Feast Of The Epiphany

No, it wasn't a Holyday of Obligation, but quite a few people like to celebrate it on the traditional date of January 6th... and, if you celebrate the Extraordinary Form of Mass, you still can.

We had a very good attendance at the Solemn High Mass; Fr. Charles Briggs and Deacon John Harrison had come along from Chislehurst to act as Deacon and Sub-Deacon respectively. There were 10 servers on the Sanctuary, and two other boys had asked Fr. Tim if they could serve for the Epiphany... but, as they haven't yet made their First Communion, they had to settle for being allowed to put out some of the candles after Mass.

One of the servers, aged 10 years, came back into the sacristy afterwards to show Fr. Tim his "new" St. Andrew's Missal... "Look, Father," he exclaimed, "I've got the prayers before Mass marked with a white tab (ribbon), and the Mass next Sunday, it's the Holy Family, isn't it? That's marked with a green tab... and I've got another tab for the prayers for Benediction..." This lad has already, at age 10, acted as MC for Sunday Mass, and yesterday managed to say the servers' responses off by heart.

Not a low-energy lightbulb, clown or fairtrade chocolate in sight.

As Fr. Tim said, "I really must introduce you to Bishop Conry."