January 7: Little Drummer Boy

Did you know that the only reason we say that there were three wise men is that they brought three gifts?  The Bible never says their number or their names.  The gifts tell us about the givers.  And these special gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—tell us much.

When one king visited or sent an ambassador to another, he would give a gift of gold to show that he acknowledged the kingship of the other.  So the first gift of the wise men tells us they recognized Jesus as King.  The second gift is a type of incense, which was used in Jesus time to worship God.  So this gift shows the wise men paying homage to Jesus’ divinity.  The gift of myrrh is oil used to anoint the dying.  It reminds us of Jesus suffering and death on the cross.

So what gifts do we have for Jesus?  Maybe we can take a hint from the wise men.  If we acknowledge Jesus as king, maybe a better gift than gold would be to pledge our obedience to him.  Each day we can promise to live our vocation as best we can, to love those around us, and forgive those who hurt us.

A better way than burning incense to pay homage to Jesus’ divinity is to take time to pray throughout the day.  Some people are able to attend daily Mass, others spend time in adoration before the Eucharist, or even a few minutes of their lunch break to say the rosary.

As for the gift of myrrh, we can give Jesus the crosses we bear each day.  When we accept suffering in our lives, especially that caused by our sins, we give ourselves to Jesus as he gave himself for us on the cross.

The song “Little Drummer Boy” reminds us that the best gift is not necessarily the most expensive.  Instead, it is the simple gift that only we can give.  Let Epiphany remind us to offer our lives to Jesus each day.

Tom Schmidt