Category: Christmas Season

CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Chalking the Door 2018: An Epiphany House Blessing” – CarmelitesNet

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Headlines
Star Field, adapted from image at nasa.gov

“On the Feast of the Epiphany, the family gathers to ask God’s blessing on their home and on those who live in or visit the home. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows.

A traditional way of doing this is to use chalk to write above the home’s entrance. It can also be written somewhere inside the home.

+20 C M B 19+

The letters C, M, B have two meanings:
• They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
• They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.”

The “+” signs represent the cross and 2019 is the year. ….

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CATHOLIC FAITHLINK: “Don’t put that Christmas tree away! The Christmas season has just begun” – Aletia

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Christmas, Christmas Season, Headlines, Liturgy of the Hours
Nativity Scene Statuary at Church

“It can be a little confusing. In secular society, Christmas is celebrated around the time of Halloween up until Christmas Day. On the day after Christmas all the decorations are put away and Christmas trees are put on the curb.

However, in the Roman Catholic Church, the liturgical season of Christmas does not start until December 25 (including the vigil celebrated on December 24) and lasts through January. …”

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FAITHLINK: “The Chalking of the Doors: An Epiphany Tradition Explained” – 1P5

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Faith Links, Headlines
Nativity Scene Statuary at Church

“The chalking of the doors is a centuries-old practice throughout the world … an easy tradition to adopt, and a great practice whereby we dedicate our year to #God from its very outset, asking His blessing on our homes and on all who live, work or visit them there. …”

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FAITHLINK: “Chalking the Door: Blessing Your Home for Epiphany” – Aletia/Deacon Greg Kandra

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Faith Links, Headlines
View of Edge of Earth and Sun from Space, adapted from image at nasa.gov

“… The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and fifteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen. … Visit, O blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of Your Presence. Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of Your Love; and grant that we may manifest Your Love to each other and to all whose lives we touch. May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of You; guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace, O Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen. …”

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FAITHLINK: “Look for Jesus today, and when you see Him, rejoice” – Catholic Philly/Msgr. Joseph Prior

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Christ, Christ the King, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Faith Links, Headlines
Nativity Scene Statuary at Church

“… This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. The celebration commemorates the visit of the magi to the child Jesus, the King of the Jews. The significance of this feast is that Jesus is made manifest to the nations. The magi who come from foreign lands to see the newborn king represent the ‘nations.’ The light that comes into the world comes … for all peoples. The magi, following the light of the star, search for the child until they find Him in Bethlehem and ‘… on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ Coming to the close of the Christmas season, we have the opportunity to reflect, once again, on the birth of the Messiah. Our celebrations recall and remember that He has been born among us. We recognize the Gift of Life that comes through Him. We celebrate God becoming man and living among us. We commemorate God taking on flesh so that he could give it up on our behalf and thereby opening the gates of Eternal Life. …”

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FAITHLINK: “Pope Francis on Epiphany: Magi personify all who believe and long for God”

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Faith Links, Headlines, Pope Francis, Vatican
File Photo of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

“… Pope Francis in his homily spoke about these three Kings who, he said, ‘personify all those who believe, those who long for God, who yearn for their home, their heavenly homeland.’ They reflect, he added, ‘the image of all those who in their lives have not let their hearts become anesthetized.’ Like these kings, the Pope explained, ‘a holy longing for God helps us keep alert in the face of every attempt to reduce and impoverish our life. That longing keeps hope alive in the community of believers, which from week to week continues to plead: ‘Come, Lord Jesus.'” …”

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FAITHLINK: “Blessed Guerric of Igny: 2nd Sermon for the Epiphany”

Catholic Faith, Christ, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Faith Links, Headlines
View of Edge of Earth and Sun from Space, adapted from image at nasa.gov

“‘Arise, be enlightened, Jerusalem, for your Light has come.’ The Light indeed had come; He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, but the world did not know Him. He was born but He was not known, until this Day of Light began to manifest Him… . ‘Arise, you who sit in darkness; look at the light which has risen up in the darkness but is not mastered by the darkness. Draw near to Him and be enlightened, in His light you shall see the light; and it will be said to you: ‘You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.’ Look upon the Eternal Light which has tempered itself to your gaze, so that He who dwells in inaccessible light affords access even to weak and bleary eyes. …”

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FAITHLINK: #Catholic #Mass Readings: The #Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday 1.8.17 – USCCB/NABRV

Bible, Catholic, Catholic Faith, Catholic Mass, Christmas Season, Epiphany, Faith Links, Headlines
Historic Bible

“… And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the Child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the Child with Mary His Mother.
They prostrated themselves and did Him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. …”

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VIDEO: Catholic TV Mass: The Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday 1.8.17 – Heart of the Nation (Wisconsin)

Catholic, Catholic Faith, Catholic Mass, Christmas Season, Epiphany, TV Mass
Priest Lifting Large Host

Catholic TV Mass for The Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2016, from Heart of the Nation in Wisconsin. [Click here for Mass Readings]

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