I hate the end of the Christmas season! Everything appears to be so vanilla including lights, food, and people’s spirits. On January 2 I get depressed for a couple of weeks as I adjust to the new normal. Recently though I have been addressing this by celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord with my own twist. Specifically the visitation of the three wise men.
This year the feast was celebrated on January 3, 2016. I remember it from my youth as being called little Christmas. On January 1st my mother would have all the decorations down, tree down, and house looking spotless (and bland). There was hardly a trace around (maybe a stray strand of tinsel) proving that we had just celebrated the birth of Jesus and opened presents flowing like lava from a Douglas Fir.
However, the Nativity scene was left up.
The word epiphany means to make an appearance or manifestation. For us, as Christians, we celebrate this feast as the four ways Christ has made Himself known to the world: Baptism of the Lord, Christ’s first miracle, the Nativity of Christ, and the visitation of the three wise men. Each of these is a revelation of God to man. Read about each here.
As pop culture as this sounds my fascination with the three kings started with the TV special, The Little Drummer Boy. I remember tearing up as a six year old as I watched the three kings bow to this awe inspiring infant, Jesus, while the drummer boy played. Each king gave expensive gifts and this boy only had only the gift of his drumming. I could relate to this.
As I grew older I learned and understood the story of the three kings and their mission. Herod, out of fear, sent them to find this new King. They find Jesus by following a star and present their gifts to Him. Each King had a nation, an army, they had wealth, and they had power. Yet, they took a knee in deference to this infant who they acknowledge as the one true King. Then, warned in a dream, they return home spurning Herod.
How does this help me combat the January blues?
Herod represents my fears of the past year. As each New Year rolls around I reflect on my sins, my fears, and what I am doing well. I want to do it better. Every year does not need to be a reinvention. We do a lot right, we do a lot of good. Choke out the weeds with the good plants. I try to plant healthy plants every day.
The three kings represent my gifts to Jesus. The key question for me: What will I present to Him? I have found the best way to honor God is to do well for those around me. I write down three gifts that I will “present” to baby Jesus in December. I give myself January to think about these gifts. These gifts have superseded my notion of New Year resolutions which I have always hated!
The three gifts I “present” are not about me. They are about contribution, the betterment of myself, and performing in His honor. For instance, in 2011, I started my blog, dotirome.com, in order to pass what I love about my Catholic Faith on to my children and whoever reads it.
Am I always successful? No. But there is always an honest effort and I usually succeed with one gift. I find if I keep the nativity in the forefront of my mind, the power of the Child and the three kings resonates within me. This manifests itself in my will, my feeling of safeness, and in my deeds.
This year I have decided to keep the nativity out all year long. Why should this amazing scene be relegated to a position in the basement between the ornaments and the garland? It’s not like I am pulling out the Barbie Madonna, Ken as Joseph and introducing the baby Jesus each year to showcase. My point is that the Nativity figures are not just figurines. They have meaning.
Christmas may be over but now our journey begins with His birth. With the daily presence of the Nativity and gifts, the blues are just another beautiful color in the kaleidoscope of our minds. Personally, I would love to know how you combat the “letdown” after the Christmas season. Do you keep your Nativity scene up all year long?
In regards to the new year, we here at New Evangelizers hope you have a magnificent and abundant 2016! Share your gifts!
Copyright 2016, Peter Serzo
Peter Serzo
Peter Serzo, observer, listener, author, speaker, and blogger. Visit him at Dotirome.com where he shares practical stories on being Catholic and listen to his popular Priest Podcast. The Priest Podcast is an environment where we have an enlightening conversation with those that lead (Not a theology conversation but a conversation on being a Priest/Leader/Human). Peter travels visiting different Catholic Churches satiating his curiosity and desire to spread each parish's uniqueness though his blog and presentations.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.