The Eleventh Day of Christmas: Epiphany Confusion!

Happy eleventh day of Christmas! I hope you’re enjoying your eleven pipers piping. Depending on what calendar you happen to be using, today might very well be the Epiphany for you. If so, happy Epiphany!

Traditionally, though, the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6. Since the calendar reforms of 1970, any diocese may choose to move the celebration to the Sunday following January 1¹. Indeed, this is what my own archdiocese of Seattle does. This morning at my parish, we will celebrate the Mass of the Epiphany; so, happy Epiphany!

In many other places in the United States and around the world, today is simply the Second Sunday after Christmas. This is what it is in my Benedictine Ordo, though I choose to pray Lauds of the Epiphany this morning.

In a sense, the Feast of the Epiphany is the culmination (if not quite the end) of the Christmas Season. It was once a much more celebrated feast than it is now. In fact, it once had its own Octave. Like many others, I’d love to see that restored.

In the popular imagination, the Feast of the Epiphany is all about the Magi from the East who traveled to worship the Christ child and gift him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

But that’s not the whole story, for the Epiphany actually celebrates three separate events, only one of which is Magi with their three gifts.

In my Monastic Diurnal, the Epiphany Benedictus antiphon speaks of all three:

Each of these events is an epiphany:

1. In the River Jordan, Christ is revealed as the Son of God.
2. In the story of the pilgrim Magi, Christ is revealed as the Light to the Gentiles.
3. In the wedding feast at Cana, Christ is revealed as a Worker of Miracles.

Notice first the thread throughout of the wedding of Christ, the bridegroom, with the Church, His spouse.

Then take a look at these three epiphanies. It’s as if Christ is teaching us who He is a step at a time; as our understanding deepens, a new revelation is granted us. And really, if you look at Salvation history, this is exactly how God operates, bringing along His people step by step into a deeper understanding and an ever more moral and spiritual state.

God teaches us as a Father should, by bringing us along bit by bit. You need to know your letters before you can learn to read. You need to know how to read before you can learn to write a novel. Step by step. Epiphany by epiphany.

One of the beautiful traditions of the Epiphany is the blessing of chalk at Mass, followed by the house blessing. You can read more about the tradition here. You may have seen something like this chalked above a door:

+20+C+M+B+26+

The letters C, M, B have two meanings:

• They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.
• They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.”

The “+” signs represent the cross and [2026] is the year.

The accompanying prayers may be found in the book Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers.

A very blessed Feast of Epiphany to all of you, whenever you celebrate it!

1. Technically “The Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on 6 January, unless, where it is not observed as a holy day of obligation, it has been assigned to the Sunday occurring between 2 and 8 January.” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, no. 37)