1/5/19

Epiphany Trivia -- and the reason my parish sings all FIVE verses of We Three Kings!

The Magi by He Qi

Here's my annual Epiphany Trivia Quiz based on the day's gospel from the gospel of Matthew.  

The Annual Epiphany Trivia Quiz

See how you do on the quiz.  Don't peek at the answers (below) until you've answered all the questions!

1) How many wise men are mentioned in today's gospel?

2) How many kings are mentioned in today's gospel?

3) How many magi are mentioned in today's gospel?

4) What are magi?

5) How do you spell the third gift presented to the Christ child?  
                  (gold, frankincense and m _ _ _ _ )

6) How did we ever come with "three" "kings"?

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Answers:

1) Matthew makes no reference to wise men in this gospel passage.

2) Two: Jesus and Herod

3) Matthew does not say how many magi followed the star.

4) Magi were likely Persian Zoroastrian priests who practiced the occult.

5) M y r r h

6) Because that's what the song, We Three Kings, not the scriptures, tells us. In addition, the number and value of the gifts presented (gold, frankincense and myrrh) may suggest three gift bearers of royal wealth.

But What About That Song?
 

Unfortunately, in many parishes only one or two verses of We Three Kings will be sung. Hymns are poems set to music. In this hymn, the five verses tell a story and it's very much worth singing the complete hymn: singing 2/5 of this song is leaving out 3/5 of the story! If you study the lyrics below you'll see that the gifts presented by the magi offer a vision of the whole life of Christ from birth to suffering, through death to resurrection.

1) We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar.
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.

2) Born a king on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.

3) Frankincense to offer have I.
Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising men are raising,
Worship Him, God on high.

4) Myrrh is mine: it's bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom,
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

5) Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.
 
 

 
Epiphany 2012
 
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