Happy Epiphany, everyone!
Today is the day we celebrate God's manifestation to the Wise Men. There was a sermon I listened to once, by Fulton J. Sheen, that described the two classes of people God revealed Himself to, in His humble form. God showed Himself to shepherds, "they who know they know nothing," and to Wise Men, "they who know they do not know everything." I thought that phrase was the most perfect description of those God deemed worthy enough to behold Him.
Well, now that the season is drawing to a close, I am going to focus more on my writing. I had a lovely Christmas, and the Epiphany was very calm and enjoyable, and now I'm just going to settle back into my routine and start submitting, submitting, submitting. Please God, this year will be a fruitful one.
Have a lovely day! Good night. God bless.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Twelfth Night
Today is Twelfth Night.
Twelfth Night is the evening before the Epiphany. In the older days, Twelfth Night was a festival of reveling and merrymaking.
Many different kinds of pastries, sweets, breads, and drinks were made only at this time. One notable drink, the punch called wassail, a hot, spiced, and usually alcoholic drink, is served on this night. Special cakes, the king cake and the tortell, are baked on this night, to be eaten the next day on the Epiphany.
The king cake is a cake with a small trinket baked inside it. Whichever person gets the piece of cake with the trinket receives various privileges and obligations. Oftentimes, the receiver of the trinket is proclaimed king or queen for the night. The tortell is basically the same.
Today is the last day we receive a gift in the Twelve Days of Christmas. This Twelfth Day of Christmas, we are given Twelve Drummers Drumming. The Twelve Drummers represent the Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed. These are the twelve points, in sequence:
"1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, 2) and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 3) Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, 4) suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave] 5) and on the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, 6) from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Ghost, 8.) the holy Catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting. Amen."
Happy Epiphany to you all! Even if I'm a day early, at least I managed to say it, right?
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my True Love (God) gave to me,
Twelve Drummers Drumming, (the Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.)
Eleven Pipers Piping, (the Eleven Faithful Apostles)
Ten Lords a-Leaping, (the Ten Commandments)
Nine Ladies Dancing, (the Nine Fruits of the Holy Ghost)
Eight Maids a-Milking, (the Eight Beatitudes)
Seven Swans a-Swimming, (the Seven Sacraments)
Six Geese a-Laying, (the Six Days of Creation)
Five Gold Rings, (the Pentateuch)
Four Calling Birds, (the Four Evangelists, or the Gospels)
Three French Hens, (the Theological Virtues)
Two Turtledoves, (the Old and New Testaments)
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. (Our Sweet God, Jesus Christ)
All Twelve Days of Christmas
Thanks for following these posts!
Twelfth Night is the evening before the Epiphany. In the older days, Twelfth Night was a festival of reveling and merrymaking.
Many different kinds of pastries, sweets, breads, and drinks were made only at this time. One notable drink, the punch called wassail, a hot, spiced, and usually alcoholic drink, is served on this night. Special cakes, the king cake and the tortell, are baked on this night, to be eaten the next day on the Epiphany.
The king cake is a cake with a small trinket baked inside it. Whichever person gets the piece of cake with the trinket receives various privileges and obligations. Oftentimes, the receiver of the trinket is proclaimed king or queen for the night. The tortell is basically the same.
Today is the last day we receive a gift in the Twelve Days of Christmas. This Twelfth Day of Christmas, we are given Twelve Drummers Drumming. The Twelve Drummers represent the Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed. These are the twelve points, in sequence:
"1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, 2) and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 3) Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, 4) suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell [the grave] 5) and on the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, 6) from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Ghost, 8.) the holy Catholic Church, 9) the communion of saints, 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting. Amen."
Happy Epiphany to you all! Even if I'm a day early, at least I managed to say it, right?
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my True Love (God) gave to me,
Twelve Drummers Drumming, (the Twelve Points of Doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.)
Eleven Pipers Piping, (the Eleven Faithful Apostles)
Ten Lords a-Leaping, (the Ten Commandments)
Nine Ladies Dancing, (the Nine Fruits of the Holy Ghost)
Eight Maids a-Milking, (the Eight Beatitudes)
Seven Swans a-Swimming, (the Seven Sacraments)
Six Geese a-Laying, (the Six Days of Creation)
Five Gold Rings, (the Pentateuch)
Four Calling Birds, (the Four Evangelists, or the Gospels)
Three French Hens, (the Theological Virtues)
Two Turtledoves, (the Old and New Testaments)
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. (Our Sweet God, Jesus Christ)
All Twelve Days of Christmas
Thanks for following these posts!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
It's Almost the Epiphany!
