Which of these 8
traditions does your family observe?
8
Wonderful International Ways to Celebrate the Epiphany
Most Americans have their own Epiphany tradition of throwing
out the Christmas Tree and putting away the Christmas decorations.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Marco Polo & the Magi
In his ‘Book of the Marvels of the World’
(1298) Marco Polo claims to have seen the tombs of the Three Kings in Savah
(Persia): “three tombs, very beautiful and very large … The three bodies are
still complete with hair and beard”.
In the West, a legend narrates that their
relics had been purchased by Queen Helen and deposed in a church of
Constantinople.
When the Muslims attacked and conquered
Constantinople (modern Istanbul in Turkey), the relics were taken out of the
city for safe keeping.
Bishop Eustorgius of Milan obtained them for
his city in 344. They were kept in the basilica of Sant’Eustorgio, until
emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, having conquered Milan, had the prestigious
relics transferred to Cologne in 1162.
The impressive gothic cathedral in Cologne
still keeps the monumental reliquary completed around 1230 in the workshop of
Nicholas of Verdun.
In 1904 a few relics were sent back to Milan.
What is the Epiphany?
|
Also known as Feast of the Epiphany,
Three Kings Day, or Theophany, this Feast is a great and very
important Feast in memory of Jesus showing His glory in 3 ways: as an infant
to the Magi, at His baptism, and at His first miracle at the wedding in Cana.
So important is this Feast, that it is a Holy Day of Obligation in many parts
of the Catholic world, though not presently in the United States. The symbols
of the day are the same as those mentioned on the page describing Twelfthnight.
On the morning of the Feast of the Epiphany, children in some households will wake to see what gifts had been left by the Magi (or La Befana) during the night. At today's Mass, there will be a blessing of gold, frankincense, myrrh, Epiphany Water, and, after Communion, a blessing of chalk. Bring small special items of gold to have with you during the Mass, and they will be blessed if they are exposed as you sit in your pew with them (wedding rings, rosaries, an heirloom piece of gold jewelry, for example). When Mass is over, you will take some of the blessed chalk, frankincense, myrrh, and Epiphany Water home with you, so it's good to bring a container to transport Holy Water and one to put some grains of incense and a piece of chalk into. (Note: if you can, take and keep 5 pieces of blessed incense for your Paschal Candle this Easter), When you get home, sprinkle some Epiphany water (otherwise and afterwards used as regular Holy Water) in the rooms of your house to protect it and bring blessings. This Holy Water recalls the waters of the Jordan, and is a visible reminder of Christ's Divinity, of Jesus's revealing Himself as God at His Baptism, when were heard the words from the Father: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." |
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Forgotten Customs - 12th Night
Things
to do tonight:
Move the 3 Magi next to your nativity set to show they have arrived
in Bethlehem.
Set up golden candlesticks by your manger scene.
Drink Lamb’s Wool.
Wear a paper crown at dinner tonight and play jokes on each other.
Read the poem "Twelfth
Night: Or King and Queen" by the English poet, Robert Herrick (A.D.
1591-1674)
Read from Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night.”
Read “The Journey of the Magi” by T. S. Eliot
Sing “We Three Kings of Orient Are”
Sing “I Saw Three Ships”
January 5 -
This is the 12th Day of the Christmas season. January 6
used to be celebrated as Epiphany, but it is now celebrated on the second
Sunday after Christmas.
The Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany is the twelfth day of Christmas, and tonight is known as "Twelfth Night" (or "Twelfthnight"). It begins the celebration of Christ's revealing His Divinity in three ways, which is formally celebrated tomorrow:
The Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany is the twelfth day of Christmas, and tonight is known as "Twelfth Night" (or "Twelfthnight"). It begins the celebration of Christ's revealing His Divinity in three ways, which is formally celebrated tomorrow:
- to the Magi
who, guided by the great and mysterious Star of Bethlehem, came to visit
Him when He was a Baby (Matthew 2:1-19)
- through His
Baptism by St. John, when "the Spirit of God descending as a
dove" came upon Him and there was heard a voice from Heaven saying,
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3,
Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1), and all Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity
were manifest (Note: the Baptism of Our Lord is also commemorated on the
13th of January)
- through His
first public miracle -- that of the wedding at Cana when Our Lord turned
water into wine at the request of His Mother (John 2). Just as God's first
miracle before the Egyptian pharaoh, through Moses, was turning the waters
of the Nile into blood, Our Lord's first miracle was turning water into
wine.
