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The Christmas Season
We are still celebrating!!
Is your tree already put away?
Are the ornaments carefully boxed and stored?
Is your nativity set in the closet? Are your outside lights wound up and put
away? OR are you still celebrating the birth of
Jesus? Our Church is!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Feasts of the Christmas Season
In today’s church calendar, there are always three Sundays after Christmas that have their own special feasts:
1st Sunday: Feast of the Holy Family (who are they?)
2nd Sunday: Epiphany (what is this?)
3rd Sunday: Baptism of Jesus
Then we begin Ordinary Time again
Here are some other feast days of the Christmas season:
Saint Stephen (Dec. 26) (You do remember him?)
Feast of St. John the Apostle Feast of the Holy Innocents (who
are they?) ( Dec. 28) January 1: Solemnity of Mary January 4: Elizabeth Ann Seton January 5: Saint John Neumann January 6: Feast of the Epiphany
(WHAT? But that was last Sunday????)
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Originally, Christmas was celebrated for 12 days and the Christmas season always ended on January 6, which is the feast of the Epiphany
This is confusing!!! If you want to know about what the Church
celebrates when, you can always use a liturgical calendar. (Who remembers when the church year begins?)
Liturgical Calendar
Feast of the Ephiphany
Also called: Adoration of the Magi Feast of the Three
Kings/Wise Men/Astrologers Little Christmas We can read this story in
Matthew’s gospel Matthew 2: 1-12 (Read it
NOW)
But what is an epiphany?
An epiphany is a manifestation or a showing of something.
What was Matthew trying to show when he wrote this story?
To understand that, it is helpful to know
Who was Matthew’s audience?
JEWISH CHRISTIANS
Matthew was writing for newly converted Jews (commonly called Jesus Jews or Jewish Christians)
He was telling them that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.
BUT the three kings were “from the east” They were not Jews…they were Gentiles. SO WHAT? IS THAT IMPORTANT? YES!!!!
Jesus came for ALL people and not just the Jews
This is what is being manifest or shown in the story
Astrologers
People who try to draw conclusions by studying the stars
Rising of a new star in ancient times meant a new king was born
It also meant an official visit by a royal person to his realm…it was a public showing
Interesting things about this feast fromCatholic tradition
The kings symbolize ALL people.
The kings had names and the gifts were symbolic
Melchior
Was old and white haired
Brought the GOLD Gold is symbolic of
kingship Jesus deserves gold
because he is a king
Casper
Young (or younger) Brought the
frankincense Represents divinity
because when it is burned in prayer offerings, the smoke goes up to God
Balthazar
Traditionally this king is dark skinned
He brought the myrrh Myrrh was used to
anoint dead bodies to keep them from smelling
This gift symbolizes Jesus’ humanity
So…think about your nativity set: also called a creche
Is yours in keeping with tradition?
Are your three kings correctly depicted?
Good thing the kings did not feel like this! Jesus came for all of us…we are therefore already “involved.”