The Gifts of the Magi are mentioned in the Gospel when the evangelist tells about the birth of Jesus Christ. Today, the gifts of the Magi are not only a historical fact, but also a really existing Christian relic, which is credited with healing properties.
Who are the Magi?
The Evangelist calls wise men and astrologers Magi. They watched the stars that foretold the birth of Christ. This ancient prophecy was known to the wise men, and therefore they went to Bethlehem. There they expected to contemplate the King of Glory who was born. There were several Magi, but the Gospel does not say how many and what their names were. Today it is believed that there were three wise men, as well as gifts, but this information was an addition that appeared already in early Christian literature.
Traditionally, in Christianity, the Magi are represented in the images of three men of different ages: the young Balthazar, the mature Melchior and the elder - Kaspar. In addition, the Magi represent the three cardinal directions. Balthazar is portrayed as African, Melchior is portrayed as European, and Caspar is portrayed as Asian. In the countries of the East, three received martyrdom, and before they were baptized by the Apostle Thomas. Empress Helena of Constantinople found their relics and kept them for a long time in Constantinople. But after its fall and the capture of the Turks, the relics were transported to Europe, where they are kept in the Cologne Cathedral to this day.
What did the wise men give Jesus? Relic and symbolism
The magi brought the newborn Messiah three gifts: frankincense, gold and myrrh (or myrrh). In the Orthodox tradition, each Gift had a symbolic meaning. So, incense was brought as a gift to the baby (God), gold indicated the royal destiny of Jesus, and myrrh, or the fragrant resin of myrrh, symbolized the sacrifice to which Christ had to offer himself. So, God, king and sacrifice.
Gold plates in the form of triangles and squares, to which 60 beads are suspended on silver threads. In their cavity, they contain a mixture of myrrh and incense.
Modern tradition
Today there is a tradition, the roots of which go back precisely to this plot of the Gospel: Christians all over the world give each other gifts at Christmas, as well as present newborn children.
Where are the gifts of the Magi today?
According to the Gospel, the Virgin Mary left the received gifts to the Christian community in Jerusalem. From there they were transferred to the temple of Hagia Sophia, located in Constantinople. But after its capture by the Turks in the 15th century, the gifts were miraculously saved by Maria Brankovich and transported to the Athos Monastery of St. Paul. They have been stored there for over 500 years. Many attribute miracles to the gifts, such as the healing of the sick, and some even say that they heard a whisper coming from the relic, telling about the birth of Jesus Christ.
