Epiphany

LuAnn would agree this has been the best and most meaningful Christmas in our lives. We haven't been too distracted by all the shopping days and commercialization of Christmas to live the true meaning of Christmas this year.

Christmas has been more of an Epiphany for us this season as we have worked hard at our spiritual program all year. The dividends have been great.

It started during Lent and has carried over through today! I never made a post or answered an email for the month of April. I never read the Internet that month. Our Christmas tree is still up and I am enjoying today as another day of Christmas even though it is the last tax day for 2011.

"Epiphany, (Koine Greek: ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation", "striking appearance"[1]) or Theophany, (Ancient Greek (ἡ) Θεοφάνεια, Τheophaneia) meaning "vision of God",[2] which falls on January 6, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God.[3]

Eastern Churches following the Julian Calendar observe the Theophany feast on January 19[4] because of the 13-day difference today between that calendar and the generally used Gregorian calendar.[5] For Roman Catholics in many countries, the feast is celebrated on the Sunday that falls between January 2 and January 8.[6][7]

Alternative names for the feast include (τα) Θεοφάνια, Theophany as neuter plural rather than feminine singular, η Ημέρα των Φώτων, i Imera ton Foton (modern Greek pronuntiation), he hemera ton photon (restituted classic pronuntiation), "The Day of the Lights", and τα Φώτα, ta Fota, "The Lights".

We think the whole country would be in better moral shape if we all just tried to integrate more of this thinking into our daily lives. We are not alone in this and it has been a revitalization of our spiritual lives into our daily lives this year.

I hope this year has been more like that for you this year, too but we can start on next year today!

Ed