LONDON - Julian Assange speaks from balcony of Ecuadoran embassy marking 6 months.

by Epiphany Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:12

"Epiphany Under Empire"
by Ched Myers

The origins of the feast of the Epiphany are historically complicated and ecclesially disputed. We might think of it as a kind of peace offering from the Western to the Eastern church, given the latter’s date (surely older) of Jan. 6 for the feast of the Nativity. The 12 Days of Christmas, in turn, bridge the two traditions, straddling exactly our celebration of the New Year. Epiphany has a rich cultural history in the West, from Plough Monday in early England (a drinking day for the peasantry) to La Fiesta de los Reyes Magos, still celebrated among Hispanics. What caught my attention in researching such traditions, however, was an old German practice of ritually purifying the household on the 12th day, the eve of Epiphany. Herbs were burned and the letters C+M+B (representing the legendary names of the Magi) inscribed above the entry to the house and barn, followed by a prayer asking for protection in the coming year “from the ravages of fire and water.”

ARTICLE CONTINUED......

http://tinyurl.com/a6m4c4p

by London Catholic Worker Thu Jan 03, 2013 16:34

VID (1 min) LONDON - Catholic Workers mark "Feast of Innocents" at police siege of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOJYKk_ZPU8

For radical Christians, the Christmas narrative can only be understood in the context of the "Feast of Innocents" that follows on Dec. 28th. The feast day exposes imperial power and its collaboraters, in this case King Herod, striking back when sensing the imperial arrangement threatened. The children slain by Herod are echoed today by those killed in U.S. and British drone strikes, the thousands who have died in the recent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and those threatened by the continual preparations for nuclear and interventionary war.

There are also stories of heroic nonviolent resistance contained within the narrative. The Maji break Herod's injunction and refuse to return to him with targeting intel for his search and destroy mission against the Christ child. Today that resistance is echoed in the lives of Bradley Manning imprisoned in the U.S. facing military court martial and Julian Assange presently encircled by British police in the Ecuadoran embassy in downtown London. Bradley and Julian are being pursued by modern day Herods who would rather we were kept in the dark in relation to the nature of their murderous deeds
http://collateralmurder.com/

Over this long decade of war, London Catholic Workers http://londoncatholicworker.org/ have annually marked the Feast of Innocents by taking nonviolent resistance to Northwood HQ. This year they decided to stand in solidarity with Julian Assange.

A daily solidarity (2pm-5pm) vigil continues outside the Ecuadoran embassy, Hans Cres.
Take the Harrods exit from Knightsbridge tube station

Tues Jan 8th. 2pm Gather at the U.S. embassy in solidarity with Bradley Manning as he fronts court for a pre-trial hearing at Ft. Meade, USA
http://tinyurl.com/atlrfdx

In the U.S. Catholic Workers were among those arrested on the "Feast of the Holy Innocents" at Davis Monthan AFB, the Pentagon and Offutt AFB.
Full reports here ..........
http://tinyurl.com/afx9qmh

Catholic Worker Brian Terrell is presently serving 6 months imprisonment for opposition to drone warfare
http://tinyurl.com/a4mbo57