"big christmas"
"Jesus performed this first of His signs at Cana in Galilee. Thus did He reveal His glory, and His disciples believed in Him." —John 2:11
Tomorrow, in many countries throughout the world, we celebrate the greatest day of the Christmas season, Epiphany. Sometimes Epiphany is called "little Christmas," but it is actually "big Christmas." Epiphany may be one of the greatest days in our lives and the beginning of one of our greatest years ever. However, the glory of Epiphany is not a worldly glory. At first, it may not look like much from the outside, but the Lord's light covers the face of the earth (see Ps 104:30) by beginning to shine from the inside of a Christian (Mt 5:16) and then out to all nations (see Mt 28:19).
Make today a day of prayer preparing you for tomorrow. Ask the Lord to give you the ultimate Christmas present. "We have this confidence in God: that He hears us whenever we ask for anything according to His will" (1 Jn 5:14). Ask Mary to pray for you as she prayed at the first Christmas, the wedding feast of Cana, the foot of the cross, and the first Christian Pentecost. The Lord may well be saving the best for last (see Jn 2:10). The gifts of Epiphany are given for the repenting, the asking, and the believing. Jesus is ready to do a miracle beyond anything we can see, hear, or think (see 1 Cor 2:9). This Epiphany, give Jesus your life as a gift and receive the gift of your life.
Prayer: Father, may these last days of Christmas be unforgettable to me and pleasing to You.
Promise: "God protects the one begotten by Him, and so the evil one cannot touch him." —1 Jn 5:18
Praise: St. Raymond spent his one-hundred years of life in serving He Who is the Author of Life. Throughout his life, he was a philosophy teacher, doctor of law, confessor to the Pope, author, archbishop, and head of the Dominican order.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Jesus, the Redeemer on audio AV 50-3 or video V-50.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 27, 2011
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