Saint Leonard’s Epiphany Service Welcome to our OpenCast church service - on-line. There are prayers, readings, hymns and music; just as you would have in church. As you read through this service you may care to say aloud the bold text. To hear the music and the readings, click on each title (red, underlined text) (and remember to adjust the volume on your speakers).

WELCOME

Dear God, I thank You for your Son Jesus Christ as we reflect on You during this Epiphany Season. I pray that God will bless me with the mind of Christ that I will be obedient to You at all times. May You renew my mind daily with your word that I may be a humble servant at all times. Eternal Lord, as we gather in worship may we focus more fully on your presence. Help us to listen to your Spirit so we too can hear your gracious words of welcome. This day reveal your salvation to the poor who hunger for your nourishment, to the seekers who travel across deserts for your drink, to us gathered here, who desire you. Great God of the Epiphany, reveal your salvation through the one who saves us, Jesus Christ, Amen.

HYMN

” We, three Kings of Orient, are .. “

Intercessions

Send us your star. Holy God, you sent a star to guide the Wise Men to worship your Son Jesus, send your Holy Spirit to guide our Church as we begin a New Year in our Christian life together. Inspire our Church leaders in all they do and for the lead they give to the secular governments in their spheres of influence. (Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Creator God, as we face the start of 2025 we pray for your world. Let the star of your justice always shine in the hearts of those who are in authority. Enable all nations to recognize the sanctity of each and every human life in their care so that all may experience an abundance of peace and security. (Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Father God Your Son shared the life of his home and family at Nazareth. We give thanks for his presence with us in our homes and in our lives. Guide us in our relationships with family and neighbours, especially those in trouble or need and bless those who have guided and enriched our own lives. (Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Loving God, we pray for all those whom we love who suffer in body, mind or spirit. May their pain be eased and may they find the strength to endure. Comfort them with your presence and help them to hold on to the knowledge that your son understood the truth of human suffering. (Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer Amen.

REFLECTION

Saint

Augustine

(354-430)

once

claimed

that

what

all

people

desire

is

nothing

other

than

happiness.

He

defined

happiness

as

a

state

of

life

that

lacks

nothing.

The

Feast

of

Epiphany

–

or

as

the

people

call

it

–

the

Feast

of

the

Three

Kings

is a response to our deepest longings.

It

is

a

strange

story

that

Matthew

tells

us

today.

Magi

come

from

the

East

to

worship

the

newly

born

King

of

the

Jews

in

Bethlehem.

Magi

are

wise

men

who

represent

the

knowledge

of

the

East.

With

this

story,

Matthew

wants

to

show

that

this

Jesus

of

Nazareth

embodies

the

wisdom

of

East

and

West.

He

fulfills

the

longing

of

the

people

of

the

Orient

for

a

wisdom

that

shows

us

how to succeed in our lives.

But

all

searching

for

the

divine

God

also

means

giving

up

what

is

one’s

own,

what

is

mine,

but

above

all,

giving

up

my

ideas

about

God,

even

losing

them.

He who does not lose “God” will never find him.

Therefore,

the

wise

men

followed

the

star

to

Bethlehem.

There,

they

prostrated themselves before this child in a completely unroyal place.

They

come

to

give,

and

in

their

gifts

they

give

themselves:

in

gold

their

wealth,

but

also

all

their

ideas

of

God;

in

frankincense

their

honour

and

status,

but

also

all

veneration;

in

myrrh

the

bitterness

and

all

hopes

of

healing, but also their hope of eternal life.

Fr Joseph Lam, PhD STD

Worship Song

“ epiphany ” Official lyric video by Taylor Swift performing “epiphany” – off her album ‘folklore’. Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Christ has no body now but ours. No hands, no feet on earth but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Ours are the feet with which he walks about to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, We are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

Blessing

The tradition of a blessing or benediction as part of an act of worship has been a part of Jewish worship for generations, and we can trace it back to the book of Numbers where Aaron and his sons bless the Israelites with this blessing : “The Lord bless me and keep me; the Lord make his face shine on me and be gracious to me; the Lord turn his face toward me and give me peace. ” (Numbers 6:24-26) (Interestingly this is apparently the oldest known Biblical text that has been found.)