The Incarnation Cycle: Christmastide & Epiphany

Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,

and with true love and charity each other now embrace;

this holy tide of Christmas doth bring redeeming grace.

O tidings of comfort and joy!

~Hymn 105 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us . . .

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.     

~Luke 2.15,19

Merry Christmas--still! While much of the world packs up the Christmas decorations by the evening of December 25, in the church the celebration has only just started. After our season of preparation during Advent, we joyously celebrate the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ--and the party continues for twelve days! Several additional holy days follow directly on the heels of Christmas Day, including, on December 28, the commemoration of the Holy Innocents slaughtered by Herod. This season is not simply about warm hearths and nostalgia, but is about the inbreaking of God's work of salvation for us, and the violence with which it is met by the powers of this world.

The civil calendar rolls over in the middle of Christmastide. January 1 marks not only a new year, but also for us the octave of Christmas. Eight days after we celebrated the Savior's birth, we celebrate his naming: Jesus, the name that is our salvation.

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.     

~Luke 2.21

Immediately following the twelve-day season of Christmas, on January 6 the church celebrates the feast of the Epiphany, also called the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. The Prayer Book commends it as one of the seven principal feasts of the church year, and it is one of the most ancient (probably only Easter predates it in observance). 

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.     

~Matthew 2.1-2

Epiphany means “appearing” or “manifestation.” What appears, what is brought to light for all the world, is none other than God in the flesh. The Gospel on Epiphany relates the adoration of the “wise men.” These magi were not Jews. They were probably Persian priests and astrologers, and yet they bow in worship and acknowledge as king a Jewish infant, enthroned on the lap of his peasant girl mother. The other manifestations associated with Epiphany are Christ’s baptism (observed the following Sunday), and the beginning of his miraculous signs at the wedding in Cana.

Through Christmastide, Epiphany, and the weeks following--a season and cycle of the Incarnation--we are presented with an opportunity. As the earth turns and the light grows, pray for grace to see, hear, and believe. Like Mary, for grace to treasure these things and ponder them. Like the shepherds, for faith to believe the good news and to hasten to act on it. Like the magi, for devotion to seek out the Christ, and humble wisdom to find him in unexpected places. Like John at the Jordan, for ears to hear the voice of God that confirms the Beloved.

Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise,

manifested by the star to the sages from afar;
Branch of royal David’s stem, in thy birth at Bethlehem;
anthems be to thee addressed, God in man made manifest.
~Hymn 135

Adoration of the Magi (tapestry, 1894; designed by Edward Burnes-Jones)

Saint Andrew the Apostle

 The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Psalm

19

The Readings

Deuteronomy 30:11-14     +     Romans 10:8b-18     +      Matthew 4:18-22

"The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe."

~Deut. 30:14

"Evangelical" is a word that has come to have various connotations (religious, political, social). Many people have negative associations with the word, often for good reason. But that is also tragic, for the word is inseparable from the gospel. In fact, the word comes from the Greek euangelion, which means "good news"--the gospel. To be essentially evangelical, then, is to be one who believes and lives the gospel. To be an evangelist is to seek to spread the word of that good news: "Here is life! I have found it in Jesus."

Andrew was evangelical in this way. Today's reading from Matthew's Gospel has him being called to the work of a disciple and evangelist along with his brother, Simon Peter, but John's Gospel tells it differently: Andrew is called first, and he goes immediately and tells his brother about it, and brings him to Jesus.

At bottom, evangelism consists of this: bringing people to Jesus. That bringing will inevitably involve some sharing of our own story and experience of the word of life that God has put within us. But there is no one right way to do this, no formula or approved program. Speak what you know. Share what you have experienced. And pray for grace to bring those near to you into the gracious presence of Jesus. 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for the life we have in you. Help us to be both courageous and sincere in sharing the blessing of your life and presence with those near and dear to us, that the word you have implanted in us may be ever growing.  Amen.

