“They offered him gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:11

After the Magi kneel before the child, the Gospel tells us that they open what they have brought and place it before Him. Their response to Christ is not only interior. It becomes an offering.

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are not casual gifts. They are costly and intentional. They represent what the Magi considered valuable and worth protecting. These gifts were chosen before the journey began and carried with care until the moment of encounter.

The Gospel does not describe Jesus speaking or responding. He receives what is placed before Him. The moment is quiet and reverent. Nothing is explained, yet something real is given.

This scene teaches us that a willing heart naturally moves toward offering. Encounter with Christ leads to placing our lives before Him, not because He demands it, but because grace draws the heart to give what it holds.

Epiphany invites us to reflect on what we place before Christ. Not what we wish we could offer, but what we actually carry. Our time. Our choices. Our desires. Our willingness to entrust them to Him.

This day of prayer asks for the grace to place our lives before Christ honestly, trusting that what is given into His hands is received with love.

Today I ask for the grace to place my life before Christ with trust and sincerity.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
You received the gifts placed before You
with silence and love.

I place before You what I carry this day,
not holding back what is costly
or difficult to entrust.

Send forth Your Holy Spirit upon my heart,
that I may offer myself freely
and without fear.

Receive what I place before You,
and shape my life according to Your will,
that all I give may bear fruit
for the glory of the Father.

Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.

© 2026 Discerning Hearts ®. All rights reserved. This reflection may not be reproduced or distributed without permission, except for personal prayer and noncommercial use with attribution.