Welcome to 2024
Is it still to late to wish you Happy New Year?
Hello folks,
We are now well into January which means I begin to ask the question as to when the cut off for ‘happy new year’ is? Cue my well honed anxiety of potential faux pas thanks to my British upbringing. However, I have a fall back in Mother Church, in that I can rest (just) in the Octave of the Epiphany and as such will wish you a Blessed Epiphany!
What is this Octave though? As some of you will recognise it no longer exists in our calendar, having been removed in 1955 by Pope Pius XII. Epiphany begins on the 6th January but the Sunday closest (7th) is now the solemnity. Monday 8th is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and then the 2nd Sunday in Year C is when we have the gospel reading of Jesus first miracle in Cana, changing water into wine. However pre-1955 it was the gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday in the Octave of Epiphany. In the Latin Church, Epiphany focuses on the Magi, but in the East they focus on 3 elements; Light, Water and Wine, although this has found its way into the Latins general celebration. For the Antiphon of the Second Vespers of the feast we say the Tribus Miraculis, and it is really rather nice:
We honour a holy day decorated with three miracles:
Today, a star led the Magi to the manger;
Today, wine was made from water at the Wedding Feast [of Cana];
Today, in the Jordan, and by John, Christ wanted to be baptised,
so that he might save us, alleluia.
Without getting into any Liturgy wars (the Church has enough of them), and as much as this Octave is no longer present; reflecting for a week on the Word made Flesh, on the coming of the Magi who are ‘type’ for us, and the 3 elements that are embodied with the deepest meaning of our salvation isn’t such a bad way to spend post-Christmas, especially if the trappings of the modern celebration had got a little out of hand.
Happy Epiphany!
Traditions et all
I read the other day about a growing group in France called the SOS Calvaires who have taken it upon themselves to restore and maintain Frances prodigious number of roadside crosses and shrines. You can read about them here. Their work has begun spreading beyond France with a membership that is significantly younger than what you might find in an average Mass attendance in Scotland. Do not be surprised if those younger than us, rather than wanting to get rid of tradition are yearning for it. AI and the endless algorithms that inform and impinge on our lives do not provide an anchor or meaning. Why as a Church do we assume that we need to be cool or ‘relevant’ when it might just be our liturgies and litanies, adorations and silences that bear a true and deep witness to our secular world?
With that and our French Brethren in mind why not look at the traditions of your local area or diocese? Which Saint is associated with your town? You can go onto our ministry website Mary’s Well and find many of Scotland’s Saints and their places of veneration. I would also highly recommend a website run by Glasgow University called SaintsPlaces that does exactly what it says on the tin. Why not have a festival? Or even a Mass to start with. Additionally, my aim this year is to publish some of Scotland’s older litanies, Offices and prayers. Keep an eye on us and use them.
We have written a number of articles around these subjects over the course of the last 3 years and if what I said above interests you then have a look at our article on our Sacred Wells, or to give yourself a good Philosophical grounding in it why not read Stephen Watts article here on how in the spirit of hospitality we can reclaim a spot in Scotland’s public places.
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We are not far from gaining our 300th subscriber, which is pretty good for a small Scottish Catholic magazine organised and published from a kitchen table in Nairn. We have some great contributors, including some of our more permanent ones like Stephen Watt, but also others who have leant a hand, including Bishop John Keenan or Alison and John Milbank. I am glad your sharing all this with us and if you like it forward it to someone. If you want to support the overall ministry of Mary’s Well which this publication is part of then you can subscribe for £4.99 a month.
As you look ahead in January here is some Saints for you to seek and learn about it: