January 3, 1999The Epiphany of Our Lord |
The celebration of the Incarnation - and all the feasts that surround this special time..the Feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, and the special Saints Days - in the Christmas season give us reason to pause once more and reflect on our Faith and our lives. The celebration of Christmas teaches us that God took on our human form so that we might participate in God's divine life, so that eternity might be opened for us once more. This is a time of year (and especially after Christmas) to reflect on and take stock of our lives. Do we REALLY believe that God can make a difference in our lives? Do we make room for Christ in our lives? Does this make a difference for our families? Do we, in our own way, work to strengthen our family relationships, and the bonds of our parish family? Liturgically, the first day of Christmas is actually Christmas Day, extending to the Epiphany and beyond - to the Baptism of the Lord. So, when society says that Christmas is over on December 26, it is really just beginning for us...we need to continue with the joy and prayer of December 25 into the days that follow.
Centuries ago, St. Leo the Great preached a beautiful sermon at Rome on Christmas Day. I would like to share with you part of it:
"Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us
rejoice. Sadness should have no place on the birthday
of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up;
life brings us joy with the promise of eternal
happiness. No one is shut out from this joy; all
share the same reason for rejoicing. Our Lord, victor
over sin and death, finding no man free from sin,
came to free us all. Let the saint rejoice as he sees
the palm of victory at hand. Let the sinner be glad
as he receives the offer of forgiveness. Let the
pagan take courage as he is summoned to life...and so
at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy,
'Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaim peace
to his people on earth' as they see the heavenly
Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the
world. When the angels on high are so exultant at
this marvelous work of God's goodness, what joy
should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men."
One day, long, long ago, God said to the angels and saints in heaven: "Do you know that every single drop of rain is one-of-a-kind, different from every other?"
But the angels said, "We know you love the raindrops, God, but to us they all look just the same." And the saints said, "We know you love all created things, O God, but we saw raindrops while on earth and they really were all the same." Now God so loved the angels and saints, too, and didn't mind at all that they questioned this. "The next time it rains, I will show you and you will believe," said God.
And so it happened.
When the rain came, God commanded, "Let it be cold this day, so rain will fall white as snow." And the rain did fall as snow, and all the angels and saints caught the snowflakes on their tongues. Together, they cried out with joy, blessed are you, great God, for every drop of rain is special, just as you said. And God only smiled.
But from then on, God let the rain fall in summer and the snowfall in winter---that all of us might believe.
Thank You, Creator God, for the gift of Winter... for cold frosty air, shimmering icicles, frozen lakes and rivers, and most of all for snowflakes, each so beautiful, so special, so one-of-a-kind. Thank You, God, for snowflakes. Thank you, God, for me. Amen
My dear family in Christ,
May the divine love which the Lord Jesus has revealed be yours in abundance.
As everyone is ready to move on, the liturgy that we celebrate today calls us into mystery of the meaning of Good News. We focus on the Epiphany, that is, the full revelation of God's saving presence to all people. In this we find our joy. God truly takes us seriously. We are called beyond darkness, death and sin into the wonderful light and life of God. This is the celebration of our faith.
In light of this, I invite all in our parish community to take this message to heart. No matter what may come our way - pain, disappointment, rejection, loneliness - the call of walking in the light, as the three kings, is there to awaken in us God's abiding presence.
This faith is not to close our eyes to the reality or "put our heads in the sand" but to embrace life as it is ours to live.
I would especially call us in this year of 1999 to practice charity, that is, reach beyond our comfort zone and help those who are powerless.
As the three kings brought gifts to the Savior let us share with others the love of God that has been entrusted to us.
Fr. Ron
It is hard to talk about Epiphany without sounding like we're exaggerating. Today is a day of superlatives. Epiphany is the grandest, merriest, brightest and best day of Christmastide.
Today we celebrate three wonders: The Magi offer the Lord gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Lord comes to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. The Lord turns water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana.
Epiphany means appearance, revelation and manifestation, In the gospel stories of Epiphany, we hear that God appears in creation. God is revealed in a star, in the waters of a river, in the shining skies, on the wings of a dove, and in stone jars of everyday water.
In many families, a famous Epiphany tradition is to have a party in honor of the visit of the Magi. A special cake -in which a bean or coin has been hidden - is served. The lucky person who finds the bean or coin in her or his slice of cake is crowned queen or king for the evening! This person leads everyone in the dancing and procession that tops off the fun.
