TRADITIONAL
EPIPHANY
Psalm
2, verse 11
Serve
the LORD with fear; exult with trembling, accept correction lest
he become angry and you perish along the way when his anger suddenly blazes up.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him!
To
fully understand this verse, we must know who the writer is referring to. In
verse 10 the writer states “Now
therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord
with fear. Our God is a just God and
to “those who have been given much; much is required”; to quote the spider man
movie. Kings (and the 1 percent’ers) to be wise must humble themselves. It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle then for a rich man to
get into heaven. The
"Eye of the Needle" has been claimed to be a gate in Jerusalem, which
opened after the main gate was closed at night. A camel could only pass through
this smaller gate if it was stooped and had its baggage removed.[1]
I also with
this verse picture Mary Magdalene. Mary who by many accounts was a very rich
woman financed our Lord’s ministry. We see in this verse the shadowing of her
kissing of His feet and at the same time the hardening of Judas’ heart: who on
seeing her act of love and wanting riches refused to humble himself and died in
his pride.
Does Christ desire us to serve with
Fear and trembling? I noticed the other day that my two dogs when I come
in are so excited about seeing me that they tremble with excitement. I think
our God wants our hearts and our desires. I think we should have the humble
fear that a loved child has for his or her parents, full of love and respect
and that we should be excited too. So, let us approach each day with the kind
of excitement that makes us tremble ready to do the will of God?
Read: The Epiphany marks the arrival of
visitors, identified in Scripture as magi, to the place where Jesus was born.
Although we know virtually nothing about them, we do know they brought three
gifts:
·
Gold,
a symbol of wealth and power, identifies the recipient as a king.
·
Frankincense,
the crystalized resinous sap of a tree used as incense and as an offering, is
symbolic of prayer.
·
Myrrh,
another resinous tree sap, was used in healing liniments and as an embalming
ointment. Myrrh is an odd gift for a child—so, even at the beginning of
Jesus' life on earth, this gift foreshadows his death.
Reflect: Practice the ancient art of Lectio Divina today and reflect on the readings
on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.
Act: Did you wish someone a Merry
Christmas today? The Christmas season continues until next Sunday, which is the
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. An easy way to evangelize is to wish someone
a Merry Christmas during the Christmas season after December 25 and explain
why. The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on
Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
Traditionally today is the Feast of the Epiphany or
the day the three kings presented gifts to Christ. They are an example of men
who overcame great obstacles and their own fears
to come and present gifts to our Lord. They also being wise men knew that they
could not trust Herod when he asked them to return to him and tell him where
Christ was. It is not always possible to get to a win-win situation and we must
also use our wisdom as the three Kings did and know when we must fight, run, do
nothing, compromise or prepare for growth. Christ reveals Himself not just to
the Jews, but to the Gentiles, as the visitation of the Magi makes clear that
the Light of Christ did not come to illuminate one nation but all, and so on
the Feast of the Epiphany we celebrate His first
manifestation (epiphaneia) to the Gentiles, the three Magi who followed
His star from the East. This manifestation also leads us to consider other
"firsts" -- the first manifestation of His mission at His Baptism and
the first manifestation of His power at the wedding of Cana. Hence both are
also remembered on the Feast of the Epiphany. Epiphany is one of
the greatest feasts of the liturgical year. The twelfth day after Christmas, it
concludes Christmastide proper by celebrating the "manifestation," or
epiphaneia, of Christ to the Gentiles. To this day the Eastern churches
consider Epiphany more important than Christmas. The Holy Spirit's guidance of
these wise men to the Holy Land through the aid of a star signifies the calling
of all nations, not just the Jews, to the New Covenant. But this
"manifestation" to non-Jews also calls to mind other manifestations
of our Lord's divinity. The Nativity continues to be remembered
as the first crucial manifestation, but so too does the Baptism of our Lord
in the Jordan, since it affirms both His divinity as well as His humanity. And
the wedding of Cana comes to mind because it was Christ's first
public manifestation of His power with the transubstantiation of water into
wine. (It also comes to mind because the Gospel uses the word
"manifest" (ephanerosen) to describe this event (Jn. 2.11).)
