Baptism of the Lord
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The Baptism of the Lord (or the Baptism of Christ) 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.
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[edit] Western celebration
[edit] Roman Catholic Church
The Baptism of the Lord is observed as a distinct feast in the Roman Catholic Church, although it was originally one of three Gospel events marked by the feast of the Epiphany. As the visit of the Magi began to overshadow the other elements commemorated in the Epiphany the Baptism was instituted as a separate feast. It was still connected to its parent feast, as the Baptism marked the end of the octave of the Epiphany. The Octave was abolished in 1960, but liturgically the days between Epiphany and the Baptism retain the character of the old Octave in both the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the liturgy.
The tridentine calendar assigns this feast on 13 January, the old octave day of Epiphany, which was fixed on January 6. In most parts of the Church, the feast is now observed on the first Sunday after Epiphany (6 January), although it originally coincided with Epiphany. In the calendar of the ordinary form, depending on the year and the method of calculation (see below), the Baptism can fall on any day from 7 to 13 January.
In Europe (and in countries where Epiphany is observed on Sunday after 1 January) , however, Epiphany is observed on the Sunday after 1 January, and if that would put Epiphany on 7 January or 8 January, Baptism of the Lord is observed on the following Monday to avoid it falling too late. In this case it is not made a holy day of obligation.
In the liturgy, the day after the Baptism of the Lord marks the start of the first period of ordinary time. The Pope has traditionally baptized babies at the Sistine Chapel during the feast. It is also the date that the Roman Catholic Church advises that Christmas-themed decorations may be taken down.
[edit] Anglican communion
In the Church of England, Epiphany may be observed on 6 January or on the Sunday between 2 and 8 January. If Epiphany is observed on 6 January or before, the Baptism of Christ is observed on the following Sunday. If the Epiphany is observed on 7 or 8 January, the Baptism of Christ is observed on the following Monday.
In the Church of England, Ordinary Time does not begin until the day after the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
In the Episcopal Church in the United States, Epiphany is always celebrated on January 6, and the Baptism of the Lord is always celebrated on the following Sunday.
[edit] Eastern celebration
In the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated as an integral part of the celebration on 6 January, the Great Feast of the Theophany. For those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, 6 January falls on 19 January of the modern Gregorian Calendar (see Epiphany (holiday) and Theophany for details).
[edit] Liberal Catholic communion
In the Liberal Catholic Churches, Epiphany is always celebrated on January 6 and, because the feast has an octave, on the following Sunday. The Baptism of the Lord (also called "The Baptism of our Lord") is always celebrated on January 15. There is no "Ordinary Time" but Trinity Sunday begins the cycle of numbered Sundays.
