Epiphany

Discussion in 'Feasts, Fasts, and Church Calendar' started by Incense, Jan 5, 2013.

  1. Incense

    Incense Active Member

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    I LOVE this Feast!
    At Church today I heard something that moved me a lot! They prayed:
    The voice of the Lord crieth upon the waters: Come, receive ye all the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of the fear of God, of the manifested Christ.
    And I was thinking wow! I do not know how to put it in words but can you imagine what a life in the Spirit we have? and what understanding and true fear and the most amazing thing, a spirit that will make us know Christ.. I hope I am not making myself appear silly! But it was so so so amazing!!

    I as well found this beautiful prayer for Epiphany for St. Ambrose... (Please feel free to share any prayer for this day or music or anything!)

    Epiphany Hymn of St. Ambrose

    Most High God!
    Thou that enkindlest
    the fires of the shining stars!
    O Jesus!
    Thou that art peace and life and light and truth,

    hear and grant our prayers.
    This present day has been made holy
    by thy mystic baptism,
    whereby thou didst sanctify
    those waters of the Jordan,
    which of old were thrice turned back.

    It is holy by the star shining in the heavens,
    whereby thou didst announce
    thy Virginal Mother's delivery
    and didst, on the same day,
    lead the Magi to adore thee in thy crib.

    It is holy too,
    by thy changing the water
    of the pitchers into wine;
    which the steward of the feast,
    knowing that he had not so filled them,
    drew forth for the guests.

    Glory be to thee, O Lord Jesus,
    that didst appear on this Day!
    And to the Father and to the Holy Spirit,
    for everlasting ages. Amen.
    Hymn of St. Ambrose (338-397), used by the Church in Milan


    Now not so much prayerful, I have to mention that I am so enjoying Epiphany sweets! The Galette des Rois (King's Cake) Oh and I have to mention as well that I won the crown in my family tonight! Hooray!!
    [​IMG]

    And those extremely yummy fried pastry with lots of sugar syrup! I ate only one because more would be deadly hehe!!
    [​IMG]

    What are the traditions where you are for this feast?
     
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  2. Scottish Knight

    Scottish Knight Well-Known Member

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    ooh thanks Incense they look delicious! Happy epiphany day!! My church doesnt celebrate a certain day for this so it will be a normal church service tomorrow so not much to tell you about. Still will be wonderful though :)
     
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  3. Toma

    Toma Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Happy Epiphany!

    We celebrate the MANIFESTATION of God, the infinite eternal Master, as a human being: the center of the COSMOS is incarnate as one of us! Epiphany is the true Christmas!

    The glory of the LORD shines because His promise of Old - to draw the whole creation to Himself in loving mercy - is fulfilled publicly to all the nations of the world!

    My own personal tradition is to religiously listen to Bach's joyful Cantata, Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen - They are all coming forth from Saba [Ethiopia]. He purposefully used horns, oboes, and flutes high up in their tonal registers, to imitate oriental music. Here is the first movement with my favourite aria, English translation in verse:

    1. They shall from out Sheba all be coming, gold and incense bringing, and the Lord's great praise then tell abroad.

    6. Take me for thine own now hence,
    Take my heart as my true present,
    All, yes, all that now I am,
    All I utter, do and ponder,
    Shall, my Savior, be alone
    To thy service offered now.



     
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  4. Symphorian

    Symphorian Well-Known Member

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    Incense, I agree that Epiphany is a lovely feast. Whilst we don't have a tradition like the delicious looking Epiphany sweets I'm hoping that we'll have something nice to eat to go with our after service tea and coffee!. Epiphany is a Principal Feast in the CofE and shall be singing some lovely Epiphany hymns including an ancient one by Prudentius written in the late 4th/early 5th century and translated by Edward Caswall in the 19th:

    Bethlehem, of noblest cities
    none can once with thee compare;
    thou alone the Lord from heaven
    didst for us incarnate bear.

    Fairer than the sun at morning
    was the star that told his birth;
    to the lands their God announcing,
    seen in fleshly form on earth.

    By its lambent beauty guided
    see the eastern kings appear;
    see them bend, their gifts to offer,
    gifts of incense, gold and myrrh.

    Solemn things of mystic meaning:
    incense doth the God disclose,
    gold a royal child proclaimeth,
    myrrh a future tomb foreshows.

    Holy Jesus, in thy brightness
    to the Gentile world displayed,
    with the Father and the Spirit
    endless praise to thee be paid.
     
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  5. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    Epiphany is a public holiday in some German states.
    Like here in Baden-Württemberg.
    It is also an imprtant day in France.

    We call it "Dreikönig" here = the Feast of the Three Holy Kings :)