Happy New Year! & Happy Epiphany!
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
This Saturday, January 6, is Epiphany! This is the 12th day of Christmastide when we celebrate the Magi’s recognition of the Christ Child in Bethlehem. We have the option to “transfer” this feast day to the next Sunday which is January 7th this year. When we do this, we use the accompanying scriptures for Epiphany. We transfer to Sunday so that more people can be present to celebrate this important day. I hope that you will be present this Sunday as we look at the themes of the Christmas Star and following God’s dream for us.
I also want to wish each of you a very Happy New Year! Each new year offers us the opportunity to leave some of the previous year’s stories behind. I invite you to make a list of the things you want/need to leave behind. Lift them up to God in prayer and then let go of them in a way that is meaningful to you. Then begin to make space for new stories in the coming year. You do not have to carry everything. Remember even Jesus had help carrying his cross to the victory of Calvary!
Consider the gifts you have, nothing is too small, for God multiplies every type of offering for the benefit of the Kingdom. Consider the dreams God offers us, even if they take us home another way than we had initially planned. God wants to surprise us with joy!
So Happy New Year and Happy Epiphany! Let us praise God together every time we gather with the Great Thanksgiving that is Eucharist!
Blessings, Fr. Jon
