Today, I've had an epiphany

Today I'm celebrating the Epiphany holiday!

This may sound odd, but this is a new celebration for me. Don't misunderstand, I celebrate Christmas, but there's not a lot of emphasis on the Advent calendar in my church. I've also heard a bit about the "king cake" eaten on the Gulf Coast, but did not understand its significance. During the many years of working on our Christmas pageant, the three kings have had a significant role in the pageant, always an amazing highlight of the nativity scene celebrating their journey, following the star to the place of Jesus' birth. We celebrated their homage to the infant Jesus despite Herod's desire to kill him. I've read numerous accounts of the significance of their gifts of gold (a valuable), frankincense (a perfume), and myrrh (an annointing oil). Some say those gifts are prophetic: gold as a symbol of kingship, frankincense as a symbol of priesthood, and myrrh, an embalming oil as a symbol of death. Others say the gold symbolizes virtue, frankicense symbolizes prayer, and myrrh symbolizes suffering. It's a powerful message of how three wise men were determined to find and worship Christ.

We've sung about the three kings every year, but there's just not been a day on my family's holiday celebrations to focus on their visit and to commemorate its specific significance separately. So, today I'm celebrating their visit and its significance. I've found several great videos on YouTube about the visit of the three kings. I've posted the humorous, dramatic, traditional version by the trio of Hugh Jackman, David Hobson, and Peter Cousen singing We Three Kings, along with some additional versions below that you may prefer. After all, there's practically something for everyone found on YouTube. :)


As posted on YouTube by MarieRogue

Maybe you prefer these versions:

Sung by Billy Corgan and Dennis DeYoung with a string quartet

A humorous claymation version by three kings and a trio of camels

A nice, new contemporary version by acoustic jazz guitarist, Noel Lorica

Even a rock version

Today, I hope that your life's journey has led you in the same path as those three wise men!

Image credit: Christmas card available from St Luke's Hospice