Word for the Weekend: Baptism of the Lord

Baptism of Christ by Giotto

The Christmas season is not yet complete. It ends with the celebration this coming weekend of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. (We return to Ordinary Time on Monday, January 11.)

You can find the readings for this weekend and background material on them here. (Note that there are two options for both the first and second lections - you'd need to check in your own parish for which options will be used.)

If you're shepherding children to Mass you can look here for hints on helping young ones prepare to hear the Word.

We are coming to the close of a season of Theophany - manifestations, appearances of God among us.

The word Theophany comes to us from the Greek (Θεοφάνεια - Τheophaneia) which means "appearance of God." Three feasts in a row celebrate the appearance of God in Christ: Christmas, Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord. And then, on the Sunday following the Baptism of the Lord or the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time*, the gospel recounts the miracle at the wedding feast at Cana - a fourth Theophany. (This account from John's gospel is read every year on this Sunday.)

*A new liturgical year begins on the First Sunday of Advent. The four Sundays before December 25 are the Four Sundays of Advent. The Sunday in the Octave of Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Family. Epiphany, formerly celebrated on January 6, is transferred, in most parts of the Catholic world, to the Sunday closest to January 6. The Sunday after Epiphany is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (although depending on other calendar peculiarities, the Baptism of the Lord is sometimes celebrated on a weekday). The Sunday after the Baptism, the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, features the gospel account of the wedding at Cana and the first miracle Christ performed. If you're really paying attention, you might be wondering, "What happened to the First Sunday in Ordinary Time?" The answer to that question can be found here.

Now, let's put away the liturgical calendar and give our attention to this coming Sunday's scriptures!

(Couldn't resist the special effects in the graphic above!)