Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 NIV)

The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphany tide, a liturgical period following the Christmas season. It comes from a Greek word for manifestation or appearance.  During Epiphany I want to keep my eyes and ears open to the Holy Spirit, to pay attention to what is going on around me, to be thankful for the manifestations of those things divine, and to share with others what I am grateful for.

I’m grateful for learning the stories of the Bible in Sunday school and in church at a young age. I am also grateful for a bride now of (53 years, I think} who was also brought up in a good Christian home with wonderful parents that gave her a firm foundation of faith and respect for the church and for the Bible. I realize that we are fortunate, and many people do not have this kind of foundation to fall back on. That doesn’t mean that you cannot recreate that foundation in your life, because you can, and it is evidenced by many of you that have created a Christian tradition and culture in your home, that did not have a great foundation or maybe no fond memories of home.

I’m thankful for music. Naomi and my children were the musicians in our home. I was not. Both of my kids originally went to school on music scholarships. Naomi provided the talent and I would like to say that I provided the discipline of practice. I would set up practice times for each day of the week on paper that I posted on the refrigerator door that they signed off on after practice. The bargain was that we would buy their instruments and lessons, and they would be faithful in practicing. Sometimes my younger son didn’t want to, but we worked together as a team, and he did it. You can’t just decide to play a Mozart lullaby only when you want to when you haven’t had adequate practice, even when your emotions or reasoning tell you otherwise.

As Christians and Stewards of God, we are called to be faithful to share the love of God with others, to be faithful in our ministries and commitments, and that means at times that are favorable (the times we want to be responsible and feel good about it) and at times that are not favorable (when our emotions and reason tells us not be faithful in our ministry to God, the church and to the world). To be persistent, to encourage, to correct, to teach and to have patience with others just as God has patience with us.

I wish you all an insightful Epiphany season!  And please remind one another to be thankful in all things. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (! Thessalonians 5:18) “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people” (Psalm 105:1).

~ Father Dave

The Church Year has several periods one could call intense. The year begins with one of those, the four weeks of Advent, preparing for and leading up to Christmas. There are important figures in Advent and I have earlier mentioned them: the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist, Mary the mother of Jesus, St. Nicholas too. But with Christmas on December 25 we enter a second intense season—the readings record the birth of Jesus, the angels greeting the shepherds with the good news, the wise men following a special star to where Jesus and his parents were, leaving their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Christmas also contains the violent reality of a strong man, King Herod, who out of fear and hate orders the massacre of all the male children under two in Bethlehem, with Mary and Joseph scurrying to safety as refugees in Egypt. 

A lot going on at this time, and then we are in Epiphany, a time of our being shown who Jesus is, what he’s going to do. I also wrote earlier about Jesus’ baptism by John and the changing of water into wine by Jesus at the wedding in Cana as two other “epiphanies.” Jesus brings the kingdom, God’s way, to the world. The abundance of good wine and a party--these signs of the joy that God wants for us. Jesus calls people to follow him, then teaches with parables. Right before Lent begins, we hear of another “epiphany” in which Jesus shows a glimpse of his divinity on Mt. Tabor, in conversation with the great figures of the Hebrew scriptures, Moses and the prophet Elijah. This scene called “transfiguration,” literally metamorphosis , reminds us that the destination of Lent is Jesus’ death and his resurrection from death, what we become part of in baptism and every time we receive holy communion.

There’s a lot for us every Sunday, almost too much for one sitting. But it’s a feast, one that in these days of hate, suspicion, fear, anger is a feast of a whole different sort, a celebration of how God behaves, and wants us to as well: forgiveness, generosity, compassion.

Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
standing by the windows looking out
in our directions
back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you
over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you

with the animals dying around us
taking our feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
thank you we are saying and waving
dark though it is

Many in the health care field feel that dementia is an epidemic. Six million people in the United States have been diagnosed with the disorder. Aging of the population is expected to cause the number of new cases per year to double by 2060.

Family or friends don’t know what to expect when they hear the neurologist give the diagnosis. But they soon find out. Every patient is unique. There are personal stories of memory loss, poor judgment, behavior changes like aggression, and wandering outside. In the later stages, there is incontinence of bladder and bowel.

It has been reported that people fear dementia more than cancer. The saddest aspect of this disorder is that it can go on for years. Caregivers wear out with the daily demands. Money to hire help is often in short supply. Medicare does not pay for hourly home care. Memory care units are too expensive for most families. In my experience, some families give up and, in desperation, leave their family member at a hospital.

Education is essential. Help is available. The San Diego Dementia Consortium (619-719-5935) has a wealth of information on how to deal with behavior change. Support groups are widespread. In Borrego Springs, a memory care group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 1 pm at the Senior Center. Attendees say that sharing what they go through helps so much. Affordable local respite care is discussed.

Without support, families can lose patience and often want nothing to do with someone suffering from the disorder. Caregivers don’t realize that restless or difficult resistant behavior can be managed with medication. Talking with a neurologist can help find a good fit for the patient’s personality.

Dementia is not the patient’s fault. To lose oneself slowly and wear out those you love is a tragedy. Some patients exhibit behavior around bedtime called sundowning, in which they become agitated and irrational. Patients with dementia should not be left to live alone because of safety issues – fires, falls or wandering off. Incontinence is very difficult to manage and can be a final straw before a path to a memory care facility. Often the patients do not think there is anything wrong.

