The Mass of the Vigil of the Epiphany is that of the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, except the Commemoration of Saint Telesphorus and the Gospel.Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The Feast of Christmas is over... and we are on the Eve of the Solemnity of our Lord’s Epiphany. We must spend this fifth of January in preparing ourselves for the Manifestation which Jesus, the Angel of the Great Counsel, is about to make to us of His glory. A few more hours and the star will stand still in the heavens, and the Magi will be seeking for admission into the stable of Bethlehem.
This Vigil is not like that of Christmas, a day of penance. The child whose coming we were then awaiting in the fervour of our humble desires is now among us, preparing to bestow fresh favours on us. This eve of tomorrow’s Solemnity is a day of joy like those that have preceded it and therefore we do not fast, nor does the Church put on the vestments of mourning, even in those churches where the Octave Day of Saint Thomas of Canterbury is not observed. If the Office of the Vigil be the one of today, the colour used is white. This is the Twelfth day since the Birth of our Emmanuel. If the Vigil of the Epiphany fall on a Sunday, it shares, with Christmas Eve, the privilege of not being anticipated, as all other Vigils are, on the Saturday: it is kept on the Sunday, has all the privileges of a Sunday, and the Mass is that of the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas Day. Let us, therefore, celebrate this Vigil in great joy of heart and prepare our souls for tomorrow’s graces.
The Greek Church keeps this a fasting day in memory of the preparation for Baptism which used formerly to be administered, especially in the East, on the night preceding the feast of the Epiphany. She still solemnly blesses the water on this Feast. We will in our next volume speak of this ceremony of which some vestiges still remain in the Western Church.Gospel – Matthew ii. 19‒23
When Herod was dead, behold an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt, saying: “Arise and take the child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the life of the child.” Who arose, and took the child and His Mother, and came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee. And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by the prophets: “That He will be called a Nazarene.”Praise be to you, O Christ.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The last words of our Advent were those of the Spouse recorded in the prophecy of the Beloved Disciple: “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” (Apocalypse xxii. 20). We will close this first part of our Christmas with those words of the Prophet Isaias which the Church has so often spoken to us: “unto us a child is born!” (Isaias ix. 6). The heavens have dropped down their Dew, the clouds have rained down the Just One, the Earth has yielded its Saviour, THE WORD IS MADE FLESH, the Virgin has brought forth her sweet Fruit — our Emmanuel, that is, God with us. The Sun of Justice now shines on us. Darkness has fled. In Heaven there is Glory to God. On Earth there is Peace to men. All these blessings have been brought to us by the humble yet glorious birth of this child. Let us adore Him in His crib. Let us love Him for all His love of us, and let us prepare the gifts we intended to present to Him with the Magi on tomorrow’s Feast. The joy of the Church is as great as ever. The Angels are adoring in their wondering admiration. All nature thrills with delight: Unto us is born a little child!On this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Rome, in the time of Antoninus Pius, St. Telesphorus, pope, who, after many sufferings for the confession of Christ underwent a glorious martyrdom.
In Egypt, during the persecution of Diocletian, the commemoration of many holy martyrs who were put to death in Thebais by various kinds of torments.
At Antioch, St. Simeon, monk, who lived many years, standing on a pillar, and was, for that reason, called Stylites. His whole life was an unbroken series of wonders.
In England, St. Edward, king, illustrious by the virtue of chastity and the gift of miracles. His feast, by order of Pope Innocent XI, is celebrated on the thirteenth of October when his sacred body was translated.
At Alexandria, St. Syncletica, whose noble deeds have been recorded by St. Athanasius.
At Rome, the holy virgin Emiliana, aunt of Pope St. Gregory. Being called to God by her sister Tharsilla who had preceded her, she departed for heaven on this day.
The same day, St. Apollinaris, virgin.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
