The Epiphany of the Lord - 4th January 2026 - Parish Weekly Bulletin

Sep 15, 2026

Upload by Đào

Parish weekly bulletin for The Epiphany of the Lord, dated 4 January 2026, served by Fr. Seán Connolly, Fr. Walter Genito Jr., and Fr. Timothy Boman. Provides Mass schedules and parish information for St. Margaret of Cortona and St. Gabriel, including confession times and adoration/devotions. Includes a pastoral letter explaining Christmas season’s conclusion, the meaning of Epiphany and the Magi’s gifts, and guidance for Epiphany home blessing with blessed water and chalk, including the traditional door inscription and prayers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

The Epiphany of the Lord - 4th January 2026

Parish Services and Mass Schedule

From the Desk of Fr. Seán

Epiphany Home Blessing with Water and Chalk

The Epiphany of the Lord 4th January 2026 T h e R iv e r dal e Cat h o l i c A weekly bulletin of the Pari sh of St . Margaret of C orton a - St . Gabriel [riverdalecatholic.org | riverdalecatholic@gmail.com | 718.549.8053](riverdalecatholic.org | riverdalecatholic@gmail.com | 718.549.8053) Served by: Fr. Seán Connolly, Pastor Fr. Walter Genito, Jr. | Fr. Timothy Boman Dcn. George Pitula | The Church of St . Margaret of Cortona
6000 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471 | 718-549-8053
Mass Schedule
The Dies Domini,“Day of the Lord”
Saturday: 5:15 p.m. | Sunday: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12 noon, 5:15 p.m.
Weekday
Monday through Friday: 12 noon | Saturday: 8:30 a.m. (except for the First Saturday of the month)
Confessions
[Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to](Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to) 5:00 p.m. | Upon request
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Friday after the noon Mass until the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Benediction at 3:00 p.m.
Devotions Honoring theMother of God
The Miraculous Medal Novena-Tuesday following 12 noon Mass
First Saturday in Honor of the Immaculate Heart-11:30am Rosary followed by a Sung Latin Mass at 12 noon
Rectory Ofﬁce
Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 [a.m. to](a.m. to) 3:00 p.m. | After Hours Emergency Line: 845-622-3996 | | --- | | The Church of St. Gabriel
3250 Arlington Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463 | 718-548-4470
Mass Schedule
The Dies Domini,“Day of the Lord”
Saturday: 5:00 p.m. | Sunday: 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
Weekday
Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m.
Confessions
[Saturday from 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Upon request](Saturday from 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Upon request)
Devotions Honoring the Mother of God
The Miraculous Medal Novena-Monday following the 9:00 a.m. Mass The Holy Rosary-Following each weekday Mass
Rectory Ofﬁce
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00 [a.m. to](a.m. to) 1:00 p.m. | After Hours Emergency Line: 845-622-3996 | | From the Desk of F r . Se á n
Dear Parishioners,
The Christmas Season
Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. Celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the culmination of the mystery of the incarnation, the feast of God becoming ﬂesh (the Latin "in carne" means "enﬂeshment") . It is a uniquely Christian teaching, the Divine choosing to become one of us. Because of this belief, God is not only transcendent, but also wholly immanent. As the prophet foretold, Jesus is our Emmanuel (God-with-us) .
The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which is on 11th January this year. So, it is still Christmas. Let's keep up the tree and creche in our homes and continue to greet one another with the joyful words: "Merry Christmas!"
The Epiphany of the Lord
On 6th January, the Church celebrates the manifestation (epiphany) of Christ to the nations (gentiles) in the persons of the Magi--also known as the Wise Men or Three Kings. At the very beginning of the Lord’s earthly life, his plan to establish a New Covenant that would bring redemption to all nations was made evident by his epiphany to the gentile Magi. St. John Chrysostom writes: “The Magi therefore were the ﬁrst from the Gentiles chosen for salvation, so that through them a door might be opened to all the Gentiles.”The gifts brought to the Christ child were gold because he is a King, incense because he is God, and myrrh because he would die for our salvation. Let us give the Lord the greatest gift we can
in this new year 2026 which is the holiness of our lives.
Epiphany Home Blessing with Water and Chalk
Have you ever walked past a door and seen what appears to be random letters and numbers written at the top? These letters and numbers actually have a great signiﬁcance. Traditionally on the feast of Epiphany, Catholics bless their homes by using water

FAQs

What is the significance of Epiphany for Catholics, according to the bulletin?

Epiphany celebrates Christ’s manifestation to the nations through the Magi, showing the beginning of his plan of redemption for all peoples.

How is the Epiphany home blessing with water and chalk traditionally done?

Blessed water is sprinkled throughout the home, and blessed chalk marks the doorway with a traditional inscription accompanied by a prayer.

What do the letters and crosses on the door inscription mean?

The letters are the initials of the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar) and also represent the Latin blessing “Christus Mansionem Benedicat.” The crosses signify protection of the Precious Blood of Christ and the holiness of the Magi.

Sep 15, 2026

Upload by Đào