C is for Child

There are some feasts in the liturgical year that are just simply loved by everyone here. Yesterday, the Feast of the Epiphany, was one of those. We sing the song "Shepherds and Kings" only once a year, Epiphany; some held out adding the three Magi to their creches until just a few days ago; and we have other once-a-year references to the Wise Men, Wise Women, Wise Ones whose story we hear on this weekend: we come in search of the Child.

During Saturday night's Vigil of Sunday Evening Prayer this poem by Julian of Norwich was read. It's called "Seeking is as Good as Beholding."

If truth be told
we came
thinking we possessed
what we ought--

bearing frankincense
or myrrh,
as we ought,
bearing gold,
so we thought.

And today
finds us still
upon the way
in a landscape
we did not expect
with a treasure
we did not select
bearing incense
bearing gold and myrrh.

What least is ours
how will we give?
What most is ours
how will we give
and live?

Beneath a sky of night
alive with life
accept is give
and seeking is
our have.

When I heard this it reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: "The God you seek, is also seeking you."

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Finally, in my ongoing foray into Marlin Perkins's Wild Kingdom, look what I came face-to-face with this weekend. I'm sure he/she was spying the treats in my feeder and trying to gauge whether he could jump from the tree and land safely on it. As far as I know he didn't try---yet. But he did hold quite still for this shot!

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