Conception Abbey

Yes, we have celebrated the Solemnity of Christmas with great rejoicing, singing of carols, exchanging gifts and praising God—and possibly eating more than we should. Was it a happy and blessed celebration for you, for me, for all of us? We pray it was and that the joy of the feast will be with us throughout the New Year.

The next big feast before the Christmas season ends will be the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Formerly in the U.S.A., and still in many places in the world, the feast is celebrated on its traditional date of January 6. However, the bishops of the United States decided some years ago to transfer the feast to the following Sunday so more people would be able to participate and celebrate this important feast. So this year the Epiphany is celebrated on January 8.

Epiphany is actually one of the oldest Christmas feasts. It was celebrated since the end of the second century and even before the Christmas feast was established. It is commonly known as the 12th night or 12th day. The word Epiphany means "manifestation" or "showing forth."

This feast commemorates the first occasions on which Jesus’ divinity was manifested. The antiphon for evening prayer or vespers for this feast summarizes what we are celebrating. I quote:

Three mysteries mark this holy day: today the star leads the Magi to the infant Christ; today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation. (Roman breviary 2nd vespers of Epiphany)

In the first mystery the Magi who come from a foreign country and are not Jews, come to visit the child Jesus, showing us that Jesus came for all people, not just the Jews. The second mystery shows us that Jesus is more than a mere man since he turned water into wine, he is God and man. The third mystery at the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, when Jesus came up out of the water and the Spirit, like a dove, descended upon him. And a voice came from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Normally the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after Epiphany, but this year, since Christmas occurred on a Sunday, the feast of the Baptism is celebrated on Monday, the day after the Epiphany, January 9. That will conclude the Christmas season.