Okay, so for those of you who know my family you know that the we are big into celebrating the Full Season of Christmas. We get Santa presents and are allowed to open our presents from other relatives but our BIG Christmas Gifts always come on the Epiphany (like Christ's Birthday presents). We celebrate all the days of Christmas with prayer, fun, and FOOD!! It's pretty sweet. So today is super exiting because we LOVE the WHOLE story of Christmas. This year however we are actually waiting until the 6th even though the Church is celebrating the Epiphany today.
Pues, on the Epiphany our parents give us three gifts just like the Christ Child received: one for frankincense, one for gold, and one for myrrh. The frankincense gift is always something spiritual, the gold gift is always something that we want (something worldly -- or like last year -- we got the gift of NOTHING along with a book explaining the gift) and the final gift (Myrrh) is something for the body.
I really like doing the gifts this way because it is impossible to forget the purpose of gift giving on Christmas. It's pretty sweet.
Here is a good bit of info on the significane of the gifts:
(feel free to skip past this -- there is more interesting stuff after this)
The Magi presented Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts were very prophetic for they spoke of our Lord's offices of King, Priest, and Savior.
GOLD: This carries obvious significance. It's precious and worthy across all cultures and times. It's a gift fit for royalty. It says to the Christ child, You will be a King
FRANKINCENSE: The name for this resin likely comes from incense of Franks since it was reintroduced to Europe by Frankish Crusaders. Although it is better known as frankincense" to westerners the resin is also known as olibanum, which is derived from the Arabic al-lub ("the milk") a reference to the milky sap tapped from the Boswellia tree. Frankincense has been touted for its medicinal and soothing properties. Herbalists say it is calming, restorative, gently clarifying, and meditative. Frankincense oil is thought to have stimulating, toning, and warming properties. The ancient world used it for treating depression. We recognize the word incense in its name. Ancient people burned frankincense, believing it to carry their prayers to heaven. Its use as incense illustrates His role as our Priest.
MYRRH: This is perhaps the most mysterious of the Gifts. It is a resin produced by a small, tough, scraggly tree that grows in semi-desert regions of North Africa and the Red Sea. Myrrh is an Arabic word for bitter, and it is considered a wound healer because of its strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Calling it mo yao, the Chinese used it for centuries to treat wounds, bruises and bleeding and to relieve painful swelling.
The Egyptians made it famous in Biblical times, having acquired myrrh about the fifteenth century B.C. from Africa where cammiphora trees were abundant. It was used in incense, perfumes and holy ointments and also medicinally as recorded in the Ebers Papyrus. But its most notable use to them was that of an embalming material, used in Egyptian mummies. As an embalming ointment it signified that He was born to Die for the world. In fact, Myrrh was one of the burial spices of Jesus (John 19:39).
-- http://www.magi-gifts.com/significance.html
This Christmas break has been wonderful, this new year is looking great and this day has been awesome.
I have been chilling at home READING A LOT... playing RISK (still haven't won this break)
AND Apples to Apples, playing guitar, chilling with the fam,
hitting up the adoration chapel and the mass, praying with some super cool Sophmores at my parish from Thomas Aquinas College in CA.,
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| Here are some photos of my Church : St. Joseph, <3 |
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| "The more that you honor me the more I will bless you" |
and Breakfasting at my FAVORITE BAGEL SHOP in the WORLD
just enjoying myself overall.
Today, we had a retreat for the WAY and it was wonderful! We had morning prayer, 2 hours of reading scripture, lunch and convo... it was great. I just finished watching Sherlock Holmes. GREAT FILM. AND I have even made a little time to work out, not quite as much time as I have made to shove junk into my mouth, which is a little problematic, but it's all good -- I have 4 months at School to get back into shape. Right? Right.
I am SUPER SUPER STOKED for the next two weeks of break. I'm going to visit with some people around here, visit CARLY THIS WEEK, and go the the FOCUS CONFERENCE IN DENVER!
Blessed be GOD.
SO, yeah, that's what's going down. I am pretty content with life as I hope that everyone is.
PAZ en CRISTO
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