Epiphany

Manifested in Glory

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord. (The Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas, but that’s another story.)

Some churches have a festival service with communion (some of my family went to Wangen for that; I have reasons to stay behind, and observe privately). And in this part of the world, in most of Europe, people have special traditions in the feasting, including some sort of Kings Bread, with one or more tokens of blessings inside. The one we got yesterday was large, so it was not finished for breakfast, and no king found, despite the valiant efforts of the young people. They took the remainder and the crown along on their day’s tour, and we will hear who gets the king and crown. 

And in all it is a good time to reflect on Christ’s three-fold office, as Prophet (speaking to His people from God), Priest (speaking to God for His people), and King (ruling over and directing all things for His glory and our good), as represented in the gifts the Wise Men gave Him: respectively for each office, Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold. One could meditate long on the whole story of Mathew 2, or even in the choice of gifts given, and all God’s grace and glory shown in them.

Blessings on the start of the Epiphany season.