all.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to your perfect Light.
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