This blog is for the use of the whole parish; please let me know if you'd like to contribute.
Chris (email link at the bottom of each page)
Epiphany!
06-01-2021, 07:28find God, Magi, worshipPermalink(Solemnity) Epiphany of the Lord Matthew 2:1-12
“O wise men from afar, O kings, where are you going in such haste? O wise men from afar, anger persecutes the child."
Jesus came to bring light to our darkened world. Today's feast of the Epiphany celebrates the unveiling of this light to the Gentiles. Our scene is set during the reign of Herod, who had been appointed king by the Roman Senate in 40 BC. He was a tyrannical despot with a penchant for parricide (he murdered his wife, three sons, uncle and mother-in-law), but his taste for bloodshed, as we shall see, extended beyond his family circle. The Magi, who may have been astrologers from Persia or southern Arabia, followed a star (some scholars suggest it was the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn). In feigning to be interested in the birth of the Messiah, Herod revealed his duplicity and cunning. In fact, his heart was bent on extinguishing the light of the world. The Magi, on the other hand, were bent on worshipping the light of the world.
St Pope John Paul II saw in the Magi's journey in search of a king a parallel to the human journey: “Whatever the age, culture, civilisation or nation, people are aways searching for God. Like the wise men, they glimpse him through the eyes of faith, then set forth in faith in the desire to draw closer to him in whom they believe and come to him in the eternal Bethlehem. However, if they have not found him through faith, in looking for the truth they seek this faith, and so seek God.” St Augustine said, I would not have sought you, if I had not already found you. Before starting to seek God, each of us has in fact found him, and rooted in this starting point we enter ever more deeply into the mystery of God- Christ in us the hope of glory.
As we celebrate the beginning of this new year, we unite our hearts to the vision of the Church and proclaim the light of Christ to the world. We play a vital role in making Christ known – his love, mercy and compassion overwhelm the coldness and extinguish the darkness in our hearts.
Lord Jesus, on this most holy feast I proclaim that you are the light of the world. I dedicate my life to being a city on a hilltop and a lamp to radiate your life and light.
Chris
from Bible Alive
Isaiah 60:1-6 • Psalm 71(72):1-2, 7-13 • Ephesians 3:2-6 • Matthew 2:1-12
Adult Education
Advent
alms
angel
angels
anger
annunciation
answer
Apocalypse
apostles
apostolic
archbishops
architect
ascension
ask
atonement
banquet
beatitudes
bishop
bishops
Blessed
blessings
blind
blood
body
bread
brokenness
burden
CAFOD
care
centurion
chances
change
charity
Children
Christ
Christian
Christian Aid
Christ the King
church
Churches Together in Biggleswade
cleanse
come
comfort
coming
commandment
commitment
compassion
Conference
contemplation
conversion
coordinator
Coronavirus
courage
covenant
COVID-19
cross
cure
daily bread
Damascus
death
death to self
delight
desert
Devil
diocese
disciples
divine
Divine Office
divine work
divinity
Dominicans
doubt
Downside
earthly matters
Easter
eat
effort
encouragement
end-time
enemy
equality
eternal
Eucharist
evangelical
evangelise
evil
example
fairness
faith
faithfulness
fasting
Father
faults
fear
fear of God
feed
fever
fiat
find God
fire
fish
food
foretold
forgive
forgiveness
foundations
fountains
Francis
free
fruit
fruitfulness
Fund-raising
future
Gabriel
generosity
gentle
gift
giving
glory
God
God's
God's Plan
God's will
God-man
Godhead
Golden Rule
good
gospel
grace
gratitude
greatness
heal
healing
health
heart
heaven
heavenly matters
High Priest
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Holy_Spirit
homeless
hope
Hosea
humble
humility
hypocrisy
I AM
immortality
incarnation
increase
In Jesus's Name
innocence
insight
Internet
jealousy
Jesus
joy
justice
Justice and Peace
kindness
King
King David
kingdom
knowing
knowledge
law
Lent
leprosy
life
