The Sunday Word

Art by He Qi

The traditional date for Little Christmas or Epiphany was January 6 but in recent years it has been assigned to the Sunday closest to that date. This year, we'll celebrate Epiphany on January 3.

The gospel on Epiphany is always taken from Matthew. Why? Because Matthew's is the only gospel that tells the story of the visitors from the east.

The illustration here, by He Qi, shows the magi being warned in a dream to return home by another route. If you check out the gospel text for this Sunday, you'll find the scriptural basis for this image.