Divine Word College of Calapan

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, 5200, Philippines

VI. Some Important or popular feasts or events of the local Catholic Church

The solemnity of the Epiphany

The manifestation of the Lord as savior not only of the Jews but of all men; the wise men who
came all the way to look for the child and to revere him manifest the worldwide importance and mission of
this newly born infant. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is the manifestation of Jesus as the beloved
Son of the Father, filled with the spirit Considering all these festivities one must admit that the Christmas
cycle is a time which presents to the believer various aspects and dimensions of Jesus Christ and therefore
a time of a rich Christological catechesis and meditation.

1. Immaculate Conception (December 8)

This Marian feast like so many others - was given to the West from the churches of the East. The date of
the eighth of December was chosen in relationship to the older feast of the birth of Mary on September 8
nine months preceding the birth is the conception. In the churches of the East. We find as early as the seventh
century a feast with the interesting title of "the conception of Mary by St. Anne by which she became the
mother of the Mother of God".

The content of the feast was the great deed of God that Anne could conceive in spite of her barrenness and
off age because nothing is impossible with him. Via Southern Italy the feast came to the West where its
theological content was formulated anew; before the focus was more on the miracle of God which made it
possible that old and sterile Anne could conceive a child, now the attention turned to the child affirming that
Mary was conceived without sin. Duns Scotus and the theological school of the Franciscans developed and
propagated the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and in 1476 Pope Sixtus IV- he himself a Franciscan
and a follower of the theological thought of Dun Scotus approved the feast of the Immaculate Conception
and accepted - it into the Roman calendar. In 1708 Pope Clement XI extended the feast to the entire church.
In 1830 Catherine Laboure had the visions of the blessed Mother and in 1832 the first so called miraculous
medals were made which present Mary with the inscription: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who
have recourse to thee.

These medals together with the spectacular and sudden conversion of the rich Jew Alphonse Ratisbonne in
1842 contributed greatly to the popularity of the feast and doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. On the
eighth of December 1854 Pope Pius IX declared this belief as a dogma, to be accepted by everybody. Only
four years later, in 1858, were the apparitions in Lourdes where Mary revealed her name to Bernadette
Soubirous as "Immaculate Conception". These apparitions and the worldwide attention paid to them did their
share in promoting the devotion to the Immaculata. In 1863 new texts for the Mass and the Divine Office
were given to this feast. The liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council kept these texts for the most part
but has introduced new readings and a special Preface.

The content of this feast on the eighth of December we celebrate the fact that Mary, from the rst
moment of her existence was free from original sin. Pope Pius IX in Bull "Ineffabilis Deus" formulates the
dogma and with it also the intent of this feast in the following words: "We declare, pronounce and define: The
doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary vas from the first moment of her conception, by the
singular grace and privilege of Almighty God and in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of the human
race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin, a revealed by God and, therefore, firmly and constantly
to be believed by all the faithful" The following points in this definition are important; First, Mary is free of sin
and this in a very radical way. She was preserved of the original sin and never touched by it, not even for
one moment of her life. (What original sin is and how it must be understood is ot explained in the Bull but left
to the theologians to reflect and to speculate about.
As a consequence, she is free also of all other sins (actual sin) because they are rooted in the original
sin. December 8 celebrates there- are Mary as the sinless Virgin and the Virgin most pure. Second, this
privilege is a special and singular grace from part of God. It is given to Mary not because of her merits but
rather because of her election to become the Mother of the Son of God. It is a very unique privilege that
makes her different from all other human beings because the role of Mary in the history of salvation was and
is unique. On the feast of Immaculate Conception we do not celebrate first of all Mary, but the great deed
God did on her. By doing this we follow the thought of the Magnificat: "From this day all generations will call
be blessed because Almighty has done great things for me" (Lk 1,48). Veneration goes to Mary but adoration
and praise to the graciousness of God. Third, such a privilege does not diminish the role of Jesus as savior
of all mankind. It was given to Mary "in view of the merits of Christ Jesus, the savior of the human race". She
too is therefore deemed by Jesus Christ. What makes her different from us is the fact at she was pre-
redeemed and fully redeemed. Even before the redemptive work of Christ was done, she received the effects
and fruits of the sacrificial death of the Lord (pre-redeemed) and while all human beings e at least for a certain
time under original sin, Mary was never touched it (fully redeemed). Fourth, Mary was granted the privilege
of being preserved from sin. view of Christ because she was chosen to be the Mother of God.

