Today is January 6 which, in our family, is our official last day of Christmas.

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day. When the girls were little, they would have put their shoes out last night, filled with “hay” for the three kings’ camels, which would be replaced with a few treats and small toys for them to find in the morning.

The Bible doesn’t actually say there were three kings. Rather, it speaks of the Magi – wise men – from the East, who came bearing gifts for the newborn king of the Jews, and doesn’t say how many there were. It mentions three gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 2:9-11

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 

until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 

and on entering the house

they saw the child with Mary his mother.

They prostrated themselves and did him homage.

Then they opened their treasures 

and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

While nativity scenes often have the wise men at the stable with a newborn Jesus in the manger (the “inn” referred to in English translations would more accurately have been translated as “upper room”, and the stable would have been in the lower room of an extended family household, overcrowded by other family members come to Bethlehem for the census). By the time the magi arrived, Joseph and Mary would have been properly married and, as described in the verses above, living in their own house. By the time Herod realized the magi were not returning, enough time had passed that he ordered all males under 2 yrs old in Bethlehem slaughtered. I’ve read estimates, based on what is know of the region and likely population of Bethlehem at the time, that the number of children killed might have been about 17, though of course, no one really knows.

Joseph, Mary and Jesus were safely in Egypt by then. Egypt was also under Roman rule, so this was akin to moving to another province or state.

At this, we have a close to our Christmas season. I hope you and yours have had a blessed time, and that the new year will be one of peace and good health, and may all your needs be met.

The Re-Farmer

Today, January 5, is the twelfth day of Christmas, and the memorial day for another more modern saint; St. John Neumann, a Bohemian born American.

Today, January 3, is the tenth day of Christmas. Rather than honoring a saint, today honours a name. The Most Holy Name of Jesus.

Jesus, of course, is the name we know in the English language. I grew up in a Polish household and, while spelled the same, we pronounced is YEH-sus (the J in Polish has the same sound as the English Y).

In Hebrew, 2000 years ago, it was Yeshua (Joshua), which means Yahweh Saves. It was actually a common name in the period. The Greek translation is Iesous. He was also Emmanuel, which means “God with Us”. There were other names and titles attributed to Him as well, but the most important one is the one He used for himself, in John 8:58. I Am. That is the name of God himself, from Exodus, and is an example of when Jesus directly identified Himself as being God incarnate, which ultimately got Him executed.

Which didn’t quite go the way the Pharisees planned, now, did it? 😁

Today is New Year’s Day, and the Eighth day of Christmas. Today commemorated the Solemnity of Mary on the liturgical calander.

What better hymn for this day than Ave Maria!