Reading: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it." Read Psalm 24

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Collect: O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Pray the Be Still prayer.

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Make Merry:

• Gratitude Journal: Write 3 things for which you are grateful.

• Drink Wassail (or cider)

• Make Three Kings Cake (Eat it tomorrow!)

• Reverse roles: draw straws to find out who is going to be the "Lord/Lady of Misrule" for the day (more fun if it's a child) and waste the day following their suggestions. 

• Eat breakfast for dinner.

• Watch  or read Shakespeare's Twelfth Night​.

• Make twelve drummers drumming. Post it with #12TideCbus

 

Ancient Text Reflection:

Saint Augustine, Bishop (AD 354-430) Sermo 13 de Tempore

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Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal creator of all things, today became our Savior by being born of a mother. Of his own will he was born for us today, in time, so that he could lead us to his Father’s eternity. God became a man so that we might become God. The Lord of the angels became a man today so that we could eat the bread of angels.

 

Today, the prophecy is fulfilled that said: Pour down, heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one: let the earth be opened and bring forth a savior. The Lord who had created all things is himself now created, so that he who was lost would be found. Thus humanity, in the words of the psalmist confesses: Before I was humbled, I sinned. Humans sinned and became guilty; God is born a man to free us from his guilt. Humanity fell, but God descended; Humanity fell miserably, but God descended mercifully; Humanity fell through pride, God descended with his grace.

 

My brethren, what miracles! What prodigies! The laws of nature are changed in the case of humanity. God is born. A virgin becomes pregnant with a man. The Word of God marries the woman who knows no man. She is now at the same time both mother and virgin. She becomes a mother, yet she remains a virgin. The virgin bears a son, yet she does not know a man; she remains untouched, yet she is not barren. He alone was born without sin for she bore him without the embrace of a man, not by the concupiscence of the flesh but by the obedience of the mind.