Festival of light, redemption

Celebrating Epiphany

When two churches in Mechanicsville gather in a joint service at 4 p.m. tomorrow, they will focus on a precious winter commodity: light. The members of Messiah Lutheran and All Souls Episcopal churches will join in an ancient church festival known as Epiphany.

Many Epiphany services concentrate on light, the visit of three kings to the infant Jesus, or the baptism of Jesus as symbols of God making redemption available to all people.

The churches have cooperated before on a Wednesday night Bible study and on a community Thanksgiving service, but this is the first joint Epiphany service they have celebrated.

As the service concludes, worshipers will burn fragments from Christmas trees, stand around the fire and discuss their families' holiday traditions, said the Rev. David Perkins, vicar of All Souls.

Perkins said he loves Epiphany as part of the broader rhythm of the liturgical calendar observed by Catholic, Orthodox and many Protestant churches.

"Even when I was a Baptist and teaching in a Baptist seminary, I was very attracted to the liturgical year," Perkins said. Without the church calendar, he found that "the only real holy days were Christmas and Easter, and there was really no rhythm to the year."

Other churches will celebrate Epiphany with more pageantry. St. Augustine Catholic Church in Chesterfield County and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in South Richmond will celebrate with plays that re-enact the visit of three kings to Jesus.

The play at Sacred Heart includes contemporary and humorous references, said the Rev. Shay Auerbach, pastor. For instance, last year's play had the three kings being welcomed by a parking valet who took the news of their arrival to King Herod.

"It's very faithful to the biblical message, but in a way that really brings the meaning home," Auerbach said.

Fidel Rubio, pastoral associate for Hispanic ministry at St. Augustine, said Central American immigrants at the parish create joyous but inexpensive celebrations.

"The gift that we receive is the birth of Jesus," Rubio said. "We don't have to spend a lot of money to give a gift to our children."

St. Augustine's also will distribute coats to needy children, Rubio said.

St. Anthony Maronite Church in Glen Allen celebrates Epiphany on its customary date, Jan. 6, which is Tuesday. St. Anthony will celebrate the day with a blessing of holy water.

In a rite called asperges, holy water is scattered over the heads of church members to remind them of their baptism. Members of the parish also are encouraged to bring small bottles of water to be blessed for use throughout the year.

Maronite liturgy and traditions originated in Syria, and the Aramaic language is used in parts of the liturgy. The service at St. Anthony includes the symbol of lowering three pieces of lit charcoal into the water, representing the presence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit at the baptism of Jesus.

"Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River," said Monsignor George M. Sebaali, pastor of St. Anthony. "He blessed, he consecrated all the water worldwide."