The Feast of Epiphany-Baptism of the Lord
A New Season-Season of Epiphany
In the Maronite Liturgical Calendar, January 6 marks the beginning of the Epiphany Season. The word "Epiphany” comes from the Greek, means "self-manifestation". The Season extends to the beginning of Lent.
The Feast of Epiphany - Baptism of the Lord
Gospel: Luke 3:15-22
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
Reflection 1
The Baptism of the Lord
In the Maronite Church, the Feast of the Epiphany also celebrates the Baptism of the Lord by John the Baptist. This event reveals both the identity and mission of Jesus, a mission in which we share through our own baptism. Jesus, the Son of God, is anointed with the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Good News to the poor, and the same Spirit empowers us to participate in His mission.
John the Baptist shows humility, acknowledging that he is unworthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. His baptism with water foreshadows the cleansing from sin that comes through the baptism of Christ with the Holy Spirit, symbolised as fire, which purifies and transforms.
As Jesus is baptised, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father’s voice proclaims: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” This moment affirms Jesus’ mission and reveals the unity of the Holy Trinity.
The Baptism of Jesus serves as a reminder of our own baptismal call. It invites us to renew our commitment to live as children of God, to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and to follow the path of Jesus—marked by humility, prayer and a deep relationship with the Father.
Reflection 2
In the Maronite Church, the Feast of the Epiphany also celebrates the Baptism of the Lord by John the Baptist, a feast that highlights both the identity and mission of Jesus, from which we derive our own identity and mission. Jesus is the Son of God, and through our baptism, we become sons and daughters of the Son. He is anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, becoming aware of His mission to preach the Good News to the poor. The same power of the Spirit is poured out on us so that we may participate in Jesus’ mission.
The Baptism of the Lord is an important event that marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The event also reveals the presence of the Holy Trinity.
The Gospel of the day gives an account of the Baptism of Jesus by John in the river Jordan. After His Baptism, Jesus, while at prayer, receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit to consecrate Him to announce to the poor the good news of their salvation. This event marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and it manifests both His Sonship to the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit within Him.
Jesus’ baptism was part of His work as our Saviour. And by this event, He shows both His own identity as God’s beloved Son, but also identifies with sinners – in order to save them.
Jesus came to be one of us, born as a man. However, He also came to be the One who would stand for all of us – who would take all our sins on himself – who would pay our price at the cross – and who still represents us all before God.
At His baptism, Jesus publicly takes on that role as the One who stands for all.
It is how He fulfils all righteousness. First, He fulfils the law of God perfectly for us. Then He fulfils the plan of God by becoming the sacrifice for our sins. He is the Son of God and the Saviour of the World.
Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan was the first step, in a way, toward his baptism on Calvary – both baptisms not for His sin but for ours.
The humility of John the Baptist is evident as he declares himself a servant, preparing the way for Christ. He humbly acknowledges that he is unworthy to untie the sandals of Jesus. His baptism with water symbolises the cleansing from sin that will ultimately take place through the baptism of Christ with the Holy Spirit, which is further associated with fire. The Holy Spirit, like fire, purifies and burns away sin.
"You are my Son"
As Jesus is baptised, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the voice of the Father declares, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." This powerful moment reveals the unity of the Holy Trinity and affirms Jesus' divine mission.
For us, the Baptism of Jesus serves as a reminder of our own baptismal call. It invites us to renew our commitment to live as children of God, to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and to follow the path of Jesus—marked by humility, prayer, and a deep relationship with the Father.
Christ's Message
The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It is not difficult to see how today's world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite the conquests of science and technology, despite the refined and abundant material good that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy. And all of this is found in Christ and His way of life. (Pope John Paul II - Address at Boston, 1979)
References
According to St. Jerome, there are three reasons why Jesus is baptized by John: “The first, because having been born like any other man, he must comply with the law with justice and humility. The second, to demonstrate with his baptism the efficacy of the baptism of John. The third, to show, by sanctifying the waters of Jordan with the descent of the dove, the advent of the Holy Spirit in the washing of the believers” (Comment to Mt 1, 3,13). But it is important to keep in mind two other lessons to be drawn from this feast. The first is that, by being baptized by John together with sinners, Jesus began to take upon himself the burden of guilt of all humanity, as the Lamb of God who “takes away” (literally: “who takes upon himself” ) the sin of the world (see Jn 1:29). The second is that, with his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus reveals the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that come down among men, and show that their love is rich in forgiving and recreating mercy. Therefore, the event of the baptism of Christ is not only the revelation of his divine filiation and his incarnation, but is also the revelation of the Trinity: “The Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Spirit in the dove”
(St. Augustine, In Io. Ev. tr. 6, 5). Francesco Follo https://zenit.org/articles/baptism-of-jesus-son-of-god-and-brother-of-us-all/
The Baptism of Jesus
The Gospel writer gives an account of the baptism of Jesus. The beginning of the public ministry of Jesus was marked by his baptism by John - and while he was at prayer after his baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased' (Luke 3:22).
The Baptism of Jesus, the sinless one, becomes like a door through which he passes in search of sinners. In accepting Baptism, Jesus had committed himself to lead us sinners into God's Kingdom. This event inaugurated Jesus' mission on earth to announce to the poor the good news of their salvation and it manifested both his Sonship to the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit within him.
