The Essential Oils of the Epiphany
What exactly are essential oils? You might think of them as the lifeblood of plants. Modern science is now backing up the ancient wisdom of distilling the oils from plants to treat a wide array of ailments and provide a variety of health benefits.
As we celebrate Epiphany, or the Visitation of the Three Kings to Baby Jesus, we are reminded of the “wise” gifts that they bore to Him:
“And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)
The Three Wise Men of the Bible presented essential oil gifts of frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus because their value was highly esteemed in the days of the Roman Empire. Both frankincense and myrrh are derived from plant resins. Both were combined to make incense that was commonly used for worship, representing prayers being sent up to heaven. Frankincense and myrrh have blood-moving powers which were used to treat leprosy. By trading them, it made the Arabians the richest people on earth by the first century A.D.
Myrrh was used to prepare bodies of the deceased for proper burial as it does not decay and is known for its antibacterial properties; it would also assist with the body’s natural decomposition. Mary would have used myrrh to wash cuts, burns, and other skin infections of the Holy Family. It might have also been gargled or applied when one got a sore throat or mouth sores. In the ancient world, it was widely used for almost every human affliction, from hemorrhoids to toothaches.
Even today, myrrh is a common additive in toothpaste, skin creams, and ointments for natural skin care. Additional current uses of myrrh include its beneficial properties combating bronchitis, diabetes, cancer, viral hepatitis, fungal infections (Candida, eczema, ringworm, athletes foot, vaginal thrush), tooth and gum conditions, skin conditions (wrinkles, stretch marks, chapped, cracked), diarrhea, dysentery, hyperthyroidism, and ulcers.
Frankincense is used as a treatment for asthma, cancer, depression, infection (colds, coughs, pneumonia, respiratory, staph, strep), an immune stimulant, inflammation, tired muscles, nervous conditions, stress, ulcers, and vertigo.
As pictured, a man removes the outer layer of bark from a frankincense tree to expose the gum resin. It is the gum resin that holds the essential oil. A fascinating fact about the resin itself is that it has been burned to create an incense that cleans both bedsheets and clothes and is also chewed as a “gum” to clean teeth and gums. As Catholics, we are likely most familiar with the small of incense at Mass.
The next time you hear about the three wise men following that bright star to Bethlehem, take a moment to reflect on how gratified Mary and Joseph must have been to receive such precious gifts. Delight in the fact that they are available to us today to treat a myriad of ailments that we suffer from daily.
Copyright 2014 Erin Giddens and Kelly Birnbrich
image credit: Young Living Essential Oils on Flickr; used with permission
