Epiphany Traditions
Epiphany is a Feast Day within
the Church’s liturgical celebration of Christmas. In the current Western
tradition, we associate it with the “Visit of the Magi,” or visitors from the
East recounted in Matthew’s Gospel. (Mt 2:1-12). Epiphany is traditionally
celebrated the 12th day after Christmas, (Twelfth Night), January 6th. In the Catholic
dioceses of the United States this feast has been moved to the Sunday after
January 6. Epiphany takes its name from the Greek epiphania, a manifestation.
Jesus, born quietly in Bethlehem’s stable, is revealed, or made manifest, as
the Son of God. In the recognition of
Him by the Magi, the Christ, He is revealed to the “nations.” (see, for example,
Is 42:6; Is 60: 1-6; and Psalm 72:11) The Feast Day is associated with three
events in the life of Christ when His divinity shines through His humanity: the
adoration of the Magi; the baptism of Christ in the Jordan (Mt 3); and the
first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana, (Jn 2), The latter two of these
were designated as Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, by Pope St. John Paul II
in 2002. In these “Mysteries of Light,” we meditate on the revelation of Jesus
as the Divine Son of the Father. There are many traditions associated with the
Epiphany. Here are three that became special to me at some time in my life.
The Blessing of Chalk and
Doorways One tradition on Epiphany involves blessing chalk, that, then is
used to mark the doorways of our homes with the year (2019) and the initials of
the traditional names of the Three Kings: Caspar (C), Melchior
(M), Balthasar (B) The chalk is blessed by a priest. Families
can take the blessed chalk home and the “head of the house,” ideally the Dad,
marks the frame with the date and initials: 20 + C + M + B + 19 The
practice invokes a blessing on those who live in the house, and – in
remembrance of the Magi - all visitors to the home.
Epiphany Water In the
older traditional Latin Missal was a very lengthy prayer for the blessing of
holy water on the Eve of Epiphany. The bishop, or with the Bishop’s delegation,
a priest, would use the extensive litanies and prayers to set aside this water
for use throughout the year. The elements of salt (to be added to the water),
and the water itself, were first exorcised. Any taint of the devil was cast
from them, and then they were blessed. The Rite, still used in the
Byzantine Catholic Church, was carried out on the night before Epiphany,
because of its association with the revelation of Jesus Christ at His baptism
in the Jordan River. There the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and the voice of
God the Father was heard, “This is my Beloved Son.” (Mt 3: 16-17) In the
Eastern traditions, on the Feast of Epiphany, and in recollection of the
Baptism of the Lord, the Baptism of Catechumens took place. In the Western
tradition, this blessing of water and the sacrament of Baptism for Catechumens
takes place on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil. This rite of blessing
the Epiphany Water is not used widely any more. It has given way to shorter
blessing prayers. But I always try to find some Epiphany Water – often blessed
on the Vigil of the Epiphany in the oratories of the Extraordinary Form.
Befana A third Tradition
of Epiphany is less liturgical, but I have always found it touching. It is the
Italian tradition of the “Befana.” In many parts of Italy, (and some other
countries as well) gift-giving takes place on Epiphany, January 6. In Italy it
typically includes the figure if an ‘Old Lady,’ named Befana. Her name may be a
cognate of the word “epiphania.” The
story goes that, the Magi, following the Star and on their way to find the
Christ Child, stayed one night at the home of a hard-working elderly woman,
Befana. She took wonderful care of the travelers. Her house was so clean, and
she cooked them a marvelous meal. They told her where they were going, to find
the Divine Child, to pay Him homage and give Him their gifts. They invited
Befana to accompany them to the Christ, but she was busy sweeping the house and
carrying out the chores, and explained that she had too many other things to
do. After the Wise Men left, Bafana began to regret her decision. The
legend says that she gathered many gifts and she left her house, still with her
broom in hand. She would spend all her life searching for this special Child.
On Epiphany, Befana gives gifts to children, always hoping that one of the
children she sees, and to whom she gives a gift, will be the Christ Child. Often
Befana – an old woman with a broom – is represented as a witch or a comical
character. I like to think of her as a good, hard-working woman, who, like us
all at times, got too absorbed in her work. She missed her opportunity to
follow after the Incarnate Lord, but now serves God in generous charity, by
giving what she has to those she encounters, knowing that in so doing, she
honors Jesus Christ Himself.
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