Vol. 2, No. 1
January 2015
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THE WORD
M y M ry U
r of K s
ss you
y nd
fore r! A n
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LITURGY
Epiphany originally celebrated four different
events, in the following order of importance:
the Baptism of the Lord; Christ's first miracle,
The Solemnity of Mary,
the changing of water into wine at the wedding
Mother of God – January 1
in Cana; the Nativity of Christ; and the
visitation of the Wise Men or Magi. Each of
The feast is a celebration of Mary’s
these is a revelation of God to man: At Christ's
motherhood of Jesus. The title “Mother of
Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends and the
God” is a western derivation from the Greek
voice of God the Father is heard, declaring that
Theotokos, which means “God-bearer”. On
Jesus is His Son; at the wedding in Cana, the
this day, we are reminded of the role that the miracle reveals Christ's divinity; at the Nativity,
Blessed Virgin played in the plan of our
the angels bear witness to Christ, and the
salvation. Through the Holy Spirit, God the
shepherds, representing the people of Israel,
Father prepared Mary to be the dwelling place bow down before Him; and at the visitation of
where His Son and His Spirit could dwell
the Magi, Christ's divinity is revealed to the
among men. Christ’s birth was made possible Gentiles—the other nations of the earth.
by Mary’s fiat, or sanctioning of God’s plan with
her words, “Be it done to me according to thy The Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the
word”. Calling Mary “Mother of God” is the
Sunday after January 6, and the wedding at
highest honor we can give to her. Just as
Cana is commemorated on the Sunday after
Christmas honors Jesus as the “Prince of
the Baptism of the Lord.
Peace”, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God By Scott P. Richert
honors Mary as the “Queen of Peace”. New
Year’s Day is also designated as the “World
Day of Peace”, further acknowledging the role
of Mary in our hearts and in our world.
Excerpted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
The Epiphany of Our Lord
The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus
Christ is one of the oldest Christian feasts,
though, throughout the centuries, it has
celebrated a variety of things. Epiphany comes
from a Greek verb meaning "to reveal," and all
of the various events celebrated by the Feast
of the Epiphany are revelations of Christ to
man.
Oh Jesus, with joy in my heart and in a
spirit of gratitude, I thank you for your
great blessings in my life. Thank you for
the celebration of your birth. Thank you
for restoring my hope of eternal life with
you. Thank you for all the gifts I have
received from your generous hand.
-from A Eucharistic Christmas
Vol. 2, No. 1
January 2015
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In The
Spotlight
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Jesus Christ
One Solitary Life
(the original version by Dr. James Allan Francis)
A child is born in an obscure village. He is brought up in another obscure village. He works
in a carpenter shop until he is thirty, and then for three brief years is an itinerant preacher,
proclaiming a message and living a life. He never writes a book. He never holds an office.
He never raises an army. He never has a family of his own. He never owns a home. He
never goes to college. He never travels two hundred miles from the place where he was
born. He gathers a little group of friends about him and teaches them his way of life. While
still a young man, the tide of popular feeling turns against him. One denies him; another
betrays him. He is turned over to his enemies. He goes through the mockery of a trial; he is
nailed to a cross between two thieves, and when dead is laid in a borrowed grave by the
kindness of a friend.
Those are the facts of his human life. He rises from the dead. Today we look back across
nineteen hundred years and ask, “What kind of trail has he left across the centuries”? When
we try to sum up his influence, all the armies that ever marched, all the parliaments that
ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned are absolutely picayune in their influence on
mankind compared with that of this one solitary life…
Ministry Morsel
God is with me, but more,
God is within me, giving me existence.
Let me dwell for a moment on God's
life-giving presence in my body, my mind,
my heart and in the whole of my life.
Ministry of Consolation Debriefing for
Commissioned Ministers id Saturday,
January 17 @ 9 a.m. @ Christ the King, Dallas.
Wishing everyone a
year filled with
God’s grace and
protection as you go
where HIS will leads
You!