In many
Catholic homes (especially Italian ones), it's not Christmas Day that is for
giving presents to children, but the Feast of Epiphany, when the gifts are
given in a way related to the Magi. So today will have a "feel" of
Christmas Eve, and because of the Epiphany's association with the Magis'
gift-giving, tomorrow is often referred 
to colloquially as the "Little
Christmas."
It is today that the Three Kings should reach the creche (heretofore, they should be kept away from it) and that Baby Jesus should be adorned with signs of royalty, such as a crown, ermine, and gold or purple cloth. Set up golden candlesticks around the manger where He lies.
Along with the crowns, scepters, gold, and royal purple, peacocks are also a symbol for the day. They are more generally a symbol of immortality (and therefore a good symbol for Easter, too), but also a symbol of royalty and of the glory revealed by Christ today. The most profound symbols of all, though, are light as a symbol of theophany; wine in memory of the miracle at the wedding in Cana; water and the dove in memory of Christ's Baptism by St. John; the Three Kings, their gifts, and the Star of Bethlehem.
to colloquially as the "Little
Christmas." It is today that the Three Kings should reach the creche (heretofore, they should be kept away from it) and that Baby Jesus should be adorned with signs of royalty, such as a crown, ermine, and gold or purple cloth. Set up golden candlesticks around the manger where He lies.
Along with the crowns, scepters, gold, and royal purple, peacocks are also a symbol for the day. They are more generally a symbol of immortality (and therefore a good symbol for Easter, too), but also a symbol of royalty and of the glory revealed by Christ today. The most profound symbols of all, though, are light as a symbol of theophany; wine in memory of the miracle at the wedding in Cana; water and the dove in memory of Christ's Baptism by St. John; the Three Kings, their gifts, and the Star of Bethlehem.
After a nice candlelight feast (try adding some myrrh or
frankincense fragrance oil to your candles tonight!), there is the tradition of
drinking a medieval wassail called "Lamb's Wool," which is said to
take its name from "La Mas Ubhal," which means "the day of the
apple fruit" (and was pronounced like "lamasool").
"Three Kings Cake" is eaten in honor of the three kings,
one slice being set aside "for God." Recipes for the latter vary from
country to country, but they almost always include a trinket or dried bean
hidden inside. The person who gets the slice with the trinket or dried bean is
the King or Queen of the Day and gets to choose a consort (this is the French
method). An old English way of doing this is to bake two cakes, one for the men
baked with a bean for the King, the other for the women, with a dried pea for
the Queen. Yet a third option is to make a cupcake-sized cake for each person,
with a pea in one and a bean in one, keeping the two separate so you'll know
from which batch to serve the men and the women.
The King and Queen, once chosen, are honored, obeyed, treated and addressed as royalty. When they drink, all cry out "The King (or Queen) drinks!" and take a sip of their own beverages. Some hide a clove in the cake, too, and whoever receives the piece containing it is the Fool (if you have a man's cake for choosing the King, and a woman's cake for choosing the Queen, you could have a clove in each to choose a Fool of each sex). Why not go all out and provide the "monarchs" with golden crowns and scepters -- and any "fools" with silly, fool-ish hats?
The King and Queen, once chosen, are honored, obeyed, treated and addressed as royalty. When they drink, all cry out "The King (or Queen) drinks!" and take a sip of their own beverages. Some hide a clove in the cake, too, and whoever receives the piece containing it is the Fool (if you have a man's cake for choosing the King, and a woman's cake for choosing the Queen, you could have a clove in each to choose a Fool of each sex). Why not go all out and provide the "monarchs" with golden crowns and scepters -- and any "fools" with silly, fool-ish hats?
