Every January 6th, the Church celebrates the Epiphany of our Lord. While at Christmas we extolled the union of our Lord's divinity with His humanity, at Epiphany we honour the mystic union of souls with Christ. On this day a star led the Wise Men to the manger; Gentiles from afar came to glorify and praise the King of kings. The names of the Magi have come down to us from pious tradition; Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar. Todays Gospel reads: ...seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary His mother, and falling down they adored Him. And opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matt. ii. 1-12) A wonderful tradition my family has adopted is baking a King's Cake to celebrate the Epiphany. Different European cultures have their own iteration of the cake, the specific title of "King's Cake" has it's origins in the New Orleans Marti Gras celebration. While in Catholic grade school, I recall the mother of a classmate bringing in a king's cake. The student whose slice contained a pea was "king" for the rest of the day. I no longer remember what that designation meant for the child; probably just bragging rights. In my family, the reward is being the one to scrawl the year above the doorway with the blessed chalk received at mass. This year is (20+c+B+M+21). I tried the following recipe this year, it turned out quite well. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/traditional-new-orleans-king-cake/ ( I substituted brown sugar for the filling and added raisins.) Here are several short prayers that may be recited during the festivities: "May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is your incarnate Word, now and forever. Amen. God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only-begotten One to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our concern for others may reflect your love. We ask this through Christ our Saviour. Amen. Loving God, bless this household. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness, and abiding in your will. We ask this through Christ our Saviour. Amen." Christ Our King: Thy Kingdom Come!
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AuthorShawn Briggs is a father, musician, and traditional Catholic with a love for the faith and dedication to Christ the King. Archives
April 2021
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