Sundays After Epiphany

What are the Sundays after the Epiphany?

• The Sundays that follow Advent-Christmas festival cycle and take us to the beginning of the Lent-Easter cycle.

When is this season?

• The Sundays after Epiphany follow the celebration of the Epiphany on January 6th (the end of the Christmas season) and goes until Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent).

• The season varies in length from four to nine Sundays depending on the date of Easter (which determines the beginning of Lent).

What happens in the season?

• The season is part of what is called “ordinary time” (because these Sundays are numbered).

• The color for the season is green.

• These days reflect the epiphany theme of Christ being revealed.

Why green?

• Green suggests the daily growth of the life of faith.

Special days in this season

• The season begins and ends with a festival day.

  • (Because these are feast days of our Lord, their color is white)

• The Baptism of our Lord

  • (The first Sunday after Epiphany)

  • Jesus is baptized by John the Baptizer in the Jordan River and begins his public ministry.

  • The Spirit comes upon Jesus, like a dove fluttering down from the sky.

  • A voice from heaven (God) declares, “This is my beloved Son.”

• The Transfiguration of our Lord

  • (The final Sunday after Epiphany)

  • Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a high mountain.

    • Like Moses and Elijah, encounters with God happen on a high mountain.

  • His appearance is transformed by the radiant presence of God.

  • Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus.

    • Moses represents the Law and Elijah the prophetic writings that bear witness to Jesus.

  • A cloud overshadows them

    • As with Moses on Mount Sinai, the cloud represents God’s presence.

  • The voice from heaven again declares, “This is my beloved Son.”

  • The voice tells the disciples to listen to Jesus (and with these words we are sent into Lent, towards Jerusalem and the cross and resurrection).