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Friday 6 January 2017

Epiphany 2017 - Post I: The absurdity of the transference of the Feast and to eat meat or not to eat meat, that is the question!

When Jesus, our Lord was born at Bethlehem in the land of Judea, ...



Today, January 6, is the Epiphany of the Lord.  A blessed Feast to you!

Yet, in most of our countries and dioceses, Rome excepted at least, it is not. It is transferred to Sunday. 

The Wise Men will be late this year, as they've stopped to alleviate the suffering in Aleppo, ("What's a leppo") and are delayed by two days. The absurdity of celebrating liturgically Epiphany two days late is only outdone by that fact that in 2011, they got to Bethlehem so quickly, perhaps then, arriving on January 2, on a supersonic camel. At least, in 2019, the new odoured liturgists and their Bishop's Conferences will get it correct, when January 6 actually falls on a Sunday, and we'll all be on the same page.

To top off the absurdity of the transfer, today, Friday, is a day of penance and abstinence from meat, for those Catholics who even bother, or care.

Yet, what do we find in Matins today at the Antiphon for the Benedictus at Lauds?


Ant. Hódie cælésti sponso iuncta est Ecclésia, quóniam in Iordáne lavit Christus eius crímina; currunt cum munéribus magi ad regáles núptias; et ex aqua facta vino lætántur convívæ, allelúia.

Ant. This day is the Church joined unto the Heavenly Bridegroom, * since Christ hath washed away her sins in Jordan; the wise men hasten with gifts to the marriage supper of the King; and they that sit at meat together make merry with water turned into wine. Alleluia.

It is the same antiphon in the modernist and deformed Liturgy of the Hours with its missing and edited psalms, the ones that are too offensive for modernist ears. So, to eat meat or not to eat meat? Epiphany is the oldest Feast in the Church, even predating Christmas. It is a Solemnity or First Class Feast, in many places, it was a Holy Day of Obligation. Some are of the opinion that today is a day of abstinence if the Epiphany is transferred off of today. What absurdity. Read the antiphon! If it was good enough for them, then it is good enough for us! It is Epiphany in Rome and thus a Solemnity., but the poor rubes in Canada and the United States and other places can't eat "meat together and make merry" like those clericalist and careerists in Rome? Will our newly rotund Pope be eating cod today? I doubt it! 

At Vespers we find this great antiphon, set to music by some of the greatest composers, including Palestrina. Even in Jakarta, they know this:


Ant. Tribus miráculis * ornatum diem sanctum cólimus: hódie stella Magos duxit ad præsépium: hódie vinum ex aqua factum est ad núptias: hódie in Jordáne a Joánne Christus baptizári vóluit, ut salváret nos, allelúja.

Ant. This day we keep a holiday in honour of three wonders, * this day a star led the wise men to the manger; this day at the marriage, water was made wine; this day was Christ, for our salvation, pleased to be baptized of John in Jordan. Alleluia.

How many Catholics are aware that the Church has always believed that on this day did take place in their respective years, the three great manifestations of Our Lord, His Epiphany to the Gentiles, His miracle of turning water into wine at Cana, thus beginning His ministry and the next year, most likely; His Baptism at the Jordan. One can recall the great hymn by Wordsworth, Songs of Thankfulness and Praise recalling not only these mysteries, but the Gospels for the early Sundays in Epiphanytide, healing the "palsied limbs."

We have lost much liturgically and culturally and we must strive as Catholics to restore both, notwithstanding our emasculated and modernist Shepherds.

Oh, and Fox and Vox will sit and eat "meat together" - in honour of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb of God baptised at the Jordan, we will have "rack of lamb," and red wine in honour of His Miracle at Cana followed by Vespers at home and then Sung Mass in the traditional rite in the evening.


14 comments:

Kathleen said...

Merry Christmas!

Moving Epiphany IS beyond stupid.

I struggle with the Friday conflict too. And I think your reasoning is perfectly sound.

