"It is a great thing when Christ, hidden in souls--and perhaps forced by the world to keep in hiding--manifests Himself unexpectedly by an unplanned expression of His presence.Then souls light up on all sides with recognition of Him and discover Him in themselves when they did not even imagine He could be anywhere."--Thomas Merton, The Sign of Jonas

"If they sin against thee--for there is no man who does not sin--and thou art angry with them, and dost give them to an enemy....If they lay it to heart and repent, and make supplication to thee...then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee."--1 Kings 8:46-50.

"Now, beneath the blows of the warm rays, that which lies under the snow remains bare, both of the former color and the cold; so will I thee inform, with light so living, that it shall tremble in its aspect to thee."--Dante, Paradiso, Canto II, Charles Eliot Norton translation,

Morning Prayer from Judges

"Up! Up! For this is the day...which the Lord has given...into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?" (Judges 4:14) 

Kings from the East

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem!

Your light has come,

The glory of the Lord shines upon you. (Is. 60:1)

The kings of Tarshish and the isles shall offer gifts;

The kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. (Ps. 72)

From the readings for the Feast of the Epiphany.