Epiphany Feast:Who has been a spiritual gift in your life? How was their gift to you manifested?What gifts do you give Jesus on the Epiphany? What are you asking of Him?
R: Happy feast day!
CA: Happy Epiphany!
CA: Happy Feast day to you too! Did you make a King cake?
Jan 6 2013, 7:35 PM
Sister : We had a Queen’s
__R: I made a pancake, does that count?
Sister : We now have an Epiphany Queen in our community!
Ca: yes, but only if you hid the coin inside.
__R I don’t know anything about that?
Sister : We use beans
Ca: It does make more sense to have an Epiphany queen
__R: remember, I wasn’t raised Catholic
Sister : It is a European custom and all monastics seem to follow it
__R: beans in a cake?
Sister : In our case, we skip the cake and put the beans in a bag in a boot!
Ca: The bean was hidden in the cake dough and backed
Sister : Sr A Mpicked it so she is Queen for the Year!
Ca: the person who finds the bean/coin is king or queen of epiphany
__R: well, that explains why the Carmelites were VERY rushed after Vespers today.. they maybe were having a cake after renewing their Vows
Sister : So do you have an Epiphany gift story to tell? I can say that we had a wonderful First Fri that seems like a deep gift from God
Ca: What happened?
Sister : THe Sacred Heart Apostolate was initiated in our Chapel Fri and the priest said a beautiful thing- that the Visitation is a tabernacle of the Lord’s Sacred Heart
Ca: That is beautiful–and it’s very true
__R For the last two years our First Friday has started at 5pm (it goes till 2am Sat)
Sister : They are using our stained glass window for the enthronement picture throughout Brooklyn so each family will be spiritually connected to us when they enthrone Jesus in the home
Ca: what a wonderful idea
Sister : Don’t you think that’s an Epiphany gift
__R: I always have to try to leave early for First Friday from work (but sometimes it’s hard and I end up late)
__R: yes, I think that’s wonderful Sister
Ca: Our Fr Henry said in his sermon today that we are all like the magi…we sometimes lose track of our star and have to stop and ask for directions
Sister : That is a great statement!
Ca: see how Jesus rearranges things for His children!
Sister : Yes- and you are so right- people are so unaware of this Feast
Sister : You made someone more aware- I hope!
Ca: I mentioned it to two Christian friends who are not Catholic and all I got were blank stares
__R: my oldest daughter came over tonight (shes protestant) and didn’t know about the Feast either, so I told her.
Sister : Christmas is incomplete without Epiphany- so said the priest this morning and it is the original Feast before the 25th of Dec was chosen, so he said
Ca: I believe him. And Fr Henry said the Christmas season doesn’t officially end until next Sunday
Sister : That’s right- it does not end until the Baptism of the Lord- which is another Epiphany so to speak, a manifestation of His Divinity
__R: I still have my tree up.. and Baby Jesus under it
Ca: Me too!
Sister : Good- keep it until next Sun if you can
Ca: And my nativity sets are still all over the place
Sr Ma: So, what are we bringing the Christ Child, with the Three Magi?
Today is the “real” Christmas for the Italians.
Ca: I’m bringing the Christ Child, ne!
Rob: My heart is my gift to the Christ Child!
Ca: you know, I mistyped, I’m giving Jesus me this year
SR Ma: Good idea
Ca: I asked Him to wrap me up in His love and lay me in His manger
Sr Ma: Does that mean more prayer, more service, entering consecrated life or what?
I loved the way one of our alums gave herself after Hurricane Katrina – simply went down to New Orleans and started building houses for the homeless.
Or how about doing something helpful or thoughtful for someone you find really disagreeable…I like that challenge!
Rob: In many cases that would be quite a sacrifice
Sr Ma: I don’t do it well.
But I like trying to do it.
Rob: most of us find that difficult. we r human and have pride…
Sr Ma: I like knowing that I can lean on Him and trust Him to take my desire to give myself more and show me how to do that.
Jan 6 2013, 8:23 PM
Sister : I like when He pokes me, so to speak and keeps me alert to doing the right thing or reminding me when I missed the mark
Ca: Yes, He pokes me a lot
i think all people find it hard
Sr Ma: Or giving yourself more by setting out to study the Catechism of the Catholic Church during this Year of Faith.
