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| Musical Musings: Christmas | Page 3 |
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EpiphanyPart III: OriginIt is simpler to say that, about the time of the diffusion of the December celebration in the East, the West took up the Oriental January feast, retaining all its chief characteristics, though attaching overwhelming importance, as time went on, to the apparition of the Magi. Epiphanius indeed had said (loc. cit.) that not only did water in many places turn into wine on 6 Jan., but that whole rivers, and probably the Nile, experienced a similar miracle; nothing of this sort is noted in the West. The Leonine Sacramentary is defective here; but Leo's eight homilies on the Theophania (in P.L., LIV, Serm. xxxi, col. 234, to Serm. xxxviii, col. 263) bear almost wholly on the Magi, while in Serm. xxxv, col.249, he definitely asserts their visit to be the commemoration for which the feast was instituted. Fulgentius (Serm. iv in PL. LXV 732) speaks only of the Magi and the Innocents. Augustine's sermons (cxcix-cciv in PL. XXXVIII) deal almost exclusively with this manifestation; and the Gelasian Sacramentary (PL. LXXIV 1062) exclusively, both on the vigil and the feast. The Gregorian Sacramentary makes great use of Psalm lxxii (AV lxxiii), 10 and mentions the three great apparitions in the Canon only. The Ambrosian, however, refers to all three manifestations in the vigil-preface, and in the feast-preface to baptism alone. The Missale Vesontiense (Neale and Forbes, The Anc. Liturgies of the Gallican Church, p.228) speaks, in the prayer, of Illuminatio, Manifestatio, Declaratio, and compares its Gospel of Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:22; and John 2:1-11, where the Baptism and Cana are dwelt upon. The Magi are referred to on the Circumcision. The Gothic Missal (Neale and Forbes, op. cit. p.52) mentions the Magi on the vigil, saying that the Nativity, Baptism, and Cana make Christ's Illustratio. All the manifestations are, however, referred to, including (casually) the feeding of the 5000, a popular allusion in the East, whence the name phagiphania. Augustine (Serm. suppl. cxxxvi 1, in PL. XXXIX 2013) speaks of the raising of Lazarus (cf. day 5 of the Jerusalem ritual) as on an equality with the other manifestations, whence in the East the name Bethphania occurs. Maximus of Turin admits the day to be of three miracles, and speculates (Hom. vii, in epiph., in PL. LVII 273) on the historical connection of date and events. Polemius Silvanus, Paulinus of Nola (Poem. xxvii; Natal. v 47, in PL. LXI) and Sedulius (in PL. LXXII) all insist on the three manifestations. The Mozarabic Missal refers mainly to the Magi, using of their welcome by Christ the word Acceptio, a term of "initiation" common to Mithraists and Christians. In 381, the Council of Sargossa (can. iv), read together with the Mozarabic Missal's Mass in jejunio epiphaniae, makes it clear that a fast at this season was not uncommon even among the orthodox. Cod. Theod. (II viii 20; XXV v 2) forbids the circus on this day in the year 400; Cod. Justi. (III xii 6) makes it a day of obligation. In 380 it is already marked by cessation of legal business in Spain; in Thrace (if we can trust the "Passio S. Philippi" in Ruinart, "Acta", 440 2) it was kept as early as 304. Kellner quotes the "Testamentum Jesu Christi" (Mainz 1899) as citing it twice (I 28; IV 67, 101) as a high festival together with Easter and Pentecost.In the present Office, Crudelis Herodes alludes to the three manifestations; in Nocturn i, the first response for the day, the octave, and the Sunday within the octave, deals with the Baptism, as does the second response; the third response, as all those of Nocturns i and iii, is on the Magi. The antiphon to the Benedictus runs: "Today the Church is joined to her celestial spouse, because in Jordan Christ doth wash her sins; the Magi hasten with gifts to the royal marriage-feast, and the guests exult in the water turned to wine." O Sola refers to the Magi only. The Magnificat antiphon of Second Vespers reads: "We keep our Holy Day adored with three miracles: today a star led the Magi to the crib, today wine was made from water at the marriage, today in Jordan Christ willed to be baptized by John to save us." On the Epiphany it was a very general custom to announce the date of Easter, and even of other festivals, a practice ordered by many councils, eg. that of Orléans in 541 (can. i); Auxerre in 578 and 585 (can. ii), and still observed (Kellner) at Turin, etc. Gelasius finally tells us (Ep. ad episc. Lucan., c. xii, in PL. LIX 52) that the dedication of virgins occurred especially on that day. II. ORIGIN
The reason for the fixing of this date it is impossible to discover.
The only tolerable solution is that of Mgr. Duchesne (Orig. Chr. 262), who explains simultaneously the celebration of 6 January and of 25 December by a backward reckoning from 6 April and 25 March respectively.
The Pepyzitae, or Phrygian Montanists, says Sozomen (Hist. Eccl., VII xviii in PG. LXVII 1473), kept Easter on 6 April; hence (reckoning an exact number of years to the Divine life) Christ's birthday would have fallen on 6 January.
But, it may be urged, the first notice we have of the observance of this date, refers to Christ's Baptism.
But this (if we may assume the Basilidians, too, to have argued from 6 April) will have fallen on the exact anniversary of tbe Birth.
But why preeminently celebrate the Baptism?
Can it be that the celebration started with those, of whatever sect, who held that at the Baptism
the Godhead descended upon Christ?
On this uncertain territory we had better risk no footstep till fresh evidence, if such there be,
be furnished us.
Nor is this the place to discuss the legends of the Three Kings, which will be found in the article MAGI [in the Catholic Encyclopedia].
Kellner, Heortologie (Freiburg im Br. 1906); Funk in Kraus, Real-Encyclopädie, sv. Feste; Bingham, Antiquities of the Christian Church (London, 1708-22), Bk XX, c. iv; Usener, Religionsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen (Bonn, 1889).
I.Cyril Martindale.
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