Dear Church,
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 17 this year). Our theme for Epiphany is Beholding and Becoming, diving deeper into the mystery of the Incarnation.
Epiphany is all about seeing God’s glory revealed to us in the face of Christ. In the Collect for Epiphany, we pray: “Lead us to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face…”
But God doesn’t reveal his glory to us to dazzle us or overwhelm us with his power. God reveals his glory to invite us to participate in his 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 you can participate in the season of Epiphany this year, as we behold and become together:
- Chalk your door today or anytime this week!
- Pray daily from the Book of Common Prayer (download our prayer booklets for Epiphany to make this easy).
- Participate with us in worship on Sundays as we proclaim and participate in the good news of beholding and becoming.
- Watch for more info on an outdoor Blessing of the Candles on Candlemas (Feb 2)!
Despite the exhaustion and grief I know we are all feeling right now, I am looking forward to beholding and becoming with you this Epiphany.
Peace,
Fr. Ben
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