January 2nd, 2022

The Epiphany of the Lord

by Fr. Clement Dickie, O.P.

Dear St. Joseph Parish,

Our fearless leader, Fr. Boniface is away in Ohio this week visiting his father and brother. Fr. Baptist and I remain behind to celebrate the Christmas season with you. 

While most of us know that there are 12 days of Christmas from having been made to sing about them, living in a Protestant country as we do, it is easy to be confused about when those days are. Saturday marks the 8th day of Christmas and therefore the end of the Octave of Christmas. Really important celebrations (now only Christmas and Easter) get stretched out for a whole week, this “week” lasts 8 days because it begins and ends on the same day of the week. Many of these days also include ancient feast days, culminating (on the modern calendar) with the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. 

In America this year, we fast forward from the 8th day of Christmas to the 12th and celebrate Epiphany on Sunday instead of its traditional place on January 6th. Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Magi to venerate the Infant Jesus. Epiphany means appearance since the arrival of the Magi represents the appearance of the Messiah to the gentiles and their incorporation into the covenant. Two other appearances are now joined to the coming of the Magi: the Baptism of the Lord and Miracle at Cana. 

Since most of us Christians in American are not deceased from the Israelites, this feast day takes on special significance. The revelation of Jesus Christ is meant for all nations and not just chosen people. Christ is the savior for the whole world. His Gospel is meant to bring light to everyone.

There are three unique customs Catholics practice for Epiphany that you will get to experience this weekend. (1) Epiphany water, (2) Epiphany Chalk, and (3) the announcement of the movable feasts.

Epiphany water is Holy Water consecrated on the vigil of Epiphany. We blest a large quantity of Epiphany Water at 4:45 on Saturday, January 1. Like ordinary holy water, Epiphany water is a sacramental that may be used to bless people, houses, and other places. Unlike normal holy water, the blessing for Epiphany water can only be done once and year and is fairly elaborate. Exorcises say that Epiphany water is especially potent for protecting against demons. If you have a small container, you will be able to take some home with you.

Epiphany Chalk is used to mark the lintels of the doors to Catholic homes with the inscription 20+c+m+b+22. The letters have two meanings: (1) they represent the initials of the three Wisemen (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar) and (2) they abbreviate the phrases Christus mansionem benedicat (May Christ bless the house.) Chalk will be blest at the same time we bless Holy Water, and will be available all week in the narthex. Chalking your doorways as a part of this blessing is a way to make your home a sacred space. 

By long-standing custom, the movable feasts of the year are announced at Epiphany. A number of feasts of the Church year and fixed to the date of Easter, which follows a moon-based Calendar rather than the normal solar calendar. Since most people would not have been able to calculate the date of Easter for themselves, the announcement at the beginning of each year gave them a chance to prepare. 

I hope that celebrating this great feast together at the beginning of our year, makes 2022 a holy year for us all.

God Bless,

Fr. Clement Dickie, O.P.
Parochial Vicar

Rebecca Loomis

Rebecca Loomis is a graphic designer, artist, photographer, and author of the dystopian fiction series A Whitewashed Tomb. Rebecca founded her design company, Fabelle Creative, to make it easy for small businesses to get the design solutions they need to tell their story. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys traveling, social dancing, and acroyoga.

https://rebeccaloomis.com
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January 9th, 2022