Dear Friends and Parishioners,

Are we in late Winter or early Spring?  Christmas and Epiphany are a little way behind us.  But just before they fade away I would like to thank the many who arranged all sorts of carol Services and really special things for all within my ten villages and nine parishes, and those who joined us from beyond.  We welcomed about a thousand people to carol and Christmas and Epiphany Services.

Epiphany is the Showing Forth of the infant Christ to the entire world.  The three wise men, the three kings, led by a star had found Him in the royal town of Israel, Bethlehem.  After the wonderful events there He went eventually to Nazareth, where He lived and worked.

What did His Mother Mary do with the gold, frankincense and myrrh?  A friend gave me at Christmas a bar of soap ‘Triple Milled Bar Soap’ made in New Zealand.  “How to use: Lather onto wet skin, rinse off.”  Well, I never!

Christ’s gifts of course meant much, and had symbolic meaning as well as worth.

Gold for a king, frankincense for a priest and myrrh for a corpse.  Almighty God entrusted Himself to us in His Son.  What we make of the Present is our own affair and also our Judgement.

May I wish you a growth in knowledge, understanding, faith and humility as the world turns in its eternal cycle of growth.  And may Almighty God bless you through His Son, born in that stable.

‘O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum; ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, iacentem in praesepio.  Beata Virgo, cuius viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum.

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in a manger.  Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord.’

Yours very truly,

Ian Whittle