Saint Baptism of the Lord

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, or Theophany, is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Originally the baptism of Christ was celebrated on Epiphany, which commemorates the coming of the Magi, the baptism of Christ, and the wedding at Cana. Over time in the West, however, the celebration of the baptism of the Lord came to be commemorated as a distinct feast from Epiphany, though falling within Epiphanytide. It is celebrated in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches and Anglican Churches on the first Sunday following The Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6). Some Lutheran churches celebrate it on the Sunday before Lent, or Quinquagesima. In the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Lutheran and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated as an integral part of the celebration on January 6, the Great Feast of the Theophany. For those churches that follow the traditional Julian calendar, January 6 falls on January 19 of the modern Gregorian calendar (see Epiphany (holiday) and Theophany for details). The Baptism of the Lord is observed as a distinct feast in the Roman rite, although it was originally one of three Gospel events marked by the feast of the Epiphany. Long after the visit of the Magi had in the West overshadowed the other elements commemorated in the Epiphany, Pope Pius XII instituted in 1955 a separate liturgical commemoration of the Baptism. Currently, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is usually celebrated the Sunday after Epiphany. The exception is when Epiphany is observed on January 7th or 8th; this causes the Baptism to be celebrated on the Monday immediately following Epiphany. When celebrated on Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism is part of the Christmas season, but when displaced to Monday it falls in Ordinary Time. The Tridentine calendar had no feast of the Baptism of the Lord for almost four centuries.