Gwen Simon
In the Maronite Liturgical Calendar, January 6 marks the beginning of the Epiphany Season. The word "Epiphany” comes from the Greek, means "self-manifestation". The Season extends to the beginning of Lent.
The Feast of Epiphany - Baptism of the Lord
Gospel: Luke 3:15-22
15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
Reflection 1
The Baptism of the Lord
In the Maronite Church, the Feast of the Epiphany also celebrates the Baptism of the Lord by John the Baptist. This event reveals both the identity and mission of Jesus, a mission in which we share through our own baptism. Jesus, the Son of God, is anointed with the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Good News to the poor, and the same Spirit empowers us to participate in His mission.
John the Baptist shows humility, acknowledging that he is unworthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. His baptism with water foreshadows the cleansing from sin that comes through the baptism of Christ with the Holy Spirit, symbolised as fire, which purifies and transforms.
As Jesus is baptised, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father’s voice proclaims: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” This moment affirms Jesus’ mission and reveals the unity of the Holy Trinity.
The Baptism of Jesus serves as a reminder of our own baptismal call. It invites us to renew our commitment to live as children of God, to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and to follow the path of Jesus—marked by humility, prayer and a deep relationship with the Father.
Reflection 2
In the Maronite Church, the Feast of the Epiphany also celebrates the Baptism of the Lord by John the Baptist, a feast that highlights both the identity and mission of Jesus, from which we derive our own identity and mission. Jesus is the Son of God, and through our baptism, we become sons and daughters of the Son. He is anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, becoming aware of His mission to preach the Good News to the poor. The same power of the Spirit is poured out on us so that we may participate in Jesus’ mission.
The Baptism of the Lord is an important event that marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The event also reveals the presence of the Holy Trinity.
The Gospel of the day gives an account of the Baptism of Jesus by John in the river Jordan. After His Baptism, Jesus, while at prayer, receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit to consecrate Him to announce to the poor the good news of their salvation. This event marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry and it manifests both His Sonship to the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit within Him.
Jesus’ baptism was part of His work as our Saviour. And by this event, He shows both His own identity as God’s beloved Son, but also identifies with sinners – in order to save them.
Jesus came to be one of us, born as a man. However, He also came to be the One who would stand for all of us – who would take all our sins on himself – who would pay our price at the cross – and who still represents us all before God.
At His baptism, Jesus publicly takes on that role as the One who stands for all.
It is how He fulfils all righteousness. First, He fulfils the law of God perfectly for us. Then He fulfils the plan of God by becoming the sacrifice for our sins. He is the Son of God and the Saviour of the World.
Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan was the first step, in a way, toward his baptism on Calvary – both baptisms not for His sin but for ours.
The humility of John the Baptist is evident as he declares himself a servant, preparing the way for Christ. He humbly acknowledges that he is unworthy to untie the sandals of Jesus. His baptism with water symbolises the cleansing from sin that will ultimately take place through the baptism of Christ with the Holy Spirit, which is further associated with fire. The Holy Spirit, like fire, purifies and burns away sin.
"You are my Son"
As Jesus is baptised, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the voice of the Father declares, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." This powerful moment reveals the unity of the Holy Trinity and affirms Jesus' divine mission.
For us, the Baptism of Jesus serves as a reminder of our own baptismal call. It invites us to renew our commitment to live as children of God, to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and to follow the path of Jesus—marked by humility, prayer, and a deep relationship with the Father.
Christ's Message
The message of love that Christ brought is always important, always relevant. It is not difficult to see how today's world, despite its beauty and grandeur, despite the conquests of science and technology, despite the refined and abundant material good that it offers, is yearning for more truth, for more love, for more joy. And all of this is found in Christ and His way of life. (Pope John Paul II - Address at Boston, 1979)
References
According to St. Jerome, there are three reasons why Jesus is baptized by John: “The first, because having been born like any other man, he must comply with the law with justice and humility. The second, to demonstrate with his baptism the efficacy of the baptism of John. The third, to show, by sanctifying the waters of Jordan with the descent of the dove, the advent of the Holy Spirit in the washing of the believers” (Comment to Mt 1, 3,13). But it is important to keep in mind two other lessons to be drawn from this feast. The first is that, by being baptized by John together with sinners, Jesus began to take upon himself the burden of guilt of all humanity, as the Lamb of God who “takes away” (literally: “who takes upon himself” ) the sin of the world (see Jn 1:29). The second is that, with his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus reveals the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit that come down among men, and show that their love is rich in forgiving and recreating mercy. Therefore, the event of the baptism of Christ is not only the revelation of his divine filiation and his incarnation, but is also the revelation of the Trinity: “The Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Spirit in the dove”
(St. Augustine, In Io. Ev. tr. 6, 5). Francesco Follo https://zenit.org/articles/baptism-of-jesus-son-of-god-and-brother-of-us-all/
The Baptism of Jesus
The Gospel writer gives an account of the baptism of Jesus. The beginning of the public ministry of Jesus was marked by his baptism by John - and while he was at prayer after his baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased' (Luke 3:22).
The Baptism of Jesus, the sinless one, becomes like a door through which he passes in search of sinners. In accepting Baptism, Jesus had committed himself to lead us sinners into God's Kingdom. This event inaugurated Jesus' mission on earth to announce to the poor the good news of their salvation and it manifested both his Sonship to the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit within him.
Gwen Simon