Epiphanies

A glimpse inside the Cathedral where we are

Long in the forming, suddenly arriving

like Jesus, like the Wise Men,

like our slow struggle to understand

the ins and outs of the feasts and fasts,

the words and happenings of this place.

This mass is for all, while the next one is for friends and family

of someone who died last year, or 40 days ago, or ….. how were we to know

when we walked down 100 steps to attend worship in this place,

that this mass was in the small chapel entered without shoes.

Next Friday, their Sunday, we’ll get it right and go at seven.

What was all that blaring of alarms and megaphones on the street below

when all I wanted was a quiet afternoon nap before facing my first evening class?

Security forces were blocking off streets surrounding the church and our building,

 telling owners to move their cars lest some bad element would decide to blow up the church,

not an uncommon event in other parts of the country under the previous president.

(eighty-five churches attacked in other places, we were told)

After all, January 18 night was the mass of Epiphany, followed by a feast in the wee hours

To which our neighbor priest invited us, the one who speaks English and leads the mass

in the rarely spoken Coptic tongue, who teaches Latin and Greek,

who plays keyboard and strums the oud, who left his veterinary practice

for the joy of praying the mass, and serving the Lord.

The next day, in the afternoon at three, another feast with the black-robed fathers,

and their lovely well-dressed wives (the dentist, the pharmacist, the lover of orphans)

aged sisters, and younger sisters caring for the mentally challenged of Good Shepherd Home

and the fatherless at Holy Family center, where they learn to make yoghurt, and fresh white cheese.

They too came to shake our hands and welcome us.

In the courtyard, before the feast, children and adults chomped on sugar cane;

 later its sweet juice appeared on our table, along with a lovely soup made from

a tuber grown in the water---foods for Epiphany—but not yet revealed to us why…

The following day was the twelfth day of the month on the Coptic calendar.

On this 12^th day, each month, the archangel Michael is honored,

and the bishop made sure we got our share of date-filled biscuits

 stamped with the angel’s image---how sweet it was…

In these feasts and traditions, both amazing and daunting,

We are honored to be included, and we find that beneath the

black robes of the priests, the dark dresses of the sisters,

 and the modern attire of wives and children, there are caring hearts,

a community that embraces  faith and welcomes us as we enter into their places.

We open our hearts to more epiphanies

 as we seek to understand their words and their ways.