Celebrating the Epiphany

The Adoration of the Magi
Juan Reixach
c.1411-1485+

I am observing the Epiphany today - on its proper day, along with the Pope in the Vatican and the overwhelming historic majority of Catholics through the centuries.

Everyone I talk to thinks we should keep the feast today - not move it to the nearest Sunday, or, strictly speaking, I know, move the obligation to that day. Before there were evening Masses, and if it was not a holiday, I could imagine a case for moving the celebration, but not now. It encourages people not to put themselves out to go to church - and we should be putting ourselves out to worship the Lord. The Magi are a rebuke to such laziness - they bothered a lot more than the Episcopal Conference appears to think the average Catholic can be bothered to do. And, if the Bishops are right about such apathy, rather than pandering to it, what are they going to do to change it? We must maintain pressure to reinstate the proper observance of Epiphany, Ascension Day and Corpus Christi on their traditional days.

So I said the Office of Epiphany last night and this morning, attended Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Oratory at lunchtime, and will be present at a second such celebration at SS Gregory and Augustine later on, and I am wishing people a happy Epiphany for today.

Theabove passage is a re-posting of what I wrote last year as I still hold to the views I expressed then. I would add that the homily at the Mass celebrated at the Oratory stressed the point of the Epiphany is the adoration by the Magi, not their gifts. If the Epiphany is indeed about adoration, and we adore that which we hold to be paramount, then I think it right to say that we should be , and should be expected to be, willing to put ourselves out just a little to offer that adoration to the Incarnate Godhead.

Friday abstinence

The restoration by the Bishops of Friday abstinence from meat, which comes into force today, is a welcome return to traditional practice. It will make no real difference to me, as I have consistently observed this custom for upwards of thirty years both as an Anglican and as a Catholic, and made a point of eating meat on those Solemnities which do fall on Fridays to emphasise the point to myself. I think that many of my friends have done the same. Anyway I really like fish, though of course eating it on Fridays is not obligatory for those who do not, which is the sort of silly claim a few have tried to make.

Now that the Bishops have undone the wrong signal sent out in 1984 in this respect let us hope and, indeed, pray that the rumours we hear of them requesting the restoration of the transferred Days of Obligation to their proper days will also come to pass.

Hail the day that sees Him rise

Today is Ascension Day.

That is to say that I have said the Office for the Ascension of Our Lord and I went to the well attended Extrordinary Form Mass at the Oratory at lunchtime. I shall keep this coming Sunday as the Sunday within the Octave, or if you, prefer, Sunday in Ascensiontide.

The Ascension
Giotto 1266-1337
Capella de Scrovegni, Padua

I accept and respect the right of the Hierarchy to have petitioned for the transfer of the three days of obligation to the Sunday nearest or following, but I prefer to keep all three feasts on their proper day. That shows fidelity to past generations of Christians, and the fidelity that says one does not keep religion for weekends only

There are strong rumours that the Bishops are thinking about returning to the historic days for Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi, and this would be welcome indeed. It is something we can pray and hope for, as well as encourage by appropriate lobbying.

Here in Oxford the traditional practice of beating the bounds was being observed this morning, and moving our observance of the feast is distinctly un-ecumenical and confusing.

Let us hope that we are all celebrating this wonderful feast on its proper day, 40 days after Easter, in 2012.

Celebrating the Epiphany

The Adoration of the Magi
Juan Reixach
c.1411-1485+

I am observing the Epiphany today - on its proper day, along with the Pope in the Vatican and the overwhelming historic majority of Catholics through the centuries. Everyone I talk to thinks we should keep the feast today - not move it to the nearest Sunday, or, strictly speaking, I know, move the obligation to that day. Before there were evening Masses, and if it was not a holiday, I could imagine a case for moving the celebration, but not now. It encourages people not to put themselves out to go to church - and we should be putting ourselves out to worship the Lord. The Magi are a rebuke to such laziness - they bothered a lot more than the Episcopal Conference appears to think the average Catholic can be bothered to do. And, if the Bishops are right about such apathy, rather than pandering to it, what are they going to do to change it? We must maintain pressure to reinstate the proper observance of Epiphany, Ascension Day and Corpus Christi on their traditional days.

So I said the Office of Epiphany last night and this morning, attended Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Oratory at lunchtime, and will be present at a second such celebration at SS Gregory and Augustine later on, and I am wishing people a happy Epiphany for today.