Feast of the Epiphany

Join us on Tuesday, January 6th, for the Feast of the Epiphany and Chalk Blessing.

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.

The Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, proclaims the manifestation of Christ to the nations. Rooted in the Greek word meaning “appearing” or “revelation,” Epiphany highlights three moments in which Jesus’ divine nature was revealed: the visit of the Magi, who represent the Gentiles drawn to the light of Christ; his baptism in the Jordan, when the Spirit descended and the Father’s voice was heard; and his first miracle at Cana, turning water into wine. While the Western church has often focused on the Magi, the Eastern churches continue to emphasize the full threefold mystery, a balance recovered in modern lectionaries that assign the baptism and Cana stories to the Sundays following Epiphany. In many communities, the day is also marked by the blessing of chalk, used to inscribe above doorways the year and the initials C+M+B, recalling both the traditional names of the Magi and the Latin prayer Christus mansionem benedicat—“Christ bless this house.” Epiphany invites Christians to celebrate Christ as the light to all peoples and to welcome his presence into their homes and lives.