🗓️Jan 13Octave of the Epiphany

🌟Today the eighth day of the Epiphany is celebrated, closing the solemn cycle of this glorious manifestation. The traditional liturgy recalls that the Epiphany commemorates three divine mysteries: the adoration of the Magi, the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and the first miracle at the Wedding at Cana. On this octave day, the Church focuses its attention especially on the Baptism of the Lord, as narrated by the Gospel of St. John. It is the moment when Isaiah's prophecy about the "light" rising over Jerusalem is realized in the Baptist's testimony, pointing out the "Lamb of God." The descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove and John's testimony regarding the divine sonship of Jesus authenticate the beginning of Christ's redemptive mission, revealing the Holy Trinity and sanctifying the waters for our spiritual rebirth.

🎶Introit (Mal 3:1; I Chr 29:12; Ps 71:1)
Ecce, advénit dominátor Dóminus: et regnum in manu ejus et potéstas et impérium. Ps. Deus, judícium tuum Regi da: et justítiam tuam Fílio Regis.
Behold the sovereign Lord cometh: and the kingdom is in His hand, and power, and dominion. Ps. Give to the King Thy judgment, O God: and to the King's Son Thy justice.

📜Epistle (Is 60:1-6)
Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see, and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense: and shewing forth praise to the Lord.

📖Gospel (Jn 1:29-34)
At that time, John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world. This is he, of whom I said: After me there cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me. And I knew him not, but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him. And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God.

🕊️The Lamb, the Dove, and the Manifestation of Grace

💧The liturgy of this eighth day admirably unites the luminous prophecy of Isaiah to the sacramental reality revealed at the Jordan. Isaiah invites Jerusalem to "arise and be enlightened," for the glory of the Lord has risen upon her; in the Gospel, this Glory is identified no longer as a distant light, but as a Person: "Behold the Lamb of God." St. Augustine, in his treatises on the Gospel of John, highlights the theological depth of the title "Lamb." He observes that John does not say that Christ takes away "sins" (plural), but the "sin of the world" (singular), referring to the root of all evil, original sin and the fallen condition of humanity that only the perfect sacrifice could expiate (St. Augustine, In Ioannis Evangelium). The Epiphany at the Jordan is, therefore, the revelation of the economy of salvation: the Father sends, the Son assumes the nature of the victim Lamb, and the Holy Spirit descends to anoint and sanctify. The descent of the Spirit "in the form of a dove" is not accidental; according to St. John Chrysostom, the dove is a gentle and pure animal, a symbol of reconciliation (as in the time of Noah) and of the simplicity that should characterize the baptized. Christ did not need the baptism of penance, but by entering the waters, He sanctified them by contact with His most pure flesh, conferring upon them the power to beget children for God. Thus, the "light" that Isaiah prophesied would attract the nations is the baptismal grace flowing from Christ, the Lamb, gathering "sons from afar" and from "all sides" into the unity of the Catholic Church.

🇺🇸See English version of the critical articles here.