The monarch has two major responsibilities. One is to host the Carnival party before Lent begins. The other is to lead the blessing of the home for the new year. The numerals of the year are written with chalk over the front door. The initials of the legendary names of the magi are added - Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. The home is dedicated to hospitality.
In a sense, at Epiphany all of us are queens and kings. In baptism, we were anointed to be God's royal people. Now the star shines over us, we who are baptized, we who bear the name of Christ.
"RISE UP IN SPLENDOR, JERUSALEM! YOUR LIGHT HAS COME, THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHINES UPON YOU"
(ISAIAH 60:1)
Today's feast contains a beautiful story with many images: A Star, Magi, traveling a great distance, a jealous king, Herod, and gifts. Intriguing as the story is, it is important not to lose the overall message of the feast. Epiphany is God revealing to all nations, Jesus, the light of the world. God continues to be a light for all people to see, a light that shines brightly in the darkness of the world. All people are called to share in the light of Christ and, like a mirror, reflect that light to all they meet.
It is a tradition in the Church for families to bless their homes during the Christmas and Easter Seasons. Below is the prayer of blessing for the Christmas Season. This blessing, with the family gathered around the Manger Scene, Christmas Tree or Family Table is traditionally prayed on the Feast of Epiphany.
LORD GOD of heaven and earth, all sincere, you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star.
Bless this house and all who inhabit it.
Fill them with the light of Christ, that their concern for others may reflect your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers)
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower view- points; we spend more, but have little; we buy more and enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and don't pray often enough.
We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we added years to life, but not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes; but lower morals; more food but less appeasement; more acquain-tances, but fewer friends; more effort but less success.
We build better computers to hold more information; produce more copies than ever, yet have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and upset stomachs; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; these are the days of two incomes, but more divorce of fancier houses, but broken homes; tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships.
It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom.
THINK ABOUT IT!
1. ISAIAH 60:1-6.
The prophet Isaiah, in the years following the Babylonian Exile, saw in the hardships of those times a parallel with the spiritual weaknesses of the people. Nonetheless, he is full of joy and wants to encourage his people because the glory of the Lord can be seen if they lift up their eyes to the radiance of the Lord around them.
APPLICATION: Remember that Yahweh's love is shining on you: His glory appears all around you and through you. See to it that others are aware of it by your godly words and deeds.
2. EPHESIANS 3:2-3,5-6.
The feast of the Epiphany is the celebration of Jesus manifestations to the Gentiles. Here St. Paul proclaims the Good News that the salvation of the Lord extends to all people and nations. Through faith the Gentiles are co-heirs with the Jews to God's love and promises.
APPLICATION: God's message of universal love transforms the messenger as it transforms the world. The gifts are to be shared by all.
3. MATTHEW 2:1-12.
Guided by the star lights of faith, astrologers (magi) from the East come to Bethlehem seeking the newborn King. In Jesus they recognize the end of their quest. They offer their royal gifts, do him homage and depart joyfully to continue the journey of life.
APPLICATION: Our actions toward others proclaim their worth. Giving and receiving reveal us and the presence (or lack) of godliness within us
Fr. Eugene R. Sinz
Today is the feast of the EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD, called Little Christmas in the Eastern rite Church. Epiphany means MANIFESTATION and refers to the manifestation or revelation of the Lord Jesus to the non-Jewish or Gentile world. This feast marks Jesus' role as the Savior who embraces all the people of the world. The Magi or astrologers come from the Orient (land of exotic perfumes, spices, gold, wisdom) and are representative of the entire Gentile world. They bring gifts (gold, frankincense, myrrh) to the newborn King of the world.
These token created gifts are their response to HIS Gift of Himself to the world, the gift of salvation and redemption for all people. May this gift of Christ of Himself be the gift which we cherish most throughout the New Year and always. May our return gift be the gift of ourselves, our very lives, consecrated and dedicated to Him.
Father Mank
St Cyril of Jerusalem with the first generations of the Church stated: We have been instructed in these matters and filled with unshakeable faith that that which seems to be bread is not bread, though it tastes like it, but the body and blood of Christ; and that which seems to be wine, though it seems so to the taste, is not wine, but Christ! With these words the early Church was reminded of the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, our communion (common-union) with Christ our only nourishment. For centuries the faithful people approached the Eucharist and received Christ by consuming the bread of immortality and drinking from the cup of everlasting life. Historical circumstances contributed to the eventual limitation of communion to one sign only as the normal course; then historical circumstances contributed to a limitation for many to receive the Lord even under one sign only very infrequently. In our century St. Pius X counseled and urged frequent communion and then thirty years ago our bishops with the approbation of our Holy Father counseled and encouraged frequent communion under both signs as well. Subsequently the practice has been extended to every Mass when it is possible to receive communion by consuming the bread of immortality and the cup of everlasting life.
