The Church has a couple of significant and meaningful traditions related to The Feast of the Epiphany. First, it is a common practice to bless homes on the Feast of the Epiphany and during the following week. One way of doing this is with chalk that has been blessed during the Epiphany Eucharist. Second, the ancient…
The Christmas Proclamation as it is sometimes called comes from the Roman Martyrology. It is usually read on Christmas Eve before the Midnight Mass. The proclamation sets the birth of Jesus in relationship to events of the Old Testament as well as the Greek and Roman worlds. It is a way of dating Jesus’ birth…
O Lord of life, the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens: Our world has once again been shaken by violence, gunfire, and explosions; this time at the Istanbul airport. We are weary because of our groaning. Every night we flood our bed with tears and drench our couch with weeping. Our eyes waste…
The world is mourning the brutal murder of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters in Orlando. How should we respond to such breathtaking violence?
The Church has a custom of blessing homes (as well as proclaiming the date of Easter) on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) and the week following. Family and friends gather to ask God’s blessing on their homes and those who live in or visit the home. It is an invitation for Jesus to…
The Church has a couple of important and meaningful traditions related to The Feast of the Epiphany. First, it is a common practice to bless homes on the Feast of Epiphany and during the following week. One way of doing this is with chalk that has been blessed during the Epiphany Eucharist. Second, the ancient…
Most years our Christmas liturgy at St. Philip’s begins with the processional hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful. Along the way the procession stops at the creche to place Jesus in the manger and offer prayers. This year we will first hear The Proclamation of the Birth of Christ and then begin the processional hymn. The…
