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Showing posts with the label 11th day of Christmas

The 11th Hour

If you haven't celebrated Christmas by now, you're not likely to start. Conversely, you don't have to quite let it go yet. Fight the ahistoricity! It's a feast of twelve days and depending on how you count, this is eleven or Epiphany Eve. In the Christian East, tonight is the vigil of Theophany. Theophany/Epiphany are two different sides of the same coin. East vs. West The West honors the Magi--who represent all of us goyim--and the miracle at the wedding at Cana (water for wine, anyone?) The East honors Jesus' baptism, and in more minor ways his circumcision and the Magi, too. It's all about a manifestation, a revealing, a shining forth. The Trinity is revealed (at the baptism), salvation is revealed to all the world (the Magi), the start of Jesus' public ministry (Cana). Just as the Incarnation honors all bodies, as the Son suddenly was born with one, so Theophany honors all the Earth's waters. Paralleling the Jewish Festival ...

On the penultimate day of Christmas my true love gave to me. . .

Well, Christmas is almost over, unless you're Orthodox, then it starts tomorrow. Do they celebrate 12 days of feasting? How long is Advent for those people anyway? One of the best things about this Christmas is that through daily devotions my children have memorized the Lord's Prayer. Starting Monday we'll begin memorization work on the Decalogue. Additionally, with the end of Christmas comes an experiment the wife and I will try--Buy Nothing month! I'll keep you all posted. Merry Christmas, again.