Jan 6 2013, 8:21 PM
Sister : I think we only truly succeed with this when Jesus truly does it within us and you know it wasn’t “you” but HIM
Sr Ma: So right! We can’t do anything without Him: He made that clear.
Jan 6 2013, 8:22 PM
Rob: we should always continue to learn our Faith. The more we know, the more we learn , the more we love Jesus
Know, Love, and Serve….as we all learned as children
Sister : But Rob was so right- He really mostly wants our hearts
Rob: It is often like a Bolt out of the Blue…when HE does poke us
Yes, He indeed wants our hearts
Sr Ma: He pokes me with His cross. As SFdS says in one of his letters: “Accept this cross a thoughsand time a day and kiss it willingly for the love of Him who sends it to you.”
Oops, thousand times a day
Ca: sometimes I overburden myself thinking my cross is one great big one
that i have to drag around everywhere forever
Rob: meanwhile they are just many small ones
Sister : But they are gifts if we learn to see them that way as Blessed Theresa said, Jesus is hugging you
We’re feeling His cross and thorns
Sr Ma: SFdS again: “Accept your little torments in union with the great pain He suffered on the cross.”
Rob: a small sacrifice compared to what He did for us
Jan 6 2013, 8:29 PM
Sister : Even the Magi had a cross- that big journey- then having to avoid Herod
Ca: I like that thought!
Rob: Yes, that is what our Pastor said today. There was no El Al… they traveled 3 to 12 months following the Star
on camels without modern conviences
Sr Ma: And not even knowing for sure where they were going or who they were going to find!
Rob: exactly, talk about walking by faith not by sight
Sr Ma: Just by the Star, whom our priest this morning identified as Christ Himself
Sister : We quoted our individual priests tonight in at least 4 statements. Each one of those priests was an Epiphany gift to us!
Jan 6 2013, 8:33 PM
Sr Ma: I always held my husband’s hand, and now, after his death, he slipped my hand into Our Lord’s. I like that image.
And it’s not clear just how well the Magi knew one another. How did they get along on the journey?
Rob They certainly are Epiphany gifts! We pray daily for priests ,many HolyPriests and religious vocations in our Rosary
Sister : That is so beautiful it would make a hymn- it is a very touching image and reality, Sister
Rob: Sr. that is a beautiful image
Sr Ma: There’s already a hymn/folk song: “Put your hand in the hand of the one…” – something like that. Can you find the rest online?
Ca: Fr Henry this morning also said that they lost sight of the star about the time they got to Jerusalem…and that is where Herod was
Sr Ma: That Herod was so slick and calculating – the total opposite of Our Lord and his Holy Family.
Ca: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxh_EDrL_uE
Put Your Hand In The Hand with Lyrics – YouTube
Sr Ma: Hooray,
Ca: could his evil have hidden the light
Sr Ma: Yes, the first reading at Mass this morning talked about the thick clouds over man, hiding the light.
Ca: i couldn’t help but picture myself sidling closer and closer to the light, slipping into Jerusalem
Sr Ma: So many manger scenes show the only light/Light coming from the stable.
In His light we see light!
Rob: Yes
Sr Ma: Not a blinding light, but a guiding, consoling light, like the one the Magi followed
Rob: Yes
often times His light is referred to like the light from a Light House…out in the dark of night leading to safety
of shore
Sr Ma: Like our night lights that quiet us when we awaken in the dark
His light shows us where He is, so we can sidle up to Him,
Ca: and He lets us get very close
Rob: so close that we can give Him our hearts!
Sister : And in eternity we enter the fullness of His light!
Jan 6 2013, 8:45 PM
Rob: Amen
Sr Ma: Just like Joseph, He’ll reassure us and show us what He wants us to do.
Sister : Yes! Let’s hold on to that!
Sr Ma: May the Magi inspire us to always follow the LIGHT!
Those who walked in darkness have seen a great LIGHT!
Ca: We have all seen that Light, and nothing can dim it for us
Jan 6 2013, 8:49 PM
Sister : Let’s shine it for others
Rob: I will be taking my flash light out to shine on the snow to do night chores! God bless until next week.
Ca: You too, Sisters. You are always such a blessing for me!
Pat the horsies for me please!
Sister: We have been called together
Jan 6 2013, 8:50 PM
Sr Ma: Yes, like St. Francis, let’s all be channels of LIGHT! G’night! Wishing you light-filled dreams!