Dear siblings in Christ,
Today is the Feast of Epiphany! Epiphany (which means “revealing”) commemorates the Magi who came from the far-flung places of the world bearing gifts and following a star to meet the child who would become the king of the whole cosmos.
After today’s Feast, we will celebrate a season of Epiphany that will last until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (Feb 18 this year). Epiphany is all about the consequences of Christmas, the implications of the Incarnation. If Advent is about expectation and Christmas is a season of joy, Epiphany is a season of presence:
- Beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and
- Becoming more and more like the God we see.
God doesn’t reveal divine glory to us to dazzle or overwhelm, but to invite us to share in that same glory, to participate in the divine life. We see God’s glory so we can share God’s glory. In the Collect from last Sunday, we prayed: “Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
This is the mystery of the Incarnation: We share in the divine life of him who fully shares our humanity. We behold God in the face of Christ so we can become (like) God as a community together. We perceive God’s beauty and we participate in God’s beautiful life. We become human as God is human.
Here are a few ways we can participate in the season of Epiphany this year, as we behold and become together:
- Chalk your door today or anytime this week!
- Join us for worship on Sundays during Epiphany.
- Read and reflect on the Epiphany homily from last year.
The Lord has shown forth his glory! Let us continue to adore him this Epiphany!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Ben
