Almighty and eternal God, who has so made us of body, soul and spirit, that we live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from thee: Make us to hunger for the spiritual food of thy Word; and as we trust thee for our daily bread, may we also trust thee to give us day by day the inward nourishment of that living truth which thou hast revealed to us in thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

A salmon pink sky this morning on Glastonbury Tor, and then the rain came. pic.twitter.com/XTbTMz1RGN

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) March 11, 2022

O Heavenly Father, subdue in us whatever is contrary to thy holy will, that we may know how to please thee. Grant, O God, that we may never run into those temptations which in our prayers we desire to avoid. Lord, never permit our trials to be above our strength; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Good morning from the river Great Ouse in Ely 🧡💚💙
Beautiful colours at sunrise ☺️ pic.twitter.com/BwQyauZBD6

— Veronica in the Fens 🧚🏼‍♀️ (@VeronicaJoPo) March 9, 2022

The church prays with Ukraine because their cause is just and because they, like we, are vulnerable and imperiled, and they know it.

Ash Wednesday is about remembering that we will die, and that’s important. We are told to “number our days” (Ps. 90:12) and to remember that life is a vapor soon to vanish (James 4:14).

But it is also about how we died. Joined to Christ, we have died with him—in the most humiliating and shameful way possible. The way to glory is not the way of Rome, of Russia, or of our own desire to exalt or protect ourselves. The way to glory is the way of the cross.

In wartime, dictators should remember that, win or lose, they will die and that there will be no invading or conquering the kingdom of God. At Ash Wednesday—and all year round—we should remember this too.

Read it all.

“In wartime, dictators should remember that, win or lose, they will die and that there will be no invading or conquering the kingdom of God.” @drmoore on this Ash Wednesday:https://t.co/7twyqJwzzk

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) March 2, 2022

O Lord our God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity: Have mercy upon us, we beseech thee, for our sins accuse us, and we are troubled by them and put to shame. We have done wrong to ourselves in ignorance, and to our brethren in willfulness, and by our selfish and faithless ways have grieved thy Holy Spirit. Forgive us, we humbly pray thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Prayers for the Christian Year (SCM, 1964)

"Blue Hour at the Lake"#AlmostHeaven #WestVirginia #Highlands #StormHour #ThePhotoHour #blues pic.twitter.com/G0yn4h4Mpt

— Thomas R Fletcher (@ThomasRFletcher) March 3, 2022

Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Grateful for my many blessings! #AshWednesday @StPatsNYC pic.twitter.com/QNNvyZvVBV

— Rebekah (@RebekahAndrewsB) March 2, 2022

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst take upon thee the form of a servant, humbling thyself and accepting death for us, even the death of the cross: Grant that this mind may be also in us; so that we may gladly take upon ourselves the life of humility and service, and taking up our cross daily may follow thee in thy suffering and death, that with thee we may attain unto the power of thy endless life. Grant this, O Christ, our Saviour and our King.

"The ashes mean I'm a sinner. The shape of the cross means I have a Savior." – Fr. Mike Schmitz #AshWednesday pic.twitter.com/1d83Mv7Kwv

— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) March 1, 2022

On that Wednesday, throughout the world,
as it is appointed, priests bless
clean ashes in church, and then lay them
on people’s heads, so that they may remember
that they came from earth and will return again to dust,
just as Almighty God said to Adam,
after he had sinned against God’s command:
‘In labour you shall live and in sweat you shall eat
your bread upon the earth, until you return again
to the same earth from which you came,
for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’
This is not said about the souls of mankind,
but about their bodies, which moulder to dust,
and shall again on Judgement Day, through the power of our Lord,
rise from the earth, all who ever lived,
just as all trees quicken again in the season of spring
which were deadened by the winter’s chill.

Read it all.

