We observed Epiphany on Sunday in the parish, so today was just Tuesday fter Epiphany, and not the Feast itself, in Abingdon. But in the larger church, today is the Feast of the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, so cheers for us on Team Gentiles today. And modified cheers for snow on Epiphany (I don’t remember so much snow for a long time) and on a more solmn note, the year’s mind of Margaret’s dad, Dick Bamforth.
It had not started snowing yet when I left home for my morning miles; it came as a surprise when the sun had come up and I looked out the back door to see real, actual snow dusting the garden, and then even more snow when I left the house for church. I didn’t run this morning, just run-walked, especially for the stretch on Park Road where the shadow of St Michael’s blocks the sun from warming and melting the accumulated frost-ice. The slippery conditions and my intent to coddle my Achilles tendon this morning (and my plan to leaven my running with regular breaks gently to accommodate aging knees) turned out well. The miles took about half again as long as when I run it, which satisfies me, and my tendon gave me no challenges.
Coffee and fruit, shower and dress, Morning Prayer and then public office hours at R&R, and in a bit I will go back to church for a meeting of the Pastoral Team. I plan on doing some reading today, and perhaps writing an overdue review (amazing what can happen when one doesn’t have overdue essays hanging over one’s head).
Wishing all the peace of a snowy Epiphany, and consolation and healing from the sadness of bereavement. May the souls of our beloved rest in the peace and light of divine grace, and may their memory be for a blessing.
Blessing to you in this new liturgical seasons. These are the seasons of meaningfulness to me. I wish we had more than just four or so months of intense spiritual and congregational rhythms and then 8 months of plain old ordinary time!
In the United Church of Canada we used to have a season of Creation. I think it went from Oentaxist to early August when we celebrate the transfiguration. But that was when I was too young to grok it.
Update. We still have it. It runs from the beginning of September to Canadian Thanksgiving.
https://united-church.ca/blogs/round-table/imagining-something-more
I’m well satisfied with Ordinary Time — most of my life is Ordinary Time (compared to, say, miraculous births or triumphs over death), and this reminds me that there’s a lot left for me to do precisely in Ordinary Time….