Epiphany, the Three Kings

The Epiphany, a word that means “showing”, celebrates Jesus shown to the whole world. Its traditional day is 6 January, and in some countries, including the United States, the Church keeps it on the Sunday nearest to that date. In Spanish-speaking countries 6 January is the Día de Reyes, the Day of the Kings, whatever day of the week it falls, and in many homes children leave their shoes out the night before, sometimes with a little hay for the camels, and find presents in the morning. The presents remember the gifts that visitors from far away brought to the child Jesus.

Saint Matthew tells the story. Wise men from the east had seen a special star, and they came to Jerusalem asking where the newborn king of the Jews was. King Herod was troubled, but the priests said the prophets pointed to Bethlehem. The star led the wise men there, and they found the child with Mary his mother. They knelt, adored him and gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they went home another way. Matthew does not say how many there were, or that they were kings. Tradition says three, and gives them the names Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar.

The Church sees in these visitors people from outside Israel, and that is the point: they are the first of the nations to welcome Jesus. He did not come only for one people but for everyone. Many Hispanic families celebrate with the rosca de Reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread decorated with fruit like jewels on a crown. A little figure of the baby Jesus is hidden inside. Some say it remembers how Mary and Joseph kept the child safe from Herod. In Mexico, whoever finds the figure in their slice invites everyone to tamales on 2 February.

Saint Francis Xavier lived what the Epiphany means. He was a nobleman from Navarre, in Spain, and a friend of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He sailed to India, Japan and beyond to tell people about Jesus, and he cared for the poor and the sick along the way. The wise men traveled far to find Jesus, and Francis traveled far to bring Jesus to others, because the child in Bethlehem is for every country and every language. The wise men went home another way, changed by what they had seen. So can we.