Happy Epiphany Day! (January 6) & Preparing for What's Next

This stretch of the church calendar journey (post Epiphany to Lent) often gets unnoticed, but it is a time in which we can grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Here are some key aspects of this liturgical stretch we are about to enter:

• Epiphany is a day and not a season (Jan. 6) even though we celebrated it this past Sunday because of the closest Sunday.
• Baptism of the Lord Sunday (this Sunday, Jan. 10) is the celebration of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry as marked by his baptism. It's also a time to reflect on the meaning of baptism and to give an opportunity for people to renew their baptismal vows.
• Following this Sunday (Baptism of the Lord) we enter into a new season called "Ordinary Time" which will take us all the way to February 7 (the Sunday prior to "Transfiguration Sunday.")
• There are two "Ordinary Time" seasons on the church calendar, this one and the one that begins around June and goes through the End of November. Ordinary Time literally means "ordinal" or "counted time." Far from being "ordinary," this season of the church year is a time for us to reflect on Jesus' teachings and to go through a steady growth in our faith. Green is the color associated with Ordinary Time since this is a season of growth.
• Ordinary Time is another reason why I appreciate how the liturgical calendar can help us find a rhythm of growth in our faith. Think about it. In addition to the big celebration "feast days/seasons" like Christmas, Easter, etc., that are filled with great joy, we also have times of steady growth (Ordinary Time,) and times of contemplation/confession (Advent & Lent.) In other words, the church season gives us the permission to experience our faith from a variety of human emotions and experiences and connects this all with our relationship with God. How much more relevant can the scriptures and the liturgical calendar be?

Collect of the Day: The Epiphany

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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