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Humble Gifts

The Epiphany of the Lord

The magi from the East offered Jesus three symbolic and well-known gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. We can ask ourselves:

What kind of gifts do I prepare for Jesus during Christmas
time and throughout the year?

One of my professors once told me that God accepts every one of our gifts, even though they may not be worth more than a handful of dust. By the very act of accepting our gifts, God makes them priceless. Sometimes we worry that our prayers are like dust. Sometimes we want to offer God something extraordinary. Yet, God prefers humble gifts the most.

If we are honest with ourselves, we often feel like we do not have anything to offer to God through prayer. Sometimes we come to the Church and we feel empty. During Mass we are distracted. We feel nothing. We feel helpless in the face of our ineptitude. If this is the case, then why not offer our emptiness, our nothingness, and our helplessness to God like little children? This is the best prayer because it is the prayer of someone who is poor in Spirit whose emptiness calls upon the descent of the Lord—the descent of the Holy Spirit—to be filled. “When God fills our emptiness and the hearts that we offer Him, He can make something priceless from us: saints!”

As we celebrate the Epiphany, let us remember that our treasure lies in our humility and smallness, not in fine gifts or great deeds. Let us approach the Lord like the three wise men and offer Him our humble hearts, which He longs to fill and transform into the heart of the holy.

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

Readings for The Epiphany of the Lord: Lectionary 20