Icon of St. Andrew, written by the Rev. Paige Blair

The Transfiguration

The Collect

O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm

99

The Readings

Exodus 34:29-35     +     II Peter 1:13-21     +     Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

~Luke 9:28-30

An excerpt from The Dwelling of the Light: Praying with Icons of Christ, by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams:

The dark background against which Jesus is shown is something you will see in other icons as a way of representing the depths of heavenly reality. In the transfiguration, what the disciples see is, as you might say, Jesus' humanity 'opening up' to its inner dimensions. It is rather like the Hindu story of the infant Krishna, told by his mother to open his mouth to see if he has been eating mud; she looks in, and sees the whole universe in the dark interior of his throat. So the disciples look at Jesus, and see him as coming out from an immeasurable depth; behind or within him, infinity opens up, 'the dwelling of the light', to borrow the haunting phrase from Job 38.19. Mark 1.38 reports Jesus as saying that he has 'come out' so that he can proclaim the good news; and John's Gospel too uses the language of coming out from the depths of the Father (John 16.27-30). Belief in Jesus is seeing him as the gateway to an endless journey into God's love. The often-noted fact that icons show the lines of perspective reversed, so that they converge on your eye, not on a vanishing point in the distance within the picture, is a way of telling us that, once again, what is true of Jesus lies at the heart of all this style of painting: we are being taught to look through into the deep wells of life and truth. 

 

Commemoration of the First Book of Common Prayer

Sing to the Lord a new song; 

    sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.

Sing to the Lord and bless his Name;

    proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations

    and his wonders among all peoples.

        (Psalm 96.1-3)

Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.' And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2.38-39,42)

V.    Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;

R.   Govern and uphold them, now and always.

V.    Day by day we bless you;

R.   We praise your Name for ever.

 
Almighty and everliving God, whose servant Thomas Cranmer, with others, restored the language of the people in the prayers of your Church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

From 'Lesser Feasts and Fasts':
'The First Book of Common Prayer came into use on the Day of Pentecost, June 9, 1549, in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth. From it have descended all subsequent editions and revisions of the Book in the Churches of the Anglican Communion. Though prepared by a commission of learned bishops and priests, the format, substance, and style of the Prayer Book were primarily the work of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury . . . The originality of the Prayer Book, apart from the felicitous translations and paraphrases of the old Latin forms, lay in its simplification of the complicated liturgical usages of the medieval Church, so that it was suitable for use by the laity as well as by the clergy. The Book thus became both a manual of common worship for Anglicans and a primary resource for their personal spirituality.'

The service of Mattins (Daily Morning Prayer) from the 1549 Book of Common Prayer.

The Day of Pentecost

The Collect
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Psalm
104.25-37

The Readings
Acts 2.1-21     +     Romans 8.14-17     +     John 14.8-17

There is a devotional book of daily meditations for the Easter season, called Resurrecting Easter, by the Very Rev. Kate Moorehead. In the final meditation, for this day, she writes: ‘American culture has diluted and secularized Christmas and Easter. But no one can tame the Pentecost.’ I like that. What is this strange feast of Pentecost? We hear about a sudden sound like the rush of a violent wind, filling the house, and divided tongues like flames of fire coming to rest over the disciples. Peter opens his great Pentecost sermon by quoting from the prophet Joel: dreams and visions, and blood and fire, and smoky mist. Maybe, like the pilgrim crowds in Jerusalem that day, we want to ask: ‘What does this mean?’

It means the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to the disciples: ‘You will be clothed with power from on high’ and ‘you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.’ And they are—and it’s why the church is here today. Because people empowered by the Holy Spirit have continued the saving ministry of Jesus in the world. Because people emboldened by the Spirit of God have shared boldly the good news of Jesus Christ.

