Liturgically the month stretches from Epiphany to Candlemas. Epiphany brings the awakening of faith in Jesus, the faith of the gentiles in the person of the Magi, the faith of John the Baptist at the realisation of who had come to him for Baptism and the faith of his disciples at the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. As the old Benedictus antiphon put it:

Today, the Church has been joined to her heavenly bridegroom,
since Christ has purified her of her sins in the river Jordan,
the Magi hasten to the royal wedding and offer gifts:
the wedding guests rejoice since Christ has changed water into wine, alleluia.

The mother of Jesus is present to the awakening of faith.  By her dialogue with Jesus at Cana she draws from him the 'sign' of changing of water into wine, even though his hour has not yet come.  She will be present again at Candlemas where the realisation of the significance of that hour will be like a sword piercing her soul.

The awakening of faith we celebrate in the Liturgy is matched by the tentative emergence of the first snowdrops, of the first buds on the trees. As we see these signs of new life all around us in Nature let us pray for a new awakening of our own faith and purpose in this New Year.

Sr Celine Mangan, OP