If epiphany means showing forth or manifestation, then our cooperation in God's plan is to look, to see truly. This feast is a kaleidoscope. Look carefully. Behold the poor child of Bethlehem. Behold the child pointed out by a star and honored by wise kings from far away. Behold the Lamb of God standing in the Jordan river with his cousin John. Behold the Way, the Truth, the Life. Behold the shamed one who eats with sinners. Behold the divine healer, our healer. Behold the man. Behold your king. Behold, with Mary Magdalen in the garden, the Risen Jesus. God has revealed God's face to us. Come, let us adore him!
Only a few days ago we celebrated the Lord's birthday. Today we are celebrating with equal solemnity, as is proper, his Epiphany, in which he began to manifest himself to the Gentiles. On the one day the Jewish shepherds saw him when he was born; on this day the magi coming from the east adored him. Now, he had been born that cornerstone, the peace of the two walls coming from very different directions, from circumcision and uncircumcision. Thus they could be united in him who had been made our peace, and "who has made both one." This was foretokened in the Jewish shepherds and the Gentile magi. From this began what was to grow and to bear fruit throughout the world. Let us, therefore, with joy of the spirit hold dear these two days, the Nativity and the Manifestation of our Lord. The Jewish shepherds were led by an angel bringing the news; the Gentile magi by a star showing the way.
--St. Augustine
In choosing to be born for us, God chose to be known by us. He therefore reveals himself in this way, in order that this great sacrament of his love may not be an occasion for us of great misunderstanding. Today the magi find, crying in a manger, the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. Today the magi see clearly, in swaddling clothes, the one they have long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars. Today the magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, humanity in God, God in humanity, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. As they look, they believe and do not question, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die.
--St. Peter Chrysologus
The solemnity celebrated this Sunday commemorates the visitation of the Magi and Christ's manifestation of His glory to them. The feast arose in the Eastern Church and remains there one of more broad significance, celebrating also Christ's glory manifested to the Gentiles through the Magi and His divinity manifested at His baptism in the Jordan as well as the miracle of the marriage at Cana. It is sometimes called Twelfth Night, since it is 12 days after Christmas. The world from the Greek means "manifestation", making Christ known to the world as the Messiah, the divine Son of God (Jn2:11). Let us pray for the church today, asking the Holy Spirit that the light of God's glory would shine through the people of God and reflect Christ to all the earth. Let us pray that we will welcome Christ into our hearts each day, allowing his light to penetrate us and conquer any darkness within us. Both as individuals and as members of the church, we can reflect the glory of God in our lives.
The poet T. S. Eliot writes of the dedication of those who would receive the gift of God's glory:
A cold coming we had of it
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
You see, today's liturgy celebrates the marvelous magnanimity of God. We hear the familiar story of the child Jesus receiving gifts, but we are the ones who are gifted. For our part, we must make like the magi and not only be open to the gift but be willing to go after it, even in the dead of winter.
Born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920 to an administrative officer in the Polish army and a former school teacher, Karol Wojtyla, was ordained to the priesthood on Movember 1, 1946. He completed his doctorate in theology in 1948 at the Angelicum in Rome,Italy. From 1948 to 1951 he served as a parish priest in Krakow. From 1952 to 1958 he taught at the Krakow Seminary. Pope Pius XII appointed Wojtyla an auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958 and Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Krakow in 1963. Archbishop Wojtyla attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and played a prominent role in the formulation of the Vatican II document entitled Declaration on Religious Freedom. Pope Paul VI appointed Wojtyla a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church in 1967.
The Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow was 58 years old in October of 1978 when the College of Cardinals elected him to lead the Roman Catholic Church as the first non- Italian Pope in 456 years, and the youngest pope to be elected this century. Cardinal Wojtyla, the newly elected 265th head of the Roman Catholic Church, selected the name John Paul in memory of his predecessors Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul I and to emphasize his desire to continue their work. In December, 1994, he was chosen the 1994 TIME Magazine Man of the Year. Pope John Paul II recently celebrated the twentieth anniversary of his election to the papacy and is leading the Church into the Third Millennium.
