Pope on the Feast of the Epiphany: Never stop seeking God

Mexico will celebrate Three Kings Day, or the Feast of the Epiphany, on Wednesday and Canacope, an organization representing small-business owners in Mexico City, expects the holiday to generate about 2.25 billion pesos (some $130 million) in economic activity.

Legend had it that Mother Nature, exhausted by all her work in the year just past, transformed herself into a little old woman who distributed gifts as a symbol of the sowing season to come.

For children in Latin America, the feast of the Three Kings is celebrated January 6.

Although it has become accepted there were three wise men who visited Jesus, both Galler and Dower noted, the Bible does not ever mention the exact number of wise men who made the trek to Bethlehem by the light of the star – only the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Meanwhile, members of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Slovakia are preparing to celebrate their Christmas holidays, which fall on January 6-9 according to the old Julian calendar (named after Roman Emperor Julius Caesar).

The Epiphany carol “We Three Kings” teaches us this truth in the stanzas that we sing. The last stanza brings it all together “Glorious now behold him arise; King, and God and Sacrifice”. Unlike Puerto Rico, where children receive presents on Christmas, dedicated Mexicans wait until Three Kings Day to give the kids gifts.

January 6 is a special day known as Epiphany, or “Three Kings Day”. We’re looking for suggestions for our weekly Did You Know fact.

The video, in which the Pope can be seen walking away smiling, has been viewed more than 310,000 times and has been shared more than 7,000 times.

The three men – named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar – followed the star of Bethlehem to meet the baby Jesus. “Others say they are atheists”. Will we ignore all that the season of Christmas and the celebration of Epiphany has taught us and shared with us?

Pope Francis will today hold the annual Holy Mass for the Epiphany in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome marking a celebration that was first observed by western Christians in the 4th century. “Shining the light of Christ is its service”.

Christians are called at the beginning of the new year to open their hearts and “reawaken the attention to one’s neighbor, to those who are closest”, he said. In my homily this weekend, what I spoke about was the wise men found Jesus by asking a question – ‘Where is the king of the Jews?’ – and the same must be true of us.