'Þu eart dust and to duste gewendst.' An Anglo-Saxon Ash Wednesday and the link between Lent and spring: https://t.co/gW6skHKmRv

The word 'Lent' comes from the Old English word for spring, 'lencten', the season when the days are lengthening. pic.twitter.com/gDszcwXwJe

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) March 2, 2022

O Lord and heavenly Father, who hast given unto us thy people the true bread that cometh down from heaven, even thy Son Jesus Christ: Grant that throughout this Lent our souls may so be fed by him that we may continually live in him and he in us; and that day by day we may be renewed in spirit by the power of his endless life, who gave himself for us, and now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Good morning Twitter!☕🌞🕊️#HappyWednesday 👍👌🤗 pic.twitter.com/uylZS7J3lA

— Alex Matveeff (@alexgen0359) March 2, 2022

O God, fountain of love, pour thy love into our souls, that we may love those whom thou lovest with the love thou givest us, and think and speak of them tenderly, meekly, lovingly; and so loving our brethren and sisters for thy sake, may grow in thy love, and dwelling in love may dwell in thee; for Jesus Christ’s sake.

Hello Monday!
Seabrook Island SC pic.twitter.com/yA15E1hnRK

— Glen Cox (@GQCOP45) February 14, 2022

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly beseech thee that, as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

On #Candlemas, 2 Feb:

The Presentation in the Temple
c. 1390

Made in Lower Austria

(Met Museum) pic.twitter.com/8a9cdsaOQ2

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) February 2, 2022

God our creator,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Good morning from #scarborough Slightly later than usual for this #mondaythoughts photo 🥰 A sunrise photo in Peasholm Glen, low sun, bare trees, blue sky. Have a lovely day! pic.twitter.com/8eLHemKCxF

— Faith Young Writer (@FYoungWriter) January 31, 2022

O God, you know that we are set in the midst of many grave dangers, and because of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant that your strength and protection may support us in all dangers and carry us through every temptation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunrise on Cnicht pic.twitter.com/n4UxgHd55v

— Cito Lapram (@BloodNelsons) January 30, 2022

We beseech thee, O Lord, to perfect within us the work of grace which thou hast begun; grant us always to think, speak and do what is pleasing to thee; and keep us from falling back into the sins we have repented of; that we may live as in thy presence, and finish our lives in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Frozen Morning. -1°C and dappled cloud. A heron in the beck. pic.twitter.com/A9P34Nhsf5

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) January 21, 2022

Almighty God, the giver of strength and joy: Change, we beseech thee, our bondage into liberty, and the poverty of our nature into the riches of thy grace; that by the transformation of our lives thy glory may be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2nd Place, Landscape, in our 7th Annual Reader Photo Contest, photographed by Karen Kurkjian.

See the rest of this year's winning Reader Photo Contest images, including contest sponsor @NRCMenvironment's pick, here. ➡️ https://t.co/ptrQAh4Oyu pic.twitter.com/ak8gZyjQ0E

— Down East Magazine (@MagazineofMaine) January 20, 2022

Make us adept, Lord,
at reading the signs
of your working among us;
help us to be unencumbered
by the priorities and possessions
of the world;
rather help us to be free
for the purposes and promises
of your kingdom,
that we may always be ready
to follow your call.

–The Rev. Bill Braviner is a Vicar and Diocesan Disability Adviser in the Diocese of Durham, UK

"Dawn of a January Day"#AlmostHeaven #WestVirginia #Highlands #Stormhour #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/oqrDQLn6hA

— Thomas R Fletcher (@ThomasRFletcher) January 19, 2022

Almighty God,
in Christ you make all things new:
transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,
and in the renewal of our lives
make known your heavenly glory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Fantastic in every way, especially if you love gold skies: Adoration of the Magi by Lorenzo Monaco, 1422. Today is his day. pic.twitter.com/w6aRUKqEk8

— Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) November 21, 2021

Almighty God, who hast set in thy Church some with gifts to teach and help and administer, in diversity of operation but of the same Spirit: Grant to all such, we beseech thee, grace to wait on the ministry which they have received in the body of Christ with simplicity, diligence, and cheerfulness; that none may think of himself more highly than he ought to think, and none may seek another man’s calling, but rather to be found faithful in his own work; to the glory of thy name in Christ Jesus our Lord.

