 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009) |
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.
Contents |
Western celebration
Roman Catholic Church
The Baptism of the Lord is observed as a distinct feast in the Roman Catholic Church. Depending on the year and the method of calculation (see below), it can fall on any day from 7 to 13 January.
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. The tridentine calendar had this feast on 13 January, the old octave day of Epiphany, which was fixed on January 6.
In the United States (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.
Anglican communion
In the Church of England, Epiphany may be observed on 6 January or, if that day is not a Sunday, on the following Sunday (the First Sunday of Epiphany). If Epiphany is observed on 6 January (whether that day is a Sunday or not), the Baptism of Christ is observed on the following Sunday (the First or Second Sunday of Epiphany). If 6 January is not a Sunday and Epiphany is transferred to the following Sunday, 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.
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 Theophany for details).
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