But I also struggle with an inclination towards scruples, so my compromise is to fix a special shrimp dish for dinner this year.

I made lovely lamb in honor of the Feast of the Circumcision.

philipjohnson said...

Good for you Vox!It was,and is,ridiculous to move a Feast day at all.What confusion indeed.We need to get back to Tradition ,Tradition,and Tradition.

Deacon John said...

I'd rather not eat meat on any Friday during the year in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world, especially abortion! It's wonderful that we have a choice! Ven. Mary of Agreda wrote that Our Lord Jesus Christ never ate meat ever! (City of God).

Anonymous said...

Christ is Baptized!

Dear Vox,

I am so proud of you for returning to your rightful heritage, the TLM.

Since today is Theophany (Epiphany), we also have no fasting or abstinence.

There are 4 or 5 Fridays of the year in which Ukrainian and Byzantine Catholics have no fasting or abstinence:

Dec. 25 - Jan. 4 inclusive

From the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee to the Sunday of the Prodigal Son,

Bright Week (the week after Pascha/Easter)

Green Week (the week after Pentecost - the TL calendar has an ember day here)

Obviously, on the great feasts of Our Lord (except the Exaltation of the Holy Cross), there's no fasting or abstinence.

Mom and I went to the Divine Liturgy this morning. Father also had the Great Blessing of Water and Myrovania (Anointing) after the Liturgy.

We have just finished lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed my veal cutlet today. Have a glass of vino for me tonight.

Wishing you and your family a Holy New Year and Holy Theophany.

Yours in Christ the King,

Margaret

Anonymous said...

I agree with you 100%. What REALLY irks me about the NO calendar is not only that they transfer Holy Days, but if a Holy Day of Obligation falls on a Saturday the Monday, then there's no obligation to attend Mass. (That's the practice for RCs in the US; I don't know what they do in Canada.)

One of my major pet peeves is when they transfer the Feast of the Ascension from Thursday to Sunday. We have the Sunday of the Father's of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea that day, so there's no way we in the UGCC could transfer it to Sunday.



Vox Cantoris said...

Ha, in Canada we have two! That's right, two Holy Days of Obligation.

Christmas and Mary, Mother of God!

Anonymous said...

TWO Holy Days of Obligation??? That's horrible!!!!

Margaret

Vox Cantoris said...

"In accordance with the prescriptions of c. 1246, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops hereby decrees that the holydays of obligation to be observed in Canada are: all Sundays of the year, Christmas Day, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God.

The feasts of the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) will be transferred to the following Sunday."

Prior to 1969, they were:

Immaculate Conception
Christmas
Circumcision of Our Lord - Octave Day of Christmas
Epiphany of the Lord
Ascension of the Lord
Corpus Christi
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
All Saints

Anonymous said...

Other than you and all the Voxites, I wonder how many Canadians and Americans know that Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Mick Jagger Gathers No Mosque said...

GREAT post, sir.


Kudos

Kathleen1031 said...

Can I ask, if anyone would be so kind, to recommend any reading material which would illuminate my dim head about the proper celebration of these rites and traditions? I admit, I am lost as to what you all are saying. I get the gist, but where are you finding these dates and what to celebrate when? Any recommendations on user-friendly sources for the traditional and correct dates of these liturgical celebrations or days would be most welcome, because I am perpetually in the dark on these! I note there is a contradiction right now on Epiphany, and I would prefer the traditional day be honored in our home, even though all we now have access to is NO. HOW to celebrate them at home would be nice, because that is all we have.
Please let me thank you in advance.

Vox Cantoris said...

Hello Kathleen,

There are many options. Can you write me directly at voxcantoris@rogers.com and I'll see where I can point you.

Kathleen1031 said...

Will do Vox! Many thanks to you.

Anonymous said...

Signs of the New Age Catholic Church where Man is God. Transfer Holidays to acommadate Man. Do not inconvenience Man for Gods Sake. This New Age Catholic Church is trying to enslave God to Man and his fallen nature.