Monday, January 4, 2016
2016 Resolution: Read Catholic Men's Websites
Roman Catholic
Man: http://www.romancatholicman.com
The Catholic
Gentleman: http://www.catholicgentleman.net
Whiskey Catholic:
http://www.whiskeycatholic.com
Father Z’s
Blog: http://wdtprs.com/blog/
Man With Black
Hat: http://manwithblackhat.blogspot.com
Catholicism
Pure and Simple: https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com
Militia
Immaculata: http://missionimmaculata.com/index.php
Church
Militant: http://www.churchmilitant.com
Pew
Sitter: http://www.pewsitter.com/page_1.html
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Got Chalk?
Remember,
this is the day to use blessed chalk to write “20 + C +M + B + 16” over your
front door.
I remember
seeing a lot of this in Austria.
Here’s why
and how . . .
Description:
This ceremony of the blessing of the home and inscription
of the initials of the three Magi above each door can be performed either by a
priest or the father of the family. This is from the book The Twelve
Days of Christmas by Elsa Chaney.
The feast of manifestation, or Epiphany, is traditionally
celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, January 6th. In the dioceses of the
United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday between January 2 and
January 8.
Prayer:
On entering the home,
Leader (Priest, if present, or father of the
family) : Peace be to this house.
All: And to all who dwell herein.
All: And to all who dwell herein.
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to
adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold
for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His
burial.
All Pray: The Magnificat. During the
Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with holy water and incensed. After this is
completed,
All: From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to
adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold
for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His
burial.
Leader: Our Father. . .
And lead us not into temptation
And lead us not into temptation
All: But deliver us from evil.
Leader: All they from Saba shall come
All: Bringing gold and frankincense.
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: All they from Saba shall come
All: Bringing gold and frankincense.
Leader: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come to You.
Leader: Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance
of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles,
mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of
Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Leader: Be enlightened, be enlightened, O
Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
thee—Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.
All: And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light
and kings in the splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen
upon thee.
Leader: Let us pray.
Bless, + O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.
Bless, + O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
After the prayers of the blessing are recited, each room
of the home is sprinkled with Epiphany water and incensed. The initials of the
Magi are inscribed upon the doors with the blessed chalk. (The initials, C, M,
B, can also be interpreted as the Latin phrase "Christus mansionem
benedicat" which means "Christ bless this house".)
Example: 20 + C + M + B + 14
The custom in Germany is that of the
childrens' festival between January 1-6 (Three Kings Day). After a service at
the churches the children go from house to house to gather offerings for poor
children in poor countries. They are dressed as the three kings and carry
sticks with stars on the top. At the homes they sing songs and recite messages
of Christmas. At each house they paint the letters "20+C+M+B+14"
which are for the Latin Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Christ
bless this house). At the same time the letters are the first letters of the
names of the wise men: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. — Christmas
Stories from German
Culture.
Prayer Source: Twelve Days of Christmas, The by
Elsa Chaney, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 1955 - See more at: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=49#sthash.1eASZk9b.dpuf
Whatever became of the Holy Name Society?
Devotion to the Holy Name falls loosely
into three periods. The first phase is the very early Church and was cultivated
by the Apostles and the early disciples. In this period devotion is to the Name
of Christ, to the Name of Christ Jesus, to the Name of the Lord, and to the
Name of Jesus.
The second phase is found in the early
middle ages. Here devotion to the Holy Name was fixed specifically to the Name
of Jesus. Pope Gregory X (1271 - 1276) and the Council of Lyons in 1274
initiated a call of the Universal Church to this special devotion. Through the
works of Blessed John of Vercelli, the sixth Master General of the Order of St.
Dominic, the Dominicans began preaching on the virtues of the Holy Name and
built special altars where the lay faithful could venerate the Holy Name of
Jesus.
The third phase was brought to life by St.
Bernardine of Siena (1380 - 1444). St. Bernardine made the object of devotion
the Monogram of the Holy Name. St. Bernardine painted a special wooden tablet
with the Monogram of the Name of Jesus surrounded by rays of the sun. St.
Bernardine and his contemporary St. John Capistran popularized this devotion
and made it so widespread that the monogram of the name of Jesus, even today,
stands at the side of the cross as a symbol of Christianity.
The Holy Name Society is spiritually rooted
in the zealous devotions that began in the Dominican Order and flourished
through the work of St. Bernardine and his Franciscan Brothers.
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