January 8, 2007

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Having completed the twelve days of Christmas, we are now in the liturgical season of Epiphany, which means "appearance" or "manifestation." The Church celebrates three major instances of Christ's appearance in the opening weeks of this season: the manifestation to the Gentiles represented by the three wise men from the East; the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, which is the beginning of his public ministry; and the wedding of Cana where Jesus worked the first of his signs.

THEME FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY:

The Collect speaks of the manifestation through word and sacrament: "Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

The spousal imagery in the reading from Isaiah connects to the marriage feast described in today's Gospel: "You shall be called My Delight is in Her, and your land Married; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."

The epistle, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, is Paul's beautiful description of spiritual gifts: "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses."

The Gospel from John presents the wedding at Cana of Galilee that prompted Jesus to work "the first of his signs" to save a couple from embarrassment because the wine at their wedding was running out.

The epiphanies and manifestations of Christ in the Scriptures can be read on many different levels. The Fathers and Mothers of the Church did not see these manifestations simply as descriptions of past events. Rather, these epiphanies are models of how God is working in our lives today. For example, God still calls us "My Delight" and God still rejoices in us, as described in the passage from Isaiah. God empowers us with spiritual gifts, as God empowered the Corinthians. And God still is ;manifested in the loving commitment of spouses, friends, parents, and colleagues who come to the aid of a neighbor in need, as Jesus did at Cana. With the eyes of faith, we see many "signs" of God's loving goodness in the our midst today.

Sincerely,

David A. Killian
Rector

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The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 14, 2007

Sermon:

Saturday, January 13, at 5:00 pm: Mr. Daniel MacDonald
Sunday, January 14, at 10:30 am: The Rev. Christen Frothingham
Sunday, January 14, at 6:00 pm: Mr. Daniel MacDonald

* * *

For the Collect of the Day, Scripture Readings, and Psalm, click here.

For a note on the Music at the Sunday 10:30 am service, from All Saints Music Director Donald Teeters, click here.

For a Story from this Sunday's Gospel by Becky Taylor, Director of Children's Youth, and Family Ministry, click here.

For a note on the Sunday 6:00 pm 'Episcopal Evening' service from Assistant Rector, the Rev. Leslie K. Sterling, click here.

To browse past issues of the All Saints Weekly, click here.

For "All Saints Smiles" and news about events, activities, programs, ministries and the staff of our parish, please click on the All Saints website: www.allsaintsbrookline.org.

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