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.