The Feast of the Epiphany

The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6. This feast commemorates the visit of the wise men to worship the baby Jesus. Tradition tells us that their names were Caspar, Melchior and Balthassar. The men were astrologers who were looking for the star that would lead them to the promised Messiah. This was prophesied in the Book of Micah. According to the Gospel narratives, the wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh with them. These gifts were very meaningful. Gold was a precious and expensive gift, and showed how important Jesus was.

Frankincense is a sweet perfume which was often burned in the temple to worship God. It was a sign that Jesus should be worshipped. Myrrh was used to keep things fresh, and it was used by the women to anoint Jesus’ body when he died. By bringing it as a gift to Jesus, the wise men foretold his suffering and death.

As a school we marked this occasion by adding the Three Wise Men to the crib and with prayers led by Mr. Healy, Mr. Geraghty and Ms. Keenan.

'Dear Jesus, as you led The Three Kings by the light of a star, please draw us ever closer to you by the light of your faith. Help us to desire you as ardently as they did. Give us the grace to overcome all obstacles that keep us far from you. May we, like them, have an offering to give you when we appear before you.

Mary, our Mother - pray for us.

Amen.'