Saturday 7 January 2017

Feast of the Epiphany



The Epiphany is always very heavily loaded with imagery and this is for two principal reasons. Firstly there are many traditions and these additional traditions means that Mass on the day of the Epiphany itself always becomes very crowded with the rich variety – with Magi water, the blessing of chalk, the presentation of incense, procession to the crib, and the proclamation of the date of Easter. For this reason we will use the shorter Eucharistic prayer today and also move from the creed straight to the offertory. Please as you offer your incense to the priest offer it for some cause or person by way of an intercession.



The second reason Epiphany can be crowded is that we mark not one but three events: the coming of the Magi, the Baptism of Christ, and the first miracle at the Wedding at Cana in Galilee. Some years each of these gets a dedicated Sunday (in year C – such as last year). Other years we only get two and occasionally only one Sunday. This is one such year where we get one Sunday, with the Baptism falling in the week. So there is far too much for us to celebrate in one Mass. I encourage you all to ponder on the mysteries of the Epiphany over the next few days so that the great richness that is offered does not go unheeded.


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