Exiit qui seminar - Feast of the epiphany

As we celebrate this weekend the feast of the Epiphany we recognize the gifts of the three Magi - gold, frankincense and myrrh. But do we really know what they mean? Each gift of the three kings focuses on a particular role of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. The gold is given because our Lord is the King of

Heaven and Earth, King of all nations and Keystone of the Church. Frankincense is the recognition of Christ as the one, true High Priest. Unlike the priesthood of Aaron or of Levi, both of which had a temporal beginning and end, Christ's priesthood is reflected by Melchizedek from the Book of Genesis. A king and a

priest, whose origin is unknown, offered a sacrifice of bread and wine - a precursor of Jesus' offering of His own Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. Finally myrrh, a substance used in the preparation of a body for burial, prophesies the saving action of the Son of God for our sake. Through these three gifts, we

proclaim Christ as priest, prophet and king. It is these same things that we enter into as part of the Mystical Body of Christ on the day of our baptism. After we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, the crowns of our heads are anointed with Sacred Chrism. This oil connects us to the Lord's prophetic, kingly and priestly roles. As members of His Church, we are called to teach (prophet), to govern (king) and to sanctify (priest). These are not just recommendations for us. They are munera -

duties and mandates that we must follow as we follow in the footsteps of Christ. The clergy participate in these roles in a very specific way, especially priests who share in the one, true priesthood of Jesus Christ. But it is the obligation of all of the faithful to assist the Church in this mission. The Church relies so often on the

advice of ordinary men and women who have a great amount of expertise in a wide range of areas and issues to guide the People of God in right and holy ways. That's our mission too! The parish cannot survive without the help, support and generous spirit of all of her members. Whether they are our parish trustees,

members of the pastoral or finance council, whether they help count the collection or volunteer to stuff envelopes and bulletins, big or little, everyone is needed to make the parish not just survive, but thrive! And so I say thank you for everything that you do to make St. Padre Pio Parish the wonderful place that it is and I

encourage each and every one of you to share your gifts and talents to make the parish even better!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Rob Sinatra