light
live streaming
living
loaves
Logos
Lord
Lord's Prayer
lost
love
lunatic
Magi
manna
maranatha
martyr
Mary
Mass
Matthew
meaning
meditation
mercy
Messiah
mindfulness
Ministries
miracle
miracles
moral
Mount
mountains
mystery
mysticism
name
narrow path
Nazereth
neighbour
new creation
new life
New Testament
New Year
Nineveh
None
obedience
Old Testament
OneWorld
online
Organisation
Our Lady
outcast
outcasts
Palm Sunday
parable
Paraclete
Parish
Parish Youth
Passion
Paul
peace
penance
perfect
perfection
Peter
Pilgrimage
pity
poem
poor
Pope
power
praise
prayer
Prayers
preparation
proclamation
Prologue
promise
prophesy
prophet
prophets
protection
question
rebellion
recovery
reflection
refugee
reign
rejection
rejects
renewal
repentance
rest
resurrection
revelation
rich
righteiousness
righteousness
risen
Rock
Rolheiser
Sabbath
Sacraments
sacrifice
Sadducees
Safety
salvation
Satan
save
Saviour
sayittogod
Scriptures
second
Second Coming
seed
self-indulgence
self-sacrifice
sent
sermon
serve
service
sheep
shepherd
sights
signs
silence
sin
sinfulness
sinners
Social
Solomon
Son
Son of God
soul
sower
spirit
Spirit of Christ
Spiritual
splendour
St Benedict
steadfast
Stephen
stoning
storm
storms
strength
struggle
suffering
SVP
talents
teacher
teaching
tears
temptation
tenants
The Cross
Thérèse of Lisieux
time for God
today
transgressions
Trinity
trust
truth
understanding
unity
unworthy
victory
vine
vinedresser
vineyard
virgin
Visits
walk
watchful
water
way
wealth
weary
Website
will
Witness
women
Word
work
World
worm
worship
wounded
yearn
Year of Faith
yoke
You
July 2022 (1)
June 2022 (1)
April 2022 (2)
March 2022 (3)
February 2022 (4)
January 2022 (1)
December 2021 (3)
November 2021 (6)
October 2021 (3)
September 2021 (4)
August 2021 (3)
July 2021 (1)
June 2021 (2)
May 2021 (2)
April 2021 (2)
March 2021 (1)
February 2021 (7)
January 2021 (7)
December 2020 (7)
November 2020 (8)
October 2020 (4)
September 2020 (7)
August 2020 (6)
July 2020 (8)
June 2020 (8)
May 2020 (9)
April 2020 (9)
March 2020 (17)
February 2020 (9)
January 2020 (7)
December 2019 (8)
November 2019 (7)
October 2019 (6)
September 2019 (6)
August 2019 (3)
July 2019 (5)
June 2019 (4)
May 2019 (3)
April 2019 (4)
March 2019 (5)
February 2019 (2)
January 2019 (5)
November 2018 (1)
October 2018 (3)
September 2018 (2)
August 2018 (2)
June 2018 (3)
May 2018 (3)
April 2018 (3)
March 2018 (5)
February 2018 (5)
January 2018 (5)
December 2017 (7)
November 2017 (4)
October 2017 (3)
September 2017 (5)
August 2017 (4)
July 2017 (3)
June 2017 (6)
May 2017 (4)
April 2017 (4)
March 2017 (6)
February 2017 (4)
January 2017 (5)
December 2016 (4)
November 2016 (4)
October 2016 (3)
September 2016 (5)
August 2016 (5)
July 2016 (4)
June 2016 (8)
May 2016 (4)
April 2016 (4)
March 2016 (6)
February 2016 (4)
January 2016 (3)
December 2015 (5)
November 2015 (4)
October 2015 (2)
September 2015 (2)
August 2015 (1)
July 2015 (3)
June 2015 (3)
May 2015 (5)
April 2015 (6)
March 2015 (5)
February 2015 (5)
January 2015 (2)
December 2014 (4)
November 2014 (4)
October 2014 (7)
September 2014 (5)
August 2014 (3)
July 2014 (5)
June 2014 (5)
May 2014 (5)
April 2014 (5)
March 2014 (6)
February 2014 (9)
January 2014 (5)
December 2013 (5)
November 2013 (6)
October 2013 (5)
September 2013 (7)
August 2013 (5)
July 2013 (5)
June 2013 (5)
May 2013 (1)
April 2013 (3)
March 2013 (3)
February 2013 (1)
January 2013 (5)
December 2012 (10)
November 2012 (7)
October 2012 (6)
September 2012 (6)
August 2012 (4)
July 2012 (2)
June 2012 (6)
May 2012 (10)
April 2012 (4)
March 2012 (3)
February 2012 (2)
January 2012 (8)
November 2011 (1)
October 2011 (1)
September 2011 (1)
August 2011 (1)
May 2011 (1)
April 2011 (1)
March 2011 (4)
February 2011 (2)
January 2011 (2)
December 2010 (2)
November 2010 (1)
October 2010 (3)
September 2010 (1)
August 2010 (1)
May 2010 (1)
March 2010 (2)
February 2010 (1)
January 2010 (3)
November 2009 (2)
October 2009 (1)
July 2009 (1)
May 2009 (1)
April 2009 (2)
March 2009 (1)
February 2009 (3)
January 2009 (1)
November 2008 (1)
October 2008 (1)
September 2008 (4)
August 2008 (2)