Holidays are swept away

Epiphany began as a warm day but overcast… it got progressively colder, and by nightfall another storm was threatening.

The old Roman proverb kicks in today: «Epifania, tutte le feste spazza via» - «Epiphany arrives today and all the holidays sweeps away».

In the Roman liturgy, this is the day when the date of Easter is announced to the faithful. the text is in the Roman Missal. I have never heard this announcement in English, but I have heard it every year when I am in Italy on this feast. It may be worth reproducing the announcement here.

Dearest brothers and sisters,
the glory of the Lord has been made manifest
and always will be manifest among us
until his return.

In the rhythm and events of time
we recall and we live
the mysteries of salvation.
At the center of the entire liturgical year is the Triduum of the Lord
crucified, buried and risen,
which will culminate on Easter Sunday, 12 April.

In every Sunday
Easter of the week,
the Holy Church makes present
this great event
in which Christ has conquered sin and death.

From Easter all the other holy days flow:
Ash Wednesday, beginning Lent, 25 February;
Ascension of the Lord, 24 May;
Pentecost, 31 May;
First Sunday of Advent, 29 November.

Even in the feasts of the Holy Mother of God,
of the Apostles, of the saints,
and the commemoration of the faithful departed,
the pilgrim Church on earth
proclaims the Passover of the Lord.

To Christ
who was, who is and who comes,
Lord of time and of history,
be everlasting praise in age upon age.

Amen

This is a bit stilted, I realize. It is my own translation of the text… Remind me to polish it sometimes, okay?

In his words at the Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI spoke from the Scriptures and noted that “All Jerusalem was troubled.” We are all part of Jerusalem, troubled by what is happening around us, even as we look at the Holy Land today, troubled by yet another war. In this sense, the pope said, “The Virgin Mary helps us to welcome Jesus with faith, to not close our hearts to his Gospel of salvation. Let us allow ourselves to be won over and transformed by Him, Emmanuel, God come among us to make ourselves a gift of peace and of His love for the world.”

So now Epiphany is winding down, sweeping away all the holidays, and carrying us back into the real world, lacerated by war and struggle, but open to Hope because God-with-us has made Himself manifest.

Buone feste!