After the three wise men presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the young Jesus, they set off back into the dark night. After a while, the gold, frankincense, and myrrh began to converse.
The gold, with confidence, said, “When this child grows up, He will use me to acquire many kingdoms. I know this from experience, as the kings before Him have done so with me.”
To this, the frankincense, boasting, replied, “When This King becomes great, He will go to the church and they will use me to cense Him, which, you must admit, is not something just anyone can claim!”
Even the myrrh did not remain silent: “Do you know who I am? With me, they anoint the foreheads of emperors and kings. Thus, I will always be on the emperor’s forehead. Just so you know, I play the main role in all this!” – the myrrh added proudly.
However, before they could fulfill their purpose, the gold, frankincense, and myrrh had to learn a lesson in humility. Righteous Joseph threw the gold on the path outside the cave to prevent robbers from finding it, and thus the dry gold ended up on the dusty path. With a little myrrh, the Mother of God anointed her dusty and wounded feet for healing, and with the frankincense, they censed the manger in the cave where little Jesus lay.
