January 2. Epiphany Sunday. Arise shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  Some of the members of a J&P group had recently completed an RCIA course. “This has really improved our understanding of the Bible and Church teaching,” Portia said. Jonathan added, “But we’re still always learning something new too. I learned, from the explanation in my missal, that the deeper message of the feast of the Epiphany is not really about wise men following a star and what gifts they brought. The feast originated in Egypt and replaced a pagan feast that celebrated the victory of light over darkness. In the northern hemisphere this would have been after many months of darkness. It has been put in the context of the manifestation of Jesus, the Light of the World, an image frequently used by John, the evangelist. But we can still sing ‘We three Kings!’” and “You light up my life!”  Becoming an eco-friendly family:  Discuss Laudato Si action goal 1. Response to the cry of the earth.

Arise shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples, but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you.  Isaiah 60:1-6.    Pope Francis:  The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family.  Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me and that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters. Lumen Fidei 53-55