Traditional Epiphany

      Today, the 6th of January, is the 12th day of Christmas - the traditional feast of the Epiphany.  We in the U.S., of course, celebrate it this Sunday.  It is the celebration of the manifestation of the Christ to those who seek him, expanding the promise of salvation beyond the Children of Abraham.  It is the feast of the Magi, the Wise Men, the Three Kings.  I will share on this more on Sunday.

     I have been under the weather since yesterday afternoon ... a touch of the flu maybe.  Feeling very blah and uncertain with what I eat.  That is why I did not post yesterday.  In fact, I did something that I rarely do - I canceled Mass this morning - and on a First Friday (my apologies to the regular Mass goers).  I know why I got sick, though.  The night before last I watched a recent movie called "Contagion", about a mysterious epidemic that spread like wildfire.  I knew that I would touch something that I should not have, and thus become infected.  I'll watch what I watch from now on!

     I always keep track of Church news through Rocco in Whispers in the Loggia.  In the last day and a half much has happened, beginning with our Holy Father announcing a list of new Cardinal-designates that will be given the red hat in February.  I think that there were twenty-two, with two of those being from the United States: Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York and Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.  We congratulate them.

     The other big news from Rocco is that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is undergoing a major restructuring of the Diocesan schools to be announced today, a day after the feast of Saint John Neumann, the fourth bishop of Philly, who was instrumental in establishing the Catholic School System in the U.S.  Any of us that have had to undergo restructuring know the importance of offering Philly our prayers and support.