Get thee to Church!

Happy Epiphany!

From Father Z, who said it much better than I could:


“Epiphany” comes from the Greek word for a divine “manifestation” or “revelation”. The antiphons for Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours reflect the ancient tradition that Epiphany was thought to be the day not only on which the Magi came to adore the Christ Child, but also the very day Jesus changed water into wine at Cana, and also the day He was baptized in the Jordan by St. John. All three events reveal Jesus as more than a mere man: He is God. There are many “epiphanies” or “theophanies” in Scripture, such as when Moses encountered God in the burning bush (Exodus 3).

The celebration of Epiphany stretches back to the Church’s earliest times. In the Greek East, Epiphany was of far greater importance than Christmas, which was a relative latecomer. In the Latin West, Christmas developed first, Epiphany later. In many countries people exchange presents on Epiphany, in imitation of the Magi bringing their gifts. Epiphany falls on 6 January, the twelfth day after Christmas, as in “On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”, and also the title of Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. In the reformed, post-Conciliar calendar Epiphany is usually transferred to a Sunday so that more people can attend that Mass. I think it is a mistake to transfer important feasts like Epiphany in Christmastide, and Ascension Thursday in Eastertide. These feasts are pegged to the key celebrations of Christmas and Easter for a reason. When we transfer these feasts to Sunday, we diminish the meaning of the entire liturgical year. As our obligations as Catholics are made ever more lax and easier to fulfill, a subtle signal is sent that none of our obligations, practices or teachings are important enough to warrant a sacrifice.