Holy I could've had a V-8 Moments! "Blogger Sara what does this mean?'"

Good Evening Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey!

Do you know what day it is? Today is the Feast of the Epiphany and that means we have left the Christmas Season and are now in Epiphanytide. This is the season where we get to dial in and have those Holy I could've had a V-8 moments a.k.a Epiphanies ! Yes, dear family we get to experience those holy a ha moments and discover things that we never have thought about. How did these Epiphanies start? Let's take a journey back in time to one special one!
The place A manger or other dwelling in Bethlehem
The Key Players: Baby Jesus, Mary his Mama, and Joseph his Father on Terra Firma 
Three Wise Men from the East : Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior, a few camels and their handlers, cows, sheep, donkeys, and a famous Star  and not to mention a mean dude King Herod!
Essential Gifts: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh 

Does this sound familiar? If not let us take time and go back and hear and read the Lessons for the Feast of the Epiphany!


But first let us pray the collect for  the Epiphany:

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

Deus, judicium

1 Give the King your justice, O God, *

and your righteousness to the King's Son;

2 That he may rule your people righteously *

and the poor with justice;

3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *

and the little hills bring righteousness.

4 He shall defend the needy among the people; *

he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *

from one generation to another.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *

like showers that water the earth.

7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; *

there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *

and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.

11 All kings shall bow down before him, *

and all the nations do him service.

12 For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *

and the oppressed who has no helper.

13 He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *

he shall preserve the lives of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *

and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

The New Testament

Ephesians 3:1-12

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

The Gospel

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

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         Why was this Epiphany so important? It opened the was of Jesus to all not just the Jews but the Gentiles as well. Tonight we must begin anew and start weaving us back together as a family of Love with CALM and giving at its very core. So dear ones let us make vigil and let our lights begin to shine brightly with God's love, kindness, and giving of ourselves one to another.

Anthem at the Candle Lighting

Epiphany 

All nations shall be blessed in him, * and do him service.

All nations shall be blessed in him, and do him service.

All kings shall bow down before him:

And do him service.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

All nations shall be blessed in him, and do him service.

V. The kings of Tarshish and the isles shall pay tribute:

R. The kings of Arabia and Saba shall offer gifts.

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,

pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,

O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,

and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,

O Son of God, O Giver of life,

and to be glorified through all the worlds.

96 Cantate Domino

1 Sing to the Lord a new song; *

sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.

2 Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *

proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations *

and his wonders among all peoples.

4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *

he is more to be feared than all gods.

5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *

but it is the Lord who made the heavens.

6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *

Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!

7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *

ascribe to the Lord honor and power.

8 Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *

bring offerings and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *

let the whole earth tremble before him.

10 Tell it out among the nations: "The Lord is King! *

he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity."

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *

let the field be joyful and all that is therein.

12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy

before the Lord when he comes, *

when he comes to judge the earth.

13 He will judge the world with righteousness *

and the peoples with his truth.

100 Jubilate Deo

1 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *

serve the Lord with gladness

and come before his presence with a song.

2 Know this: The Lord himself is God; *

he himself has made us, and we are his;

we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise; *

give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

4 For the Lord is good;

his mercy is everlasting; *

and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

The Song of Mary Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen

       Gracious God who lead the Magi by the light of  a star to the Holy Family may we always be led to you and follow where you lead us, each day that we live, move, and be.

      

      Gracious God we pray for the people who were killed and injured in Fort Lauderdale today and their family members who are coming to 

      terms with another senseless act of gun violence. 

Gracious God who leads us each day to new and amazing epiphanies may we keep our eyes and spirits fresh to seek and see the many epiphanies around us.

Gracious God who leads us to care from the depths of our heart homes may we offer our prayers for our family members who are struggling. Remembering____________________

Gracious God who  has called us all by name and counted each hair on our heads as precious, may we see all our family members and yes, even our enemies as our beloved brothers and sisters whom you have made.

Gracious God we pray for all who are ill and especially all those who are in hospitals, care facilities, and rehabilitation centers. Heal them O Lord and may they feel your loving presence as they take it one day at a time on their healing journey.

Gracious God we pray for all who mourn the loss of  family members past and present.

Gracious God we pray for peace in our own land in in the nations of the world where there is violence, war, degradation, and terror.

Gracious God be with all those who are homeless, hungry, and ill clothed during the extreme weather. We pray for all the least of these. May we rise and help them O God.

Gracious God we continue to pray for _________________.

Gracious God we continue to give thanks for our many blessings made manifest this day and always.

Gracious God we lay these our prayers in the arms and in the name of your Son Jesus' who  is our healer, redeemer, brother, friend, and teacher. Amen.

                                        Additional Prayers

        Dear God in the silence and your light we hear your voice calling us to love, serve,and give thanks.

        In the silence and your light  O God,we pray that peace will prevail upon this your fragile and broken world. 

        In the silence O God, help us to realize that wherever we plant our feet, take a breath, and live that is holy ground for a holy people.

        In the silence and your light O God,we pray for all of our family members who are in need of healing of body, mind, and spirits.

         In the silence and your light O God, help us to be still and know that You are God.

        In the silence and your light O God, , we pray for the needs of the least of these that we may come into their lives without fear but quietly, gently, and with compassion.

       In the silence and your light  O God, listen for you walking in your Cathedral of Life at the time of the evening breeze.

        In the silence and your light  O God, give us loving and joyful hearts that are enlivened and on fire  for you!

        In the silence and your light   O God, we give thanks for all of your goodness and mercy and offer our thanks______

        In the silence and your light  O God we pray for the troubled areas of the world  and for all refugees, captives, political prisoners, victims of human trafficking, and violence in its many forms.

        In the silence and your light  O God, we pray for all who are mourning the losses of loved ones or any kind of loss. We pray that they may gradually accept silence as cleansing and healing and not something to run away from.

        In the silence and your light  O God, help us to rely and put our trust in your love, grace, mercy, and inclusion.

        In the silence and your light  O God, we add our additional prayers for ourselves and on behalf of others especially____________

         In the silence and your light  O God, we lift up these our prayers to your Only Son Jesus the Christ our redeemer, healer,reconciler, brother, master, and friend, Amen.

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        Good Night Dear Ones! I hope you have many Holy  I could've had a V-8 moments in the coming weeks. I love you and Give thanks to you this day and always!

            

      Love and blessings!

      

     Sara 

PS. Epiphany Music tomorrow! Stay tuned a new theme begins!