January 6, 2012

Epiphany

In our house, Epiphany is one of our favorite feast days!  How can one not admire and be inspired by the effort, expense, humility, and determination of three powerful pagans kneeling in worship before a heretofore unknown Infant King?

To remind us of this, our family takes the front of the first Christmas card we receive bearing an image of The Three Kings, or the Magi, and we tape it to the inside of our front door at eye level.  The card, thereby, reminds us throughout the year to welcome whomever appears outside our door as we would welcome The Three Kings.

(Unless it's Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses -- they get the extra bonus of receiving tracts on the Real Presence of the Eucharist!  ....you know, now that I think of it, they haven't come by in a while....)

A beautiful children's storybook retelling the Italian tradition of La Befana (the Christmas Witch) is Tomie DePaola's The Legend of Old Befana, which recounts one old woman's never-ending search for the Infant King.

Some parishes also distribute a printed prayer and sticks of chalk, to inscribe above one's front door specific marks invoking the patronage and blessing of The Three Kings throughout the coming year.  Here is a nice summary of these blessings:



May the blessings of Epiphany reveal Jesus's real presence in your own life, "for God so loved the world [that includes you] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him [hey, you again!] shall not perish, but have eternal life [you!  with God!  for all eternity!  in heaven!  WOW!]."



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