medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Tom, A quick check of the CathEn (newadvent.org) provides the following,
linking the feeding to epiphanies and mentions of the Magi: (short version)
"All the manifestations are, however, referred to, including (casually) the
feeding of the 5000, a popular allusion in the East, whence the name
phagiphania." My first reaction was the miracle of the loaves and fishes as
a manifestation of Christ's divinity and Mary's possible presence there. The
text below (lengthy, apologies to all) gives some primary sources:
It 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 P.L., LXV, 732) speaks only of the Magi and the
Innocents. Augustine's sermons (cxcix-cciv in P.L., XXXVIII) deal almost
exclusively with this manifestation; and the Gelasian Sacramentary (P.L.,
LXXIV, 1062) exclusively, both on the vigil and the feast. The Gregorian
Sacramentary makes great use of Ps. lxxii (A. V. 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 Matt.,
iii, 13-17; Luke, iii, 22; and John, ii, 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 P.L., 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 P.L., LVII, 273) on the historical
connection of date and events. Polemius Silvanus, Paulinus of Nola (Poem.
xxvii; Natal., v, 47, in P.L., LXI) and Sedulius (in P.L., 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.
_________________________________________________________________
From photos to predictions, The MSN Entertainment Guide to Golden Globes has
it all. http://tv.msn.com/tv/globes2007/
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