A minister was once extremely popular. His church was always full. As the years passed and he grew older, his vitality decreased—and so did his flock.

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Friday after Epiphany, Jan 8

1 John 5: 5-13; Luke 5: 12-16

Jesus went to deserted places; There he prayed.

Among his many scientific achievements, George Washington Carver produced useful products from the lowly peanut. Among these were shampoo and printer's ink. Author James Childers once asked Carver how he found time to do so much research.

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Thursday after Epiphany, Jan 7

1 John 4:19 - 5:4 / Luke 4:14-22

Jesus worships with the community; He went to the synagogue, as usual.

Jesus worshiped with his friends and neighbours in two places: the synagogue and the Temple. Every village and town had a synagogue. But there was only one Temple, and that was in Jerusalem. The synagogue was chiefly a place of instruction.

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Wednesday after Epiphany, Jan 6

1 John 4:11-18 / Mark 6:45-52

Jesus walks on the water; The disciples were utterly confused.

Mark, Matthew, and John describe Jesus' walking on water right after the miracle of the loaves and fishes. These two back-to-back events leave the disciples totally confused, They are amazed by both events, but they aren't absolutely sure what they means. This much is certain. After these two events, things were never the same for Jesus' disciples. Something beyond their wildest dreams was happening. Only time would tell what it was and how they fitted into it all. For the present, all they could do was to be patient.

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Tuesday after Epiphany, Jan 5

1 John 4:7-10 / Mark 6:34-44

Jesus feeds the crowd: Twelve baskets of leftovers remained.

There's only one miracle of Jesus that is reported by all four evangelists. It is the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Mark's description of the miracle is especially vivid. He describes the hungry people sitting "on the green grass in groups or parties" and "neatly arranged like flower beds." (NAB. 1970)

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Jan 4-9, Week After Epiphany

Jan 4-9: Jan 4 Monday (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious (U. S. A.) (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-elizabeth-ann-seton) : Mt 4: 12-17, 23-25: 12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulon and Naphtali, 14 that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

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