–The Rev. H. J. Wotherspoon [1850-1930], Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy”): A Manual of Private Prayers (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1905)

#Waiting4Christmas con l'Adorazione dei Magi di Jacopo #Pontormo del 1523c. eseguita dall'artista per l'anticamera del palazzo della famiglia Benintendi. Pontormo raffigura nella scena anche Sant'Anna, protettrice di Firenze, accanto a Maria.#GalleriaPalatina #PalazzoPitti pic.twitter.com/wCaD4PkgLT

— Gallerie Uffizi (@UffiziGalleries) December 18, 2018

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, worshiped, 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.

The Adoration of the Magi, Leonardo da Vinci, 1482 pic.twitter.com/B6XC05R6ni

— Jeremy Wayne Tate (@JeremyTate41) December 24, 2021

Almighty God, who to wise men who sought him didst manifest the Incarnation of thy Son by the bright shining of a star: Grant that, as they presented unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh, so we also out of our treasures may offer to him ourselves, a living sacrifice acceptable in thy sight; through him who for our sakes was born on earth as a little child, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Adoration of the Magi, 1482 #botticelli #sandrobotticelli pic.twitter.com/YQRQOKyl7q

— Sandro Botticelli (@artbotticelli) December 18, 2021

Words: Bishop Reginald Heber
Tune: ‘Epiphany’ – Joseph Thrupp

O Thou, in whom we live and move and have our being: We offer and present unto thee ourselves, all that we are and have, our thoughts and our desires, our words and our deeds, to be a living and continual sacrifice. We are not our own; therefore we would glorify thee in our bodies and our spirits, which are thine; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Like a kind of Hitchcock avant la lettre Dürer often pops up in his paintings – here in the Adoration of the Magi as one of the magi. pic.twitter.com/JsqlnsZZ3k

— Rembrandt's R👀m 🖌 (@RembrandtsRoom) August 9, 2019

O Almighty God, who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto thee, as our reasonable service: Hear us, we beseech thee, as we now come to thee in the name of Jesus Christ; and give us grace that we may dedicate ourselves wholly to thy service, and henceforth live only to thy glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Adoration of the Magi is a painting by Portuguese artist Domingos Sequeira, dated to 1828. It shows the common subject in the Nativity art of the visit by the Three Kings to the infant Jesus. (National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon). pic.twitter.com/vYuwrVVmWo

— EUROPEAN ART 💭 (@EuropeanArtHIST) June 17, 2020

Epiphany is the season in the Church year when we celebrate the coming of the light of Christ into a very dark world. It is a world-changing event that we can never fully comprehend. Epiphany is sometimes referred to as the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles – represented by the Magi, that rather odd set of characters introduced to us in Matthew’s Gospel (2:1-12). While tradition has promoted them to be Kings of the Orient and even given them names – Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar – we really know very little about them from the scriptures.

The story of the Magi’s search for the One who was born the King of the Jews has inspired generations. The story begins in the East, as they study the heavens looking for messages. They conclude that something, or someone, remarkable is about to be born and make a perilous journey to investigate further. Along the way they consult with King Herod and finally make their way to Bethlehem, where they find the infant Jesus with his family. After offering their extravagant gifts that have been the subject of many sermons and Epiphany pageants, they are warned in a dream about Herod’s ulterior motives and return home “by another way.” It is a story that never gets old with the retelling and appeals to all ages. It combines elements of a fascinating adventure story and of supernatural revelations that stretch the mind, no matter how sophisticated we think we have become.

Epiphany season is a good time to remember the many ways in which God still reveals himself to us. For some, those revelations are dramatic and life changing …

One of the classic moments of personal revelation was recorded by John Wesley in his journal of May 24, 1738:

In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society meeting in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading [Martin] Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

Thus the Methodist movement was born and the course of Christianity in England, the US, and beyond was changed for good!