Patients need companionship and stimulation, but it’s difficult to remain positive with all the wiping and washing required. The whole family needs support! If you know of someone dealing with dementia, offer to help – cooking, grocery shopping, or companionship. Remember that life is about service to others – we all have need of something sometime.

Be kind, be compassion, and help.

(Sandra Sterling is a St. Barnabas parishioner and a retired registered nurse who leads the support group at the Borrego Springs Senior Center. This article is an edited reprint of an article that appeared in the Borrego Sun.)

Five St. Barnabans headed out to the Rostros y Corazón community center in Salton City on Sunday afternoon, January 11. Our fellow parishioner, Directora Graciela M. Ramos, and her family and friends hosted a splendid feast and party to honor the visitation of the Christ child by the Three Wise Men (Tres Reyes Magos). This feast is the main gift-giving day in the Latin culture. Special guests were fifty local kids and their families who are on Graciela’s list of families in utmost need. 

Kids from ages 6 months to 12 years took turns getting their faces painted and swiping at the enormous piñatas. I was impressed by the muscle-power on such tiny tots! Graciela’s team had made enough hot dogs, nachos, crispy tacos, and pan dulce for a small army. Kids chose gifts from a toy-store-like display, and a raffle was held – the prizes being a monster car-carrier, a complete baby doll set, and other games. 

Graciela introduced her special ‘big-people’ guests – Imperial County Commissioner Ryan Kelly and his wife Robin, and Eric Reyes, Executive Director of Los Amigos de la Comunidad in Brawley. Both gentlemen have been longtime supporters of initiatives that Graciela artfully has suggested to them!  As Graciela’s son Carlos told me, “You put Mom together with her friends Miriam and Jackie, and you’ve got trouble!”  Fr. Michael Plekon was also introduced and gave an Epiphany blessing before the food fest began.

St. Barnabas staff have begun to explore ways to support Graciela’s organization beyond the toy donations collected during Advent and Christmas. Communication Director Andrea McKenna has helped Graciela set up a donation link on the free web app, Zeffy. Andrea also made the connection between the Borrego Soroptimists chapter and several young women from Salton City who are attending school and need a financial boost. Graciela does a lot with very little, but she has some ideas about how to beef up her center’s food-service capacity.

Salton City residents make up a large segment of the service workforce in Borrego Springs, and a busload of Salton kids come to Borrego Springs to school. They fall into our circle of “neighbors.” We look forward to teaming up with Rostros y Corazón for more fun and more creative collaboration  in the coming months. Muchas gracias por todo, Graciela!

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“We thrive when we all thrive” served as a guiding principle for the Roosevelt family, and it strongly resonates with my values. It is therefore fitting that I dedicate my time, talent, and treasure to BASIC (Basic Assistance to Students in the Community), a local not-for-profit organization. As a board member of BASIC, I take pride in our commitment to fostering educational opportunities for children in Borrego Valley from cradle through graduation.

Each initiative facilitated by BASIC is integral to student achievement, beginning with our partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which supplies books to children from infancy through kindergarten. Research consistently proves that early literacy forms the cornerstone of lifelong learning. In alignment with this, the Latino Family Literacy Program equips families with the tools and understanding necessary to foster early reading habits, ensuring preschoolers are prepared for success upon entering kindergarten. Additionally, the Summer Learning Academy offers an intensive four-week program aimed at addressing learning gaps and promoting sustained academic progress in math and reading for elementary and middle school students.

These programs lay a strong educational foundation for Borrego students, while the scholarships provided by BASIC enable them to pursue higher education or vocational training. The positive outcomes of these efforts extend beyond graduation, influencing recipients’ future careers, families, and communities. For instance, one scholarship recipient expressed sincere gratitude for the support received and conveyed a desire to one day assist future students in achieving their goals, exemplifying the long-term impact of BASIC's work.

“We thrive when we all thrive.”  Amen!

For more information:  borregobasic.org

Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you,

All things pass away:

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things.

He who has God

Lacks nothing;

God alone suffices.

[Excerpted from “Thousands join Episcopal Church vigil to lament violent immigration enforcement actions, unite in pursuing justice.”  Episcopal News Service, author Shireen Korkzan, posted January 14, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.]

Rowe read from the Book of Common Prayer :  “Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and for all your love’s sake. Amen.”

“These days, [signs of God’s redeeming love] can seem so hard to find, so it’s important that we stick together while we keep watch,” Rowe said during the vigil. “Thank God for the church, this risen body of Christ in the world. It is good that we have each other to lean on, because these days, we’re often exhausted.”

“I don’t know about you, but there were a few questions where I wanted to say, ‘OK, God, but… how hard do I have to, exactly, persevere in resisting evil? Because it seems like evil might have the upper hand these days, and we’re tired.  Do I have to serve, seek and serve Christ in all persons—all of them?’” Rowe said, invoking the Christian promised contained in the Baptismal Covenant. “Jesus is with us, and the Holy Spirit is guiding us, and the kingdom has drawn near even when we are beset by rage and despair and we absolutely cannot see it.”

Something to Make You Smile