Explain the Epiphany

[Jocelyn]

I am almost ashamed to ask this question having been a Catholic all my life.

A girlfriend of mine said that her parish was having an Epiphany(I hope I am spelling it right) party for the kids. She asked me what the Epiphany was, since I know more about Catholicism than she. I couldn’t answer her. All I know is that we have a mass celebrating it after Christmas and usually the manger scene is set up in the middle of the church.

I told her I would research it and get back to her.

Thanks for any replys!

 

[Toni]

It is the day we celebrate when the wise men brought gifts of gold frankincense and myrh to the Baby Jesus. Gold because he is God, frankincense I am drawing a blank on and taught the lesson yesterday, myrh because he would suffer. The three gifts are still used in the church today. Gold most tabernacles, chalices, ciboriums, and patens. Frankincense used during Benediction some parishes use it for every Mass. Myrh is an oil used when we are baptized, confirmed and receive the sacrament of the sick.

Sometimes this is also called Little Christmas.

A great Christmas tradition is to have your children dress up like the three Kings and each person makes a box and writes something special they will do for Jesus and brings it to the kings.

My sister and some orders write above their doors 2+C+0+B+0+M+6 I think thats how it goes it stands for the year and the initials of each King.

Hope this helps.
Heres a few links if needed.
newadvent.org/cathen/05504c.htm
americancatholic.org/Features/Christmas/christmas.asp
cresourcei.org/cyepiph.html

 

[plato3]

Each of us are called to an Epiphany. This involves the manifestation of Christ by us in our everyday life.

God bless,
Deacon Tony SFO

 

[Psalm45_9]

Today is Epiphany in the Universal Church (Jan. 6th) However in this country, due to the fact that Epiphany is a Holy Day of Obligation along with Christmas and New Year’s Day, the Bishops here have moved it the 2nd Sunday after Christmas. This year Epiphany will be observed on Sunday January 8th.

 

[AJV]

One of the customs for Epiphany is the blessing of chalk to write the name of the wiseman on the door post. This can take the form given above (their are variants) The initals stand for Casper (Gasper/Kasper), Melchoir, and Balthasar, hence the K+M+B/ C+M+B/G+M+B. Holy water is also blessed and given to parishioners to take home and bless their homes with. (In my home parish, the priests visit each house and bless it) In the Old rite gold, incense and myrrh were also blessed- I don’t know whether this is done in the New rite also whether it is simply offered during the Offertory.

The blessings in the older rite(1964) can be found here

You may find the current blessing in the Book of Blessings if you live in the US- our priests do the blessings in Latin since no such book has been authorised for us in English.

Plus, on Epiphany, if you attend a church on the higher end of the liturgical scale the proclamation of the date of Easter may also take place.