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and finally the Epistle for the Feast of the Circumcision, facing straight toward Epiphany, asserts the splendid truth that the Christmas light reaches to all the horizons of the world,—the blessedness of life renewed in purity being proclaimed by the Apostle to be the heritage of uncircumcised as of circumcised, of Gentile as of Jew.

CHAPTER III: THE SEASON OF

EPIPHANY

Antiphon: The fellowship of the mystery from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.

V. We have seen His star in the east,
R. And are come to worship Him.

O God, Who by the leading of a star didst manifest Thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know Thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of Thy glorious Godhead; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

CHAPTER III: THE SEASON OF

EPIPHANY

DVENT celebrates the expectation of the Truth, Christmas the coming of the Truth; Epiphany, the ancient Feast of Lights, celebrates the discovery or manifestation of the Truth. Since manifestation is progressive and gradual, the season is long. Epiphany was the original Feast of the Incarnation, and for a long time commemorated a fourfold glory: the Birth, the Star, the Baptism, and the Marriage at Cana. "Thou Who didst make the world wast manifested in the world, to enlighten those who sat in darkness. Glory to Thee, O lover of men." So runs a short hymn of the Greeks. And again, another Greek hymn: "O Christ, the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, let the light of Thy countenance be shown upon us, that thereby we may behold the light which is unapproachable, and guide our steps to fulfil Thy commandments."

It is a very shining season, and a very adventurous one.

The opening of it finds us still at the Manger.

Labor was there first, in the persons of the shepherds, but Wisdom follows soon. It comes from very far, but it has heavenly guidance. Perhaps one would rather be led by an angel than a star, but a star is not to be despised.

The Epistle of the Feast-Day gives the keynote of the season: the expanding revelation of the large inclusiveness of love, which is an open mystery like all-embracing light. That those outside the Circumcision should be of the initiate was a marvellous thing, a mystery indeed, to the apostle. Exclusiveness marked all possession of truth in the ancient world. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans; in the cults of the great mystery-religions, to which Paul here refers, the esoteric revelation was so jealously guarded that we still speculate about it. A Mystery was to be protected from all breath of the outer world. But the Christian Mystery was of a different character; and Paul found a pregnant phrase to describe it. Ours is "the fellowship of the Mystery, "-fellowship limitless, unconditioned, in that true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, of the same Body, and partakers of the promise in Christ, here is a mystery indeed, only to be made known by revelation, then and now. Fellowship! It is a great

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