Friday January 8 Epiphany
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Psalm 117
A delightful short two-verse psalm of praise.
Psalm 118
An enthusiastic song of thanksgiving for everything God has done for us – God has protected us from evil forces, and we give praise in the temple and in processions. Portions of this psalm are traditionally sung on Easter Day but are used today, a Friday, to express joy at Christ’s becoming widely known at Epiphany.
Isaiah 59:15-21
God sees there is oppression everywhere and acts with great power to release the people from their oppressors just as God had promised in the covenant. Those who return to Jerusalem after long oppression will know God’s justice and their descendants will know and speak of it forever.
John 4: 46-54
Immediately after spending two days with the hated Samaritans and with the woman at the well, Jesus returns to Cana of Galilee where he had provided 180 gallons of the best wine after everyone had already had too much. The royal official will have been one of those colluding with the Roman oppression, yet he, too, drinks of the abundant wine when his child is cured. This passage is chosen at Epiphany to illustrate how the Christ is shown forth to everyone.
Do we expect that those opposed to faith may be the very people who experience Jesus most clearly?
This week’s collect:
Eternal God,
who by a star
led wise ones to the worship of your Son.
Guide by your light the nations of the earth,
that the whole world may know your glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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