Read it all.

Today's art: The Adoration of the Magi – El Greco https://t.co/EeTO8EC1EG pic.twitter.com/JgXXJZQhrj

— Art and the Bible (@artbible) August 23, 2019

Listen to it all.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst sit lowly in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions: Give unto thy servants that humility of heart, and willingness to learn, without which no man can find wisdom; to the glory of thy holy Name.

—Daily Prayer, Eric Milner-White and G. W. Briggs, eds. (London: Penguin Books 1959 edition of the 1941 original)

Catching an early swim on the loch – hope you have a wonderful, calm Wednesday friends #ScotlandisNow #StormHour #photography #photooftheday #landscape #OutAndAboutScotland #landscapephotography @VisitScotland @ScotsMagazine #friends #PhotoHour #stvsnaps #NatureBeauty pic.twitter.com/ghWPgRJrZW

— Mike Wood (@MikeMikwd) January 12, 2022

Everybody knows that Christmas is a season of joy. For one, it has at its heart a birth story. A new and healthy child came into the world, and his family rejoiced. Every birth is a new beginning, a fresh hope. Christmas joy overlaps with the most common of humanity’s great joys.

We tend not to associate joy with Epi­phany. In Epiphany, Christians re­member the visit that the sages from the East made to Bethlehem to honor the newborn Jesus, an act of gentile recognition of Christ’s divinity and mission (Matt. 2:1–12). In this season we also commemorate the first miracle Jesus performed—at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when Jesus revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him (John 2:1–11). Each of these seemingly unrelated events highlights a crucial aspect of joy.

Read it all.

The Feast of the #Epiphany, celebrating the arrival of the Magi, occurs on 6th January. This stained glass window, designed by Sir Edward Burne -Jones & created by William Morris’s company, was installed in the Epiphany Chapel at #WinchesterCathedral in 1910. #FolkloreThursday pic.twitter.com/yUn2T6Muzb

— Maude Frome (@frome_maude) January 5, 2022

O Blessed Lord, who in the days of thy earthly childhood didst earnestly desire to be about thy Father’s business: Give us the grace of thy Holy Spirit early to seek thee and evermore to follow thee; that being continuously aided by thy grace, we may be exercised in thy service; who livest and reignest with the Holy Spirit, world without end.

The word ‘epiphany’ means ‘manifestation’ or ‘appearance’.

The Feast of the Epiphany traditionally falls 12 days after Christmas Day, and marks the visit of the Magi.

During Epiphany, Jesus is revealed as the Saviour of the world, who calls us to follow him. pic.twitter.com/P11gnjJkbD

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) January 6, 2022

Almighty God, who at the baptism of thy blessed Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan didst manifest his glorious Godhead: Grant, we beseech thee, that the brightness of his presence may shine in our hearts, and his glory be set forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

As we prepare for the Baptism of the Lord tomorrow (Baptism of Christ, Giotto di Bondone 1304-1306). pic.twitter.com/RKH7owaCdb

— St Dominic's SF (@stdominicsSF) January 10, 2015

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst humble thyself to take the baptism of sinful men, and wast forthwith declared to be the Son of God: Grant that we who have been baptized into thee may rejoice to be the sons of God, and servants of all; for thy name’s sake, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest ever one God, world without end.

The Baptism of Jesus Christ. Byzantine mosaic of the Palatine Cappella of the Royal Palazzo (or dei Normanni), Palermo pic.twitter.com/q1Fjte13s6

— Emmanouela Grypeou (@EGrypeou) January 6, 2022

Eternal Father,
who at the baptism of Jesus
revealed him to be your Son,
anointing him with the Holy Spirit:
grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,
that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

The Baptism of Christ
Painting by Andrea del Verrocchio & Leonardo da Vinci (1475) #dailyart pic.twitter.com/Bxdtex15YT

— Gorgeous art (@great_artwork) April 18, 2014