It's the Feast of the Epiphany, and the beginning of the Epiphany Season. Throughout the Service, in word, song, and action, we’re celebrating the revealing of the glory of our Lord Jesus, as his light shines upon and through us. Norman is officiating, and Fergus is preaching. Our Virtual Choir is leading us in the great Epiphany Hymns, “As with Gladness.” “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem,” and our own version of “We Three Kings:” “We Wise Men of Orient are.” We're also listening to “The First Nowell” played on the organ from a 12th century church in Wales during our Offertory. The First Reading from Holy Scripture, shared on video by Jennifer, features the famous words, “Arise, Shine, for your light has come.” The Gospel features the visit to the child Jesus by the mysterious magi. In the Homily, we’re focussing on this story, and how Our Lord’s light draws all of us in this beautiful, broken world closer to him and one another. Murray is leading us in the Prayers of the People, with a special Epiphany Litany, and a Prayer in Response to COVID-19 penned by Annemarie Paulin-Campbell, from the Jesuit Institute School of Spirituality in South Africa. Following the example of the magi, we too are offering incense to the Lord during the Service. And we’re having the awesome privilege of receiving our Lord, whose glory outshines the sun, into our hearts with thanksgiving, as we share Spiritual Communion together. Then, our Liturgy ends, and the service begins, as we go forth to spread the light wherever there is darkness, through our words and our deeds.
Today’s Service of Holy Eucharist will be livestreamed on our main Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stpaulscalgary) at 9:30 am. Following the service, the video will be posted on our YouTube Channel, and a link to the service will be added here. Please download the Order of Service if you would like to follow along.
Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from:
(a) ONE LICENSE with license # A-713985, and/or
(b) CCLI with Streaming License # 20351479.
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