What is the Meaning of the graphics designed for the Papal Visit?
The primary logo for the papal Visit, designed by St. Louis-based Henning Communications, displays the Pope's pastoral staff, which contains an image of Christ crucified. The image also includes a stylized version of the Gateway Arch, which cuts through the background of the logo, and a fleur-de- lis, another easily recognizable symbol of St. Louis. The "A.D. 2000" in the logo reminds us of the approach of the Third Millennium. Dominant colors used in the logo are the papal colors of yellow and white, accented by the color blue. The text surrounding the graphic image says, "Pastoral Visit * January 1999 * Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri." In an interview with the St. Louis Review, Patrick Henning of Henning Communications called the logo "distinctively Christian in the image of Jesus Christ and distinctively St. Louis in that we are reaching out to the entire metropolitan community." The logo is being used on all official publications of the visit. It will also be used on light standard banners, public displays, and T-shirts.
A secondary image, seen on billboards, displays a photograph of the Pope and the St. Louis skyline, with the words "...to ensure that the power of salvation may be shared by all." This quotation, taken from the Holy Father's 1994 apostolic letter entitled On the Coming of the third Millenium, was selected as the theme for the Papal Visit.
With this series of historical vignettes we review the history of the parish and archdiocese.
Inside the church is first of all the sanctuary, four feet higher than the floor of the rest of the church. It is forty feet long and thirty feet wide, and is separated by Corinthian balusters, which form the communion rail, reached by three steps running all the length of the sanctuary.
The back of the sanctuary is decorated by four fluted columns with their gilt capitals, an architrave, a frieze and a cornice, all of Corinthian style. In the pediment above is an oval window before which is placed a transparent picture representing the Holy Ghost under the form of a dove, emitting on all sides rays of light, some of which lose themselves in clouds in the midst of which may be seen angels. On either side of the pediment is the gilded figure of an angel carrying the two tables of the Old and New Law, respectively.
The two side chapels are on the same level as the sanctuary and are decorated with two Ionic columns with gilded capitals, which support an architrave, frieze, cornice and pediment of the same style. The one is dedicated to St. Vincent dePaul, secondary patron of the diocese, and the other to St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland.
The main body of the church is made of three aisles divided by two rows of five columns; these columns are of brick covered with stucco and tinted so as to imitate marble; they measure twenty-seven feet in height and are three and one-half feet in diameter; the capitals are of stone painted in brass finish, the architrave, the frieze and large cornice running along both sides of the nave are Doric. The vault of the nave soars forty feet above the floor. It is in the shape of a surbased arch, and divided into eighteen rectangular panels corresponding to the spaces between the columns, each decorated with cornice, rose and other ornaments of stucco. The ceilings of the two side aisles are likewise stuccoed and painted so as to figure panels. The church is lighted by fourteen large windows sixteen by eight feet, semi-circular, oval or rectangular. In a handsome recess closed by an iron gate is the baptismal font a short distance from the church door.
Formerly the organ loft was on one side of the sanctuary and on the other a gallery intended for the children of the orphanage. A pulpit too was originally located by one of the columns in the middle of the church. At one time there was a large underground chapel underneath the sanctuary, together with the stations of the cross, and confessionals. Galleries in addition to the above were formerly located along the wall in front of the church.
On this great Feast of Epiphany, when the Magi brought gifts to the newborn King, let us reflect on our own gifts. First, let us thank our Lord for each person we meet each day-especially those we live, work, or worship with. From them we hear God's words and learn how to give love. Secondly, let us daily compliment and affirm the many God-given gifts in each other and ourselves. Remember the best way to grow is to strive for perfection, to be like Jesus or Mary, not expect perfection, which leads to criticism and competition. Thirdly, let us thank God for the greatest gift in each of us: JESUS! Jesus can heal our hurts, hold us in grief, and forgive our unloving choices and fill our loneliness with love. Fourthly, let us make Jesus present, Lord and King of our world through our unity as a Church at Eucharist, our reaching out to all in need and working to change our world.
Father of mercies, when I stop to think about the worries and troubles that Mary and Joseph faced before the first Christmas, I realize that my own problems are not so bad. Help me to trust in you as the Blessed Mother and Joseph did. Give me a measure of their courage and their strength. Amen.
Great Insights to Brighten Your Day