One of the things that most fascinates me about the account in Acts 2 is the radical change it produces in the apostles. It starts immediately: ‘But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say!’ Who is this guy? What have you done with the bumbling Peter I know? Who are these apostles, all of a sudden? We see through the rest of the book of Acts how the apostles continue the presence and ministry of Jesus: preaching, baptizing, teaching, healing, ordaining. But do you remember what these guys are like in the Gospels? The apostles are like comic relief in the Gospels! They almost never get anything right! They don’t understand the teaching; they can’t cast out the demons; they fall asleep during prayer; they flee in the face of danger. But something happened. They experienced the power of the Risen Lord. And in accordance with the Lord’s word, they received the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, the Advocate, the Helper—to abide with them. These are not the same men we knew before.

We can often be dismissive (or at least skeptical) of dramatic conversions. There are some good and prudent reasons for that. But also, looking at the New Testament, we do well to remember that we worship of God who makes radical conversions something of habit—we should expect to be occasionally surprised and unsettled. We worship a God whose power and love effect real and lasting change in people’s lives—sometimes in ways that mark them as strange to those who knew them before, in the old life. We worship a God whose Holy Spirit sanctifies the waters of baptism, and births new life in the risen life of Jesus; a Holy Spirit who makes bread and wine to be for us the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. This Holy Spirit, Jesus tells us, abides with the church to lead us into all truth—not for the faint of heart. Sometimes its leading is frightening, like rushing wind and fire, and sometimes comforting, like gentle breath—but it is the same Spirit of God. And no one can tame the Pentecost.

Closing Prayer
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Easter Day

 The Collect

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
118.1-2, 14-24

The Readings

1 Corinthians 15.19-26     +     Luke 24.1-12

Why seek ye the living among the dead? ~Luke 24.5

There are many wonder-filled moments recounted in the post-resurrection stories in the Gospels, and we will be invited to hear and ponder some of them over the coming weeks of this Easter season. But one of my favorite moments is this one in Luke’s account of the women’s discovery of the empty tomb, when these ‘two men in shining clothes’—angels, presumably—ask them this remarkable question:‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’

What a strange, unsettling question! I wonder if the women initially thought, ‘What kind of question is that?! We are here—among the dead—because we’ve come to anoint the body of a dead man! We saw him die! We watched as his body was placed in this tomb! What kind of question is this?’ And yet the angels speak as if it is the women who are behaving strangely: Why are you here in a tomb looking for someone who is alive?
 
This day is strange and wonderful. Easter is the church’s central proclamation, but what an astonishing proclamation! And yes, perhaps, now as then, a claim difficult to comprehend—what do we do with such news? The women at the tomb are bewildered—yet they believe, and bring the message to the others. The men, not so surprisingly, initially think they are talking nonsense. Their resurrection faith will come soon enough, though. And then that faith spreads, but we see also in the New Testament resistance to that faith, a resistance not so different from objections today: ‘You can’t be serious about this resurrection of the dead stuff?’
 
St. Paul states rather bluntly just how serious he is in his letter to the Corinthians. In his celebrated passage in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul states in no uncertain terms that the resurrection really is what it’s all about; that if Christ has not been raised then we should close down the shop and go home; we’ve been duped and we’re wasting our time! But, he says, but in fact Christ has been raised—and that makes all the difference.
 
Herbert McCabe, a 20^th century theologian, wrote about the difference between seeing the resurrection of Jesus as a religious event and seeing it as a cosmic event. To see it as religious event is to say that Christ’s resurrection means that, although he died, he lives on in the faith of his followers—in word, and sacrament, and sacred memory. That is undoubtedly true. But to stop there is to make the resurrection something that really matters only to the church, and individuals within it. But the catholic and apostolic faith we confess proclaims that the resurrection is not just a religious event. It is not just about the church; it is about what God has done for all the world, whether or not the world believes it. Whether or not sometimes the church believes it! The strange, wonderful proclamation of this day is not about what we can manufacture or make meaning of through our own efforts at faith and understanding. 'Faith seeking understanding' certainly has its place. But Easter is first and finally about what God has done: Christ is risen, and death has lost its sting! This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes! Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Alleluia. Amen. 

