an epiphany

As I was meandering through the narthex today during Mass (the first half was spent getting the baby to sleep, the second half was keeping the 2 year old from disturbing TOO many people with his shenanigans) I was straining to hear the priest's sermon in regards to the Feast of the Epiphany.
Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh.
Each had significant meaning that foreshadowed the life Christ Jesus would lead, who he was, and what he would do.
Gold, a gift for a king. Frankincense, a sweet-smelling incense, a gift representing his Deity. Myrrh, a gift which represented bitterness was an ingredient used in embalming.
No doubt layers upon layers of meaning in the time of Christ.

So, as I was pacing up and down with sleepy children, God seemed to be asking how can I give Christ my own gold, frankincense, and myrrh? It was funny, because in the same instant I felt the question being asked, there, too were the answers.
Gold - that one is easy. I can give the gift of my time to the Church, volunteering. Like the job I do for the Intercessory Prayer Team, composing prayer requests then emailing them to the team members. I can give the gift of my talents, too. Like when I got my spiffy new embroidery machine and monogrammed nearly a hundred scarves for the school's Christmas bazaar. Or when I re-hemmed the uniform skirts of the girls whose legs had grown so much over the year. And, of course, I can give my tithe as a gift. When I sit down at the beginning of each month to write out all the checks to pay bills, I always write the checks to church first.
Frankincense - Willingness: the sweet-smelling fragrance of my being open to God's will. Being willing to listen and obey. Doing it cheerfully is probably an even more pleasing aroma, but doesn't always happen. Like when I found out I was pregnant again, right after I had just had my 4th child.
Myrrh - hmm.. this one is a bit harder. How can I give a gift that would be pleasing to the Lord with something from my own life that related to bitterness and death. Well, how about my own humanity. My own sin. The only thing I can give is to die to the flesh. Letting go of those things which make the flesh happy. Repentance and Confession are the best ways to rid myself of the "decay" that sin leaves.

While I do look forward to the day when our whole family can sit in a pew and focus on what is going on, I must say, today I was thankful for the epiphany I had just outside the doors of the sanctuary.