The Nativity stage is very elaborate at the church I go to. Bit by bit, every week, more figures show up. The children kept on checking when the baby Jesus will appear. When it did on Christmas, the altar was crowded with people. I have to wait for the crowd to subside to take a picture. I must say, every year, I look forward to the Nativity.
The Manger
Today, The Three Kings are present Melchior, a Persian scholar; Caspar, an Indian scholar; and Balthazar, an Arabian scholar. Each one bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death.
When we sang the traditional “We Three Kings” song, it transported me back at a resort in Taba, Egypt. It was a hot day, and I sheltered myself at the corner of the building. In the background, I could hear the pipe music playing this song in October. It felt like Christmas then.
The stage is finally complete.
Feast of Epiphany
Apparently, according to Friar musings, there is still one more week of Christmas, and it ends on the Baptism of Jesus Christ. That is news to me and a good one. Good in the sense that my sister canceled The Three Kings party today. Maybe, I can suggest having a party next week to celebrate the Baptism instead.
“The feast of the Epiphany challenges us to be seekers to the wise men were seekers, to search for God and recognize God’s presence wherever and when God chooses to reveal himself. When we discover one way, God is present to us, wonderful! But we need to keep looking, always and everywhere, for other ways, too. Always seeking and searching for God’s presence in the unexpected. ~ Teresa Whalen Lux, Regina, SK.”
Photographs and Memories 