On the Last Sunday of Epiphany each year, we contemplate the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. In this season of celebrating the power of God the Father to reveal the glory of the Son in the world, the various accounts of the Transfiguration in the Gospels form a bookend for the worshiper with those of the…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas)
The final feast day in the season of Epiphany is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. The Church also calls it the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Candlemas. This feast lands on February 2nd, falling exactly 40 days after Christmas. It wraps up…
Today in the Spirit: Epiphany 5B
We continue this week following the narrative in the Gospel of Mark of Jesus’ first days of ministry in Capernaum. The church assigns Mark 1:29-39 which reports on a period covering only eighteen hours during which Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law in the afternoon (a private moment), heals many in front of the whole city (a…
Today in the Spirit: Epiphany 4B
In the week of Epiphany 4, Year B, we continue our way through Mark’s narrative of our Lord’s first weeks of ministry in Galilee. Mark 1:21-28 tells the story of Jesus’ first visit to Capernaum, where, after teaching in the synagogue, he exorcizes a demon from a man in attendance. An emphasis in the story…
Today in the Spirit: Epiphany 3B
On the Third Sunday of Epiphany each year, we walk with Jesus through the episodes of his early ministry in Galilee (northern Palestine). At this juncture in the church year, the church selects Gospel readings that highlight our Lord’s earliest preaching events, the various responses of the people to hearing his teaching, and his labor…
The Chalking of the Doors: A Rookie Anglican Guide
The Chalking of the Doors is a festive tradition for the Epiphany season, marking the blessing of Christ on the home and all who enter. Moreover, the mysterious Epiphany formula is a sure conversation starter and an evangelical tool. It creates an opening for theological reflection on Christ and his promise of abundant life. Marking…
Today in the Spirit: Epiphany 2B
The early Sundays in the Epiphany season are dedicated to the revelation of the Son of God in the successful formation of the community of disciples. In Epiphany 2B, the assigned Gospel reading out of John 1:43-51 recounts for the worshiping church Jesus’ calling of the apostles Philip and Nathanael. The devotion of these two,…
Today in the Spirit: Epiphany 1B
Prepositions are important in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). One change in the BCP 2019 that can easily go unnoticed is the designation of Sundays “of Epiphany” in the new book compared with Sundays “after Epiphany” or “after the Epiphany” in earlier books. So we might ask, what does the new title communicate? One…
The Liturgical Home: Shrove Tuesday
It’s time for Shrove Tuesday, also called Pancake Day, Mardi Gras, and Carnival. And I’m excited, not only because we will eat pancakes but also because it means we are only a day away from Lent, my favorite season of the year! The End of the Carnival The word Carnival comes from the Latin expression,…
Today in the Spirit: Last Sunday of Epiphany A
On the Last Sunday of Epiphany every year we contemplate the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. In this season of celebrating the marketing prowess of the Father God revealing the glory of the Son in the world, the various accounts of the Transfiguration in the Gospels form a bookend for the worshiper with the accounts of…
