Welcome
Calendar
Today's Word
Lauds
Terce
Sext
None
Vespers
Compline
Matins
Gold, frankincense and myrrh
The Bible doesn't tell us how many magi there were, or their names, but 3 gifts implies 3 Kings. The gifts are listed as, gold, frankincense and myrrh all extremely valuable. We are told they came from the East. At least one, maybe more could have come from the descendants of the prophet Daniel and those Hebrews who remained behind in Babylon. They knew when the Messiah was due to be born, from Daniel's prophecy and would have been watching for the signs. But over the Centuries the traditional 3 Magi in Christian myth or legend, have become:
Caspar - Gold: Old, normally with a white beard, the "King of Tarsus, land of merchants" on the Mediterranean coast of modern Turkey, and is first in line to kneel to Christ. The gold could have come from Ethiopia. Gold represents money and wealth, in ancient times it also represented Kingship.
Melchior - Frankincense: Middle-aged, giving frankincense from his native Arabia (Saba or Seba). Seba is said to be in north-eastern Africa. Saba, is the oldest and most important of the South Arabian kingdoms. Frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from certain trees, very valuable and probably used in the recipe of the incense burned before God in the Jerusalem Temple. It has extremely interesting medicinal properties and strong spiritual symbolism, being a symbol of deity. Used in aromatherapy the fragrance can offer a variety of health benefits, including helping relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reducing pain and inflammation, and boosting immunity.
Balthazar: A young African man, gifting myrrh from Ethiopia (Sheba.) A natural gum or resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense, and medicine. Mixed with wine it can be ingested, and is a powerful painkiller that seems to have anti-cancer properties. Myrrh was mainly used an embalming oil, and was therefore considered a symbol of death. Jesus mission being alluded to soon after his birth.
Between them they represent the 3 ages of (adult) man, 3 geographical and cultural areas, and 3 racial types. This is reflected in art by the 14th century (for example in the Arena Chapel by Giotto in 1305).
As the Origen in Contra Celsum says: "gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to God." Valuable gifts, they gave of their very best – so should we!