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The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Collect

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
40:5-11
or
Canticle 15 (Magnificat)

The Readings
Isaiah 7:10-14    +    Hebrews 10:4-10    +    Luke 1:26-38

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
~Luke 1.38

For roughly 1000 years, in most of the Christian world, March 25 was kept as New Year's Day. The new year began today because this, the feast of the Annunciation, is when the new world begins--the beginning of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, God’s reign coming near. And Luke's Gospel today tells us that this is how it begins.

I recently heard a remark, which I've heard before, that 'no one asks to be born.' It's true—and also strange, isn't it? Especially in a society like ours, which places such a high premium, and so much weight, upon the idea of individual freedom and choice and autonomy. Yet every single one of us came into existence without any say whatsoever in the matter. And it doesn't stop there: not only for months in the womb, but for the first several years of life, we humans are entirely dependent on others, and especially on our mothers, simply to survive—to say nothing of making decisions for ourselves. In fact, despite the stories we tell ourselves about our 'rugged individualism,' none of us ever really becomes entirely autonomous—our lives are always inextricably bound up together. 

'No one asks to be born.' Well, except, we believe, in one instance.

Charles Williams wrote: 'God determined to be incarnate by being born; God determined to have a mother.' Arguably, God could have worked the world's salvation in some other way; even the Incarnation, speculatively, could have happened in some other manner. But this is what God chose. It's also what Mary chose. The church has always understood this interaction as being entirely without coercion. Mary was prepared by grace for this moment (as indeed we all are prepared by grace to respond to God), but the choice is hers: she is free. She first ponders, and then questions. And then, after Gabriel has delivered his message, there comes a moment when, as someone has described it, 'all heaven holds its breath, and waits.'

And Mary responds with her fiat: 'Here am I, the Lord's servant; let it be as you have said.'

This annunciation presents us, in a unique way, with an interaction in which life is knowingly, courageously, and freely embraced by all—and not just for themselves but for the world.

This is how God's reign begins.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

A Litany for Ukraine

During Lent, many Episcopalians pray The Great Litany. Here is 'a little litany,' which may be used in personal prayer, especially as an intercession for Ukraine. Adapted from the Prayer Book's Form V of the Prayers of the People. (The plural is not inappropriate for personal prayer, since Christian prayer is never truly a solitary endeavor, but is made in the company of saints and angels.)

+ + +

In peace, we pray to you, Lord, saying, “Kyrie eleison.”

For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the day of your coming, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our divisions may cease, and that all may be one as you and the Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For the peace of the world, that a spirit of respect and forbearance may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For those in positions of public trust, that they may serve justice, and promote the dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For members of the armed forces fighting to defend their homes and freedoms, that they may be kept secure in body, mind, and spirit, and given courage and a sense of your abiding presence, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For all who have commended themselves to our prayers; for our families, friends, and neighbors; for those near and far, and those even now beseeching our prayers; that being freed from anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For the people of Ukraine, and for all people suffering the violence of war, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
For all who have died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal, we pray to you, O Lord. Kyrie eleison.

 
Rejoicing in the fellowship of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, we commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.

For yours is the majesty, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle

The Collect

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm
23

The Readings
Acts 4:8-13     +     I Peter 5:1-4     +     Matthew 16:13-19

He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.
~Matthew 16:15-17

This day we remember St. Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, an essential confession of Christian faith across denominational differences. This day also marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which will conclude next week with the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The work of Christian unity can sometimes seem hopelessly fraught in our fractured world, but like all Christian work it must begin in prayer and be sustained by prayer. To pray for unity among the churches is to join Jesus in his own prayer in John 17, wherein he prays to the Father 'that they may be one, as we are one.'

Let us pray.

Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one: Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit, that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
~from the Book of Common Prayer, p. 255

Additional prayers for the unity and mission of the church may be found in the Book of Common Prayer, beginning on page 816, especially no. 14 (p. 818), and the final collect for Noonday Prayer (p. 107).

More about this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity here.

'Christ Giving the Keys of Paradise to Saint Peter' by Rafael