(Image: David Bjorgen/Wikipedia)
One of many “calendar mistakes” in the post-conciliar reform was the suppression of Epiphanytide, subsuming two of the “epiphanies” into Christmastide and leaving the third out almost completely.
As you undoubtedly know, “epiphany” comes into English through the Greek word for a “revelation” or “manifestation.” Traditionally, the three epiphanies on which we focus at this time of year are the Infant King’s manifestation to the Magi; the manifestation of Christ as the Father’s beloved Son at His baptism; and the manifestation of His glory in the working of His first sign at the wedding feast of Cana. By way of a sneak preview, let’s take a look at each of these ever so briefly. We can be aided in this exercise by having recourse to the lovely Epiphany carol, “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise.”
There are April Fools’ pranks, and then there’s the whopper unwittingly unleashed this week by Mexico City resident Gibran Duarte on the most famous tree in East Los Angeles.
He and his friend run a Facebook and Instagram account devoted to “Blood In, Blood Out,” a 1993 film about three childhood friends from the neighborhood who grow up to be a prison boss, an artist and a police officer.
A disappointment at the box office when first released, the film has gained cult status in the ensuing decades for its themes of honor and family. But its breakout star didn’t turn out to be Benjamin Bratt or Danny “Machete” Trejo, or even Billy Bob Thornton.
Abortion Leading Global Cause of Death in 2020 with 42.7 Million Killed
1 Jan 2021
Abortion was once again the number-one cause of death globally in 2020, with a record 42.7 million unborn babies killed in the womb, according to data provided by Worldometer.
As of December 31, 2020, there were 42.7 million abortions performed in the course of the year, Worldometer revealed, while 8.2 million people died from cancer, 5 million from smoking, and 1.7 million of HIV/AIDS.
By comparison, worldwide deaths from the coronavirus in 2020 totaled 1.8 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Worldometer voted one of the best free reference websites by the American Library Association (ALA) keeps a running tally through the year of major world statistics, including population, births, deaths, automobiles produced, books published, and CO2 emissions.
Becket or Herod?
Seen in the comments section of an article on the proclamation:
“Next year, Biden will declare a special observance of December 28 for the Feast of the Holy Innocents… to honor Herod.”
Ouch. Harsh, but not unjustified.