Dear Brothers and Sisters,
LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!!
If there is ANYTHING that I dislike about winter, it’s not cold, snow or wind—as long as I have the right winter clothing. It’s not driving on bad roads—I don’t do it, if I have anything to say about it. It’s not hearing everyone’s grumbles about the weather. It’s that there isn’t as much light as there is the rest of the year. Growing up on a farm, I am totally attuned to the solar cycle. When the sun gets up, so do I. And I’m pretty much UP until the sun goes to sleep. Lots of things to be done in the stillness of the early morning, before the more urban world gets busy. In the winter, the sun gets up late and I would like to as well. It sets early and so I start getting drowsy early. Not that I mind the nighttime, mind you. I love the velvety black sky with the silvery star diamonds and the bright beam of the moon.
I am delighted with the warmer temperatures we’ve been having for the last few days, and grateful for the not-terribly-chilly nights (not just for my heating budget, but also for all the folks who are outside). But the light is still dimmer than I’d prefer.
So you can imagine how much I love EPIPHANY!!!! The season when we celebrate enthusiastically the LIGHT that has come into the world, and which darkness cannot defeat.
Indeed, one of my favorite prayers is the ancient Greek Phos Hilaron (literally Gladdening Light), which we use in Evening Prayer.
O Gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So, continuing our celebration of JOY, we delight in the gradually increasing light, while we ponder and give thanks for the LIGHT of the World!
Looking forward to praying, singing, and celebrating with YOU!
JOY!
Laura+
UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Sun Feb 6, 1:30 PM: Annual Meeting
View St. Margaret’s calendar at https://stmargaretsemmaus.org/calendar/