An Episcopal Priest's Sermons, Prayers, and Reflections on Life, Becoming Human, and Discovering Our Divinity
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…
Read More Epiphany Proclamation of Easter 2016
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…
Read More The Proclamation of the Birth of Christ
Forty days after Christmas the infant Jesus was presented in the temple of Jerusalem and placed in the arms of the old man Simeon (Luke 2:22-40) who declared: Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace…
Read More Blessing Candles on the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas)
The Book of Occasional Services, one of the liturgical books in the Episcopal Church, offers several blessings specific to seasons and feast days. It does not, however, offer a blessing specific to the Feast of the Presentation, a major feast…
Read More A Blessing Specific to the Feast of the Presentation
Last evening, May 1, our parish celebrated its feast day, the Feast of St. Philip. The evening included Holy Eucharist and a dedication and blessing of the newly completed labyrinth and prayer garden using the liturgy below. + + +…
Read More Blessing of a Labyrinth
In a previous post I wrote about blessing candles on the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple. But what about a blessing specific to the feast itself? The Book of Occasional Services offers several blessings specific…
Read More A Blessing for the Feast of the Presentation
The Feast of the Presentation, celebrated on February 2, is one of the major feasts in the church year. It is sometimes known as Candlemas or the Feast of the Purification. This feast is celebrated forty days after Christmas and…
Read More A Blessing of Candles for the Feast of the Presentation
The Church has a couple of traditions related to The Feast of the Epiphany. One of those is The Epiphany Proclamation (another being the blessing of homes). During the liturgy on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, the Church…
Read More Epiphany Proclamation 2014
The Church has a custom of blessing homes on the Feast of the Epiphany 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…
Read More Epiphany House Blessing with Chalk
You are God: we praise you; You are the Lord; we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy,…
Read More You are God, Te Deum Laudamus
Interrupting the Silence 