Deacon Dave Etters
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In this Epiphany reflection, Deacon Dave explores the meaning behind the gifts of the Magi—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—and how they point to who Jesus is: King, God, and Savior. More importantly, he challenges us to consider what we are called to offer Christ today. While God needs nothing from us, He desires the gold of our hearts, the frankincense of our prayers, and the myrrh of our lives as a living sacrifice. When we live this way, the Church becomes an epiphany to the world, revealing Jesus through love, service, and sacrifice so that all nations may come to know His glory.
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Deacon Dave:
Oh, that birth forever blessed, when the Virgin full of grace, by the Holy Ghost conceiving, bore the Savior of our race. And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer, first revealed His sacred face.
It is the greatest gift that God could ever give. How great this gift is—the love of God revealed to us. God sent His only Son into the world to save us, to save all nations. Jesus, the Light of the world, came into the darkness and brought the true light from God into our world.
The Magi traveled diligently, seeking the newborn King. When they found Him, they worshiped Him and honored Him, offering their gifts: gold for the King He is, incense for the God—the divine Person—that He is, and myrrh, the burial anointing, foreshadowing the sacrificial death His life would become for us.
So what is left for us to offer Him? Like the Little Drummer Boy, we might say, “I have no gift to bring that’s fit to give the King.” He needs nothing that we could possibly offer. Yet He desires something far greater.
He desires the gold of our hearts—our love; the frankincense of our prayers; and the myrrh of our lives—a living sacrifice of ourselves to Him. When we give ourselves to Him, the light of the glory of the Lord shines upon us.
Then we, as the Church, become an epiphany to the world. The world sees the revealed Christ. It is by love that they will know we are Christians—our love defines us. And when that love is made visible through our giving, our prayer, and our loving service and sacrifice, the world sees Jesus.
He came, as we celebrate today, for the Gentiles, for all nations. And that is our calling: that all nations might come to see the glory of Jesus Christ.