Is This The Baptism of the Lord or The Feast of the Holy Family? - A Sunday Thought

Well, what is it: the Baptism of the Lord, or the Feast of the Holy Family? 

As we've come to know all too well, the traditional Catholic Liturgical Calendar and the Newfangled one clash here, as they often do. But rather than dwell on the clashing of calendars, we offer a few comments about The Epiphany.

Why the Epiphany? Well, the Newfangled makes a point that the Baptism of the Lord was an instantiation of "epiphany' i.e., manifestation of Our Lord. Through this epiphany He reveals Himself. Such an epiphany took place also when the Three Wise Men visited Him, and when He turned water into wine. 

In the traditional calendar, this Feast of the Holy Family falls on as Sunday also designated as "after Epiphany - as will all Sundays now be designated until we reach Septuagesima Sunday, our first hint of the coming of Lent.

And so "epiphany" joins these two "clashing" Sundays under one umbrella. So back to The Epiphany:

First, a comment about how the Feast of the Epiphany has itself been gerrymandered by the Newfangled. As we should all know, the actual Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated for many centuries, is January 6th. The Traditional Calendar preserves this. The Newfangled moves this ancient venerable feast to a Sunday. Why? Don't know for sure, but suspect it's got something to do with not wanting to "burden" us poor Catholic peasants with having to go to Mass an extra time. 

(Similar changes moved Ascension Thursday to a Sunday in many Dioceses in the U.S.)

Okay, so that's a snipe at the Novus Ordo syndicate. But on a more positive note, we get to the Traditional Calendar. There we continue to observe the Epiphany on January 6th. And doing so, we align ourselves centuries of religious observance. Indeed, in some countries, the Epiphany served as the day that gifts were exchanged - a reference to the gifts of the Magi.

Growing up, the Feast of the Epiphany - January 6th - was not a gift-giving day. But it was something quite special. We went to Mass. It stood proudly on its own, not sharing its space with a Sunday. We anticipated it joyfully. And once it passed, it was referenced, as noted above every Sunday until Septuagesima.

The result? The Epiphany was ensconced in our minds and hearts as a BIG DEAL. It was a most special Feast Day that spread its graces for week upon week. 

Recall that the same holds for Pentecost in the Traditional Calendar. Sunday's after it are designated the "Xth" Sunday after Pentecost, as we've noted so many times in our posts. Same result. Pentecost, like the Epiphany, does not shrink into a "one and done" observance. It's importance to us Catholics is not minimized or shunted aside as, frankly, occurs in the Newfangled Calendar.

Replacing these most sensible practices, the Newfangled gives us "Ordinary Time." No comment.

But let's not get stuck in these clearly distinct practices. Let's simply spend our Sunday as it was designed by God Himself - a day of worship, a day of rest. Let's determine to continue to observe our Sundays in 2025 as so designated. Let the Church work out its strange bifurcation, developed since Vatican II. Let us, on the other hand, remember that our primary task in this life is to seek holiness, sanctification of our souls, that we may eventually be accepted into Divine Presence some day.

God will it. He wants us to spend eternity in happiness with Him. So often He wants this more than we want it for ourselves. But perhaps 2025 will be the year when at least some of us get this and turn our lives around and live according to His Will and not our own.

Pray that God grant us the Grace on this Feast of the Holy Family and/or the Baptism of the Lord.

Take your pick.

Happy New Year!

Happy Sunday!