January 3, 2021

B06: The Epiphany of the Lord, Year B (2021)

Michael Renninger

“All of a sudden, everything got dark. It was Christmas Eve, many years ago…This year, we had decorated our tree with twinkle lights…We had never seen anything like it…And neither had our cat…Before we knew it, the cat climbed the trunk of the tree, perched himself near the top, where he found part of the electrical cord for lights. And he promptly began to chew on the cord,” begins Father Michael Renninger, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia. “Just then, the cat bit down on the power cord. An electric spark jumped from the cord to the cat’s collar…And all of a sudden, everything went dark. All the lights in the house went off. The cat had blown the fuse box.” In today’s sermon from Isaiah 60:1-6, the prophet Isaiah speaks of darkness, but Isaiah also says, “Arise. Shine. For your light has come!”

Manuscript available: click HERE