Finally, the manifestations of Jesus Christ during His earthly existence
ineluctably lead us to consider His final manifestation in glory, a manifestation for which we have
longed throughout Advent and Christmastide. Hence St. John Chrysostom says in
his sermon on Epiphany:
There are two
manifestations of Christ, not one. The first is the one which has already
happened, His epiphany in the present. The second is the one of the future
which will come at the end of time with great splendor and glory. You have heard
read today what St. Paul writes to Titus about both of these epiphanies. Concerning
the first he says, "The grace of God our Savior has appeared to all
men..." About the second he writes, "We look for the blessed hope and
glorious coming of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2.11-13)
(On the Baptism of Christ).
The Three Kings
Blessing of Water
Magi Plays
Feasting
The Feast of the Holy Family
Epiphany Facts & Quotes[4]
·
Epiphany
Day is celebrated as a public holiday in Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Denmark
and Norway do not have the day off but do hold special mass and church
services. The day is also a holiday throughout much of Eastern Europe.
·
Frankincense,
a perfume, and myrrh, anointing oil, were traditional gifts for kings during
the time of Christ. Bodies were also prepared for burial with these
items. These were the gifts that the wise men brought to the baby Jesus.
·
In
Latin American culture, Epiphany, which means 'manifestation', is celebrated
with plays and special songs that celebrate the coming of the three kings, or
magi. Children
place boxes of hay under their beds for the magi' camels, and in return
they receive gifts.
·
In
some Eastern Orthodox Christian communities, Epiphany is celebrated by a procession
to the nearest river, lake, or pond. The priest blesses the water and he throws
a cross in the waves. People dive into the water to retrieve the cross,
and the one who finds it is thought to be particularly blessed in the New Year.
·
It’s
a time to focus on the guiding star and the three men who out of curiosity
followed the star to Jesus, - Martin Modeús of the Church of Sweden
Epiphany Top Events and Things to Do
·
Take
down any decorations, you should have taken these down on Knut’s Day, the day
before Epiphany, but if you’ve been too busy eating, today is the day to get
them down.
·
Sing
We Three Kings, a traditional Epiphany hymn telling the story of the
magi.
·
Go
to an Orthodox service and witness a Epiphany procession. This often
includes pageantry of colorful robes and a large bowl of water centered in the
middle of the church. Churches are often decorated with flowers and
greenery.
·
In
some Western churches, church members share king cake, similar to the pastry
served on Mardi Gras in New Orleans. A coin or bean is cooked into the
cake, and whoever receives them gets to wear a crown for a day.
·
Watch
a Christmas themed movie. Our favorites include
1) Fanny and Alexander (1982), this film depicts a family in Uppsala, Sweden during the 1900s and is a national favorite.
2) Santa Claus (1990)
3) Elf (2003), Will Ferrell’s modern Christmas classic
Today would also be a good time to honor your Father
in heaven by marking your home in chalk; publicly stating who’s you are.
A traditional way of doing this is to use chalk to write above the home’s entrance, 20 + C + M + B + 19. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the cross and 2019 is the year.
Blessing
the Chalk
R. The maker of heaven and earth.
V. The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in:
R. From this time forth for evermore.
Let us pray.
Instructions
for Blessing the Home
20 + C + M + B + 20 while saying:
The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar
followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and twenty years
ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the New Year.
Amen.
Then
offer the following prayer: Visit, O
blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence. Bless all who live
or visit here with the gift of your love; and grant that we may manifest your
love to each other and to all whose lives we touch. May we grow in grace and in
the knowledge and love of you; guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace, O
Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen
“Chalking
the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany
and God’s blessing of our lives and home. With time the chalk will fade. As it does,
we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and
be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, “May Christ bless the house.”
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is
the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to
believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love
remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the Day of Judgment because as he is, so are we in
this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out
fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet
perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 Jn 4:15-19)
January 6 -
February 11
Aruba
doesn’t wait until a few days before lent to party, they start in early
January. The Aruba Carnival is a month-long celebration filled with
music (lots of steel drums), dance contests, jump-ups (they’re like street
parties), parades, and warm-up parties that promote local beer. Oh, and let’s
not forget Aruba’s gorgeous beaches!
Daily
Devotions
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