The Feast of Epiphany, which is celebrated on January 6 in Western Christendom, is a celebration of the revelation of Jesus as God incarnate to the world, and it typically focuses on the visit of the Magi as reported in Matthew 2. The season of Epiphany in the liturgical calendar begins then and extends to Candlemas (February 2) in some churches and to Ash Wednesday in others.
The set of prayers chosen for this proposed use of an Anglican rosary takes the Magi following the star to Jesus as a starting place. It then extends it to us continuing to follow His star today as we work to shine God’s light into the world and help others see Jesus through us.
Howard Thurman’s poem, “The Work of Christmas,” forms the basis of this set of prayers, and his poem is broken into the cruciform and week beads below using the italicized text.
May these prayers help us to see God’s light in the world and continually move to be part of that light shining for others to see.
| Cross: | Breathe upon us gracious God, I pray, and show us this day Your Star which you did once show to the Magi, that as it formerly guided them to Christ, so it may lead us to the mysteries of Christ. (Marsilio Ficino, 1433-1499) |
| Invitatory bead: | God of abundant gifts, show us where you want us to pour out our gifts in celebration of your life all around us. When we see the darkness and fear it is too great, fix our eyes on your light. Help us to walk in the way of the Magi, following the star to the places where you are breaking in to our broken world. Amen. (from www.cccb.ca) |
| Cruciform beads: | When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: |
| Week bead 1: | to find the lost, |
| Week bead 2: | to heal the broken, |
| Week bead 3: | to feed the hungry, |
| Week bead 4: | to release the prisoner, |
| Week bead 5: | to rebuild the nations, |
| Week bead 6: | to bring peace among the people, |
| Week bead 7: | to make music in the heart. |
| Invitatory bead: | God of abundant gifts, show us where you want us to pour out our gifts in celebration of your life all around us. When we see the darkness and fear it is too great, fix our eyes on your light. Help us to walk in the way of the Magi, following the star to the places where you are breaking in to our broken world. Amen. (from www.cccb.ca) |
| Cross: | We have seen your star in the east and have come to worship you. (adapted from Matthew 2:2) Glory to Father and to the Son and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. |
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