Today is the first Sunday after Epiphany, which means for us in the liturgical West that we commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. In the East, this is the story associated with the feast of Epiphany itself. It would seem that in the early Church, it all started as a general ‘festival … Continue reading God’s Righteousness Revealed: A Reflection on the Baptism of Christ
A blessed feast of Epiphany to you all! While this feast doesn’t really register much with most of us today, it was, historically, the second most important feast of the Christian year, after only Easter. Its original meaning was as a typical mid-winter celebration of light, using the lengthening days as a symbol of divine … Continue reading It Only Takes a Spark: A Reflection for Epiphany 2023
There’s a story I think of often that comes from a former priest of mine. At the start of his ministry, he had an opportunity to go to Greece and visit with a respected monastic elder on Mount Athos. After describing to the elder all that he had done and hoped and planned to do, … Continue reading The Gift of New Beginnings: A Reflection for Christmas Day 2022
The Christian faith is full of paradox and irony, and the Christmas story captures this better than any other. God becomes a human, the virgin becomes a mother, the King is born surrounded by livestock and attended to by shepherds, the Prince of Peace is hunted down by the authorities. But the irony that strikes … Continue reading From Darkness to Light: A Reflection for Christmas Eve 2022
Today is December 21 and so we’re nearing the end of our Advent journey. The waiting and watching is almost over; the bridegroom is about to arrive; we can see the first inklings of morning light on the Eastern horizon. And yet, for many of us, what we actually find on Christmas morning isn’t exactly … Continue reading Joy and Sorrow, Excitement and Anxiety: An Advent Reflection on Isaiah 52-53
Matthew Root 