Some days just seem to float along so beautifully, don't they? Yesterday, my mom and I went shopping for the Epiphany.
See, in our family, we celebrate Little Christmas, the feast of The Epiphany. It's the day reserved for the Wise Men, when they followed the Star in the East and came unto the Child in Bethlehem. In some countries, Little Christmas is the day for gift-giving, so that they take away nothing of the spirituality of Christmas by focusing attention on gifts rather than Christ.
Anyhow, my mom and I went shopping, and purchased one gift for each member of the family. These are the "Wise Men" gifts. I've got them all wrapped now, and hidden away in my closet. Tomorrow night, after all the little girls have gone to bed, we're going to put out the presents, and it will be as though the Wise Men have come and left a gift for each member of the family.
Isn't that the nicest tradition? It makes the season of Christmas go on so much longer. I just love being able to get one more special, unexpected thing for people. It was particularly lucky this year, because my lovely, dear employer gave us all a Christmas bonus, and I was able to use that to help my parents do the Epiphany gifts. I just LOVE getting things for people.
For today, we celebrate the Eleventh Day of Christmas, which is enlivened by Eleven Pipers Piping. This day commemorates the Eleven faithful Apostles. The Twelfth Apostle, Judas Iscariot, is excluded from the list. Below are the faithful Apostles:
Simon Peter
Andrew
James
John
Thomas
James bar Alphaeus
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Simon
Judas bar James
Happy Almost Epiphany, everyone!
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my True Love (God) gave to me,
Eleven Pipers Piping, (the Eleven Faithful Apostles)
Ten Lords a-Leaping, (the Ten Commandments)
Nine Ladies Dancing, (the Nine Fruits of the Holy Ghost)
Eight Maids a-Milking, (the Eight Beatitudes)
Seven Swans a-Swimming, (the Seven Sacraments)
Six Geese a-Laying, (the Six Days of Creation)
Five Gold Rings, (the Pentateuch)
Four Calling Birds, (the Four Evangelists, or the Gospels)
Three French Hens, (the Theological Virtues)
Two Turtledoves, (the Old and New Testaments)
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. (Our Darling Jesus Christ)
See, in our family, we celebrate Little Christmas, the feast of The Epiphany. It's the day reserved for the Wise Men, when they followed the Star in the East and came unto the Child in Bethlehem. In some countries, Little Christmas is the day for gift-giving, so that they take away nothing of the spirituality of Christmas by focusing attention on gifts rather than Christ.
Anyhow, my mom and I went shopping, and purchased one gift for each member of the family. These are the "Wise Men" gifts. I've got them all wrapped now, and hidden away in my closet. Tomorrow night, after all the little girls have gone to bed, we're going to put out the presents, and it will be as though the Wise Men have come and left a gift for each member of the family.
Isn't that the nicest tradition? It makes the season of Christmas go on so much longer. I just love being able to get one more special, unexpected thing for people. It was particularly lucky this year, because my lovely, dear employer gave us all a Christmas bonus, and I was able to use that to help my parents do the Epiphany gifts. I just LOVE getting things for people.
For today, we celebrate the Eleventh Day of Christmas, which is enlivened by Eleven Pipers Piping. This day commemorates the Eleven faithful Apostles. The Twelfth Apostle, Judas Iscariot, is excluded from the list. Below are the faithful Apostles:
Simon Peter
Andrew
James
John
Thomas
James bar Alphaeus
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Simon
Judas bar James
Happy Almost Epiphany, everyone!
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my True Love (God) gave to me,
Eleven Pipers Piping, (the Eleven Faithful Apostles)
Ten Lords a-Leaping, (the Ten Commandments)
Nine Ladies Dancing, (the Nine Fruits of the Holy Ghost)
Eight Maids a-Milking, (the Eight Beatitudes)
Seven Swans a-Swimming, (the Seven Sacraments)
Six Geese a-Laying, (the Six Days of Creation)
Five Gold Rings, (the Pentateuch)
Four Calling Birds, (the Four Evangelists, or the Gospels)
Three French Hens, (the Theological Virtues)
Two Turtledoves, (the Old and New Testaments)
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. (Our Darling Jesus Christ)
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