Domestic Church: The Kalendar
The Rev. Michael K. Templin / Epiphanytide, 2023, Issue 5
As we conclude Christmastide on Twelfth Night and move into the season of Epiphany, it might be easy to put up the tree, stop the festivities, and move on to the “business” calendar like many of our Christian contemporaries—especially the secular world around us. But, I bid you, as does the Holy Kalendar of our Church, to hold fast to the seasons we’re currently in and the seasons that will continue to unfold. Beginning with Advent, we wait for Christ; at Christmas, we celebrate His nativity, and during Epiphanytide, we learn of His mighty power as a miracle worker and see His divinity revealed in many of the scriptures. In Shrovetide, we prepare ourselves for the forty-day Lenten journey that will start on Ash Wednesday, being rejected and in want with Christ. During Passiontide, we walk with Jesus to His holy sufferings; in Eastertide, we glory in the resurrection of Christ’s power over death; in Ascensiontide, we see Him fully as He is - the God King reigning over the universe. And at Pentecost, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to give us strength to walk, perhaps stumble, often crawl through the season of Trinity that represents the normal Christian life until we finally reach Hallowtide, where we remember again our mortality, but with the magnificent promise of sainthood to those who stay in Christ.
Our lives are not our own (1 Cor 6:19). We have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20), we are called to be in frequent prayer (Col 4:2), and to regular assembly (Heb 10:25). We talked last time about making our homes a monastery - let's continue steadfast in the holy work. Some wonderful practices during Epiphanytide would be to continue in faithfulness to the Daily Offices. At Morning Prayer, there is a special Antiphon that is used before (and traditionally after the Gloria Patri) the Venite during the Octave: “The Lord has manifested forth his glory…” (BCP, p.8). The Collect for Epiphany is also said daily through the Octave (BCP, p. 108). In your family or private devotions, perhaps learn a verse of an appropriate hymn to sing each night. During Advent, my family sang the first verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel '' each evening - the children really looked forward to it each night, and when we finally sang it at church, they were very excited. During Christmastide, we are singing the first verse of “Joy to the World.” Perhaps in Epiphany, the first verse of “We Three Kings” (Hymn 83), What Star is This? (Hymn 85), or “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise” (Hymn 91). Whatever you do, do something consistent! Finally, remember to try to make the Church Kalendar come alive in special ways for you and your family! Come to the Twelfth-Night dinner, chalk your doors, go star gazing, and or bake a King Cake. Children will especially love these memory-making experiences and look forward to them each year. Moreover, it reinforces what we’re doing at Church in the home - a key to disciple-making. Keep Christ in Epiphany!
The Rev. Michael K. Templin is an assisting priest at St. Benedict’s Anglican Church and the Reformed Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Holy Communion in Dallas, Texas.
