Lyrics: Learned men come from the East seeking Jerusalem and saying, “ Where is he that was born king of the Jews, whose star we have seen? For we have come with gifts to worship the Lord.”
The wise men, seeing the star, said to one another, “This is the sign of a great king; let us go and search for him, and offer him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Alleluia.”
Listen to it all from the Sistine Chapel Choir.Almighty and everlasting God, who hast made known the incarnation of thy Son by the bright shining of a star, which when the wise men beheld they adored thy majesty and presented costly gifts: Grant that the star of thy righteousness may always shine in our hearts, and that for our treasure we may give to thy service ourselves and all that we have; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Adoration of the Magi is one of the most beautiful and beloved scenes in art, cherished by artists throughout history
— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) January 6, 2025
A Thread 🧵 to honor today, January 6th, a wonderful religious celebration of Epiphany
✨Maarten de Vos, Adoration of the Magi 1599 pic.twitter.com/igyWSU83hH
How could they have known not to come
On what amounted to pretense? Everything
Their learning held, all their beliefs
Said regal gifts were needful for a king.
The things they brought were left behind,
Doubtless; or maybe traded for bread:
Impecunious Joseph with a family
To feed, a roof to put over his head.
Adoration of the Magi–Jan Gossaert pic.twitter.com/zPJWpnaSE2
— Sr. Helena Raphael Burns, fsp (@SrHelenaBurns) January 6, 2025
This day is called the Epiphany of the Lord, that is, ‘the day of God’s manifestation’. On this day Christ was manifested to the three kings, who from the eastern part of the world sought him with threefold offerings. Again, after the passage of years, he was manifested to the world on this day at his baptism, when the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, rested upon him, and the Father’s voice sounded loudly from heaven, saying, “This is my dear Son, who is well pleasing to me; listen to him.” On this day also he turned water into noble wine, and thereby manifested that he is the true Creator who could change created things. For these three reasons this feast is called God’s Manifestation.
On the first day of his birth he was revealed to three shepherds in the land of Judea, through the announcement of the angel. On the same day he was made known to the three astronomers in the east, through the bright star, but it was on this day they came with their offerings… The eastern astronomers saw a new bright star, not in heaven among other stars, but a lone wanderer between heaven and earth. Then they understood that the wondrous star indicated the birth of the true King in the country over which it glided; and they therefore came to the kingdom of Judea, and sorely frightened the wicked king Herod by their announcement; for without doubt earthly wickedness was confounded, when the heavenly greatness was disclosed.
'Ða easternan tungelwitegan gesawon niwne steorran beorhtne, angenga betwux heofenum and eorðan.'
— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) January 6, 2025
'The eastern astronomers saw a new bright star, a lone wanderer between heaven and earth.'
An Anglo-Saxon sermon for the feast of the Epiphany: https://t.co/n6pFYATOvl pic.twitter.com/51Z74v0xkj
…that this star was not of the common sort, or rather not a star at all, as it seems at least to me, but some invisible power transformed into this appearance, is in the first place evident from its very course. For there is not, there is not any star that moves by this way, but whether it be the sun you mention, or the moon, or all the other stars, we see them going from east to west; but this was wafted from north to south; for so is Palestine situated with respect to Persia.
In the second place, one may see this from the time also. For it appears not in the night, but in mid-day, while the sun is shining; and this is not within the power of a star, nay not of the moon; for the moon that so much surpasses all, when the beams of the sun appear, straightway hides herself, and vanishes away. But this by the excess of its own splendor overcame even the beams of the sun, appearing brighter than they, and in so much light shining out more illustriously.
…[Later in the narrative] it did not, remaining on high, point out the place; it not being possible for them so to ascertain it, but it came down and performed this office. For ye know that a spot of so small dimensions, being only as much as a shed would occupy, or rather as much as the body of a little infant would take up, could not possibly be marked out by a star. For by reason of its immense height, it could not sufficiently distinguish so confined a spot, and discover it to them that were desiring to see it. And this any one may see by the moon, which being so far superior to the stars, seems to all that dwell in the world, and are scattered over so great an extent of earth,””seems, I say, near to them every one. How then, tell me, did the star point out a spot so confined, just the space of a manger and shed, unless it left that height and came down, and stood over the very head of the young child? And at this the evangelist was hinting when he said, “Lo, the star went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.”
Happy Christmas! And a blessed solemnity of the Epiphany! pic.twitter.com/KKLPYGdtrS
— Fr John S. Hogan, ocds (@jshocds) January 6, 2025
O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
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.
Epiphany!
— Dr Helen Wilson (@NellytheWillow) January 6, 2025
The Magi visiting the infant Christ, represented here, rather unusually for #Devon, on the early C16 chancel screen at Buckland-in-the-Moor. The fabulous original colour was conserved by Eddie Sinclair. 📸: my own pic.twitter.com/mHUYCzS1SN
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good tidings,
who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice,
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
–Isaiah 52:7-10
Today is the #Epiphany of Our Lord when we celebrate the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child.
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) January 6, 2025
Everyone is welcome to join us for Sung Eucharist at 5pm (GMT), either in the Abbey or from wherever you are via our livestream: https://t.co/Y0WPsR3Li2 pic.twitter.com/Gqap67gIPc