Christmas season officially ends today

by Christina I. Hermoso
January 11, 2015
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The long Christmas season liturgically ends today with the Catholic Churchs observance of the Feast of the Baptism
of the Lord.
The feast commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by Saint John the Baptist, at a time when all those
living in Jerusalem, Judea, and the whole region around Jordan were having themselves baptized.
In Rome, Italy, it has become customary for the pontiff to hold mass and baptize babies in the Sistine Chapel, a
tradition that was initiated by Saint John Paul II. Pope Francis will lead the mass and baptismal rites today before his
scheduled departure for Colombo, Sri Lanka tomorrow, January 12, for an apostolic visit.
This will be followed by the Holy Fathers visit to the Philippines on January 15 to 19.
The Church encourages the faithful to remember the date of their own baptism when the spiritual gifts of faith, hope,
and love as children of God partaking in His divine plan were bestowed upon them and the mission to spread the
Word of God begun.
Church officials said, Jesus baptism celebrates His second manifestation as the Son of God (Epiphany), as well as
the manifestation of the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit
(Theophany). It reminds the faithful that all humanity is called to share in the life of God revealed in Christ through
faith and baptism and of their rebirth as children of God in baptism.
Jesus was baptized by His cousin, St. John the Baptist, in the Jordan River when Jesus was about 30 years old. He
began His public ministry thereafter.