2. The Aguinaldo Masses

The sixteenth of December is always a great day in the Philippines, full of excitement and joy
because it is the beginning of the dawn Masses nine days preceding Christmas. Those dawn masses are
characterized by great festivity and popularity. By hundreds the faithful flock to the churches in the very early
hours of the morning, dressed in their best, accompanied by the ringing of the bells from the church tower or
by happy Christmas carols broadcasted with loudspeakers. After Mass puto-bumbong, a rice delicacy with
sugar and grated coconut together with hot chocolate or salabat (git ger tea) is sold at church patios. Truly a
fiesta for body and soul. These Masses are known under two names: Aguinaldo Masses Misa de Gallo, Mass
of the Rooster. Aguinaldo comes from the Spanish Language and means a gift, in a very special way a
Christmas.

These Masses are therefore considered as a kind of Christmas gift of the people to the Lord to come and as
a Christmas gift of the Lord to his people. The other name Misa de Gallo indicates the timing of these Masses
early at cockcrow, around 4:00 AM. The practice of the Aguinaldo Masses seems to have its origin in the
Rorate Masses (cf. below under popular traditions). They were celebrated early in the morning to signify the
darkness which will be overcome by light, in some places they were held on the Saturdays of the Advent
season and in other places on the nine days preceding Christmas which corresponds to the practice of the
Aguinaldo Masses today. Why are they at such an early hour in the morning? Like in the case of so many
other popular traditions we do not have written documents that indicate a reason for it but we have to come
to conclusions by conjecture. A first reason will surely be the symbolic one. Christ is the light of the world that
overcame the darkness, and he was introduced into this world by Mary. Mary therefore can be called the
dawn that brought forth and announced Christ the light. The Aguinaldo Masses - being originally Votive
Masses in honor of Mary during Advent were held so early that the faithful attending them could experience
in the dawning day a symbol of t Mary and her role in the history of salvation. Another reason is a more
practical one. These Masses were and still are very popular and the faithful are eager to participate in them.
To accommodate all the people pressured by work in the market or in the fields, these Masses are celebrated
at a very early hour. A third reason could be that there was a kind of penitential influence. As it was shown in
the historical development of Advent this season received a heavily penitential character originating from
Gaul (France). By getting up early and to sacrifice some hours of sleep, the faithful were encouraged to do
some mortification and to show that they are ready to welcome the Lord at any time. The of the Aguinaldo
Masses with the mood of joy and festivity accompanying them is surely a very meaningful tradition,
expressing the joy and expectation for the coming of the Lord. It will find its high point in the Midnight Mass
of Christmas and the festive mood should then on during the whole time of the Christmas season. One of the
pastoral tasks in the Philippine situation is to work towards the goal that Advent, Aguinaldo Masses,
Christmas and Christians season become one great unity. At present it is unhappily often like this that the
Aguinaldo Masses and Christmas are celebrated as the high point, but after December 25 not much is
experienced of the joy about the coming of the Savior. It is a very abrupt end while the liturgy provides that
the festive mood of Christmas should go on until the end of the Christmas season.

3. Santa Claus

(Saint Nicholas) He is one of the most popular saints in the West despite his being a bishop in the East. Every
year on his feast day on the 6th of December in many places all kinds of traditional celebrations are going on
in his honor which prove how appreciated this saint is by young and old, by rich and poor alike. The person
of St. Nicholas became known and dear mainly through many legends but historical facts we know very little,
practically only that he lived in the 4th century and was a bishop of Myra (today: Demre in Turkey, a city in
the Bay of Antalya). After his death his tomb became a great pilgrimage place. In the 11th century Myra was
not a safe place anymore because of the war between Muslims and Christians; much looting was done also
in the holy place where St. Nicholas was buried and venerated. That is why in 1087 some Italian merchants
brought the relics of the Saint to Bari (Italy) where they are venerated today. According to the legend St.
Nicholas preserved three young girls of a poor family of becoming prostitutes by giving money to them and
alleviating their poverty. According to another legend he brought back to life three young boys who were
killed. There are many more miracle stories which show the Saint as a powerful intercessor and a great
helper in all kinds of needs, especially as a great friend of the poor and of children. Based on the legends the
popular traditions present him as the bringer of gifts to children, poor and lonely people. On the 6th of
December in many parts of the world St. Nicholas is going around dressed as a bishop, sometimes
accompanied by children dressed as angels, and brings gifts to children, sick people, prisoners and old folk.
Together with the gifts he gives also admonition and consolation.

4. Search for an Inn

(Panunuluyan) It is a kind of an Advent play of German origin which became popular also in many other
countries as far as the Philippines." It is a dramatization of Luke 2:1-7 how Joseph and Mary are trying to find
a shelter in Bethlehem, knocking at door after door, but only to be turned away. It usually done in form of
singing. It is very important that the Panunuluyam is presented not only as something that happened two
thousand years ag but as a fact that is still going on in our days. Also, today we have home less poor people
who do not find an open door but are forced to live in the streets. Also, today our hearts are often not open
and not ready to welcome the Savior. In this way such an audio-visual presentation of a biblical account can
become an earnest appeal to have an eye and a heart for the needs of others and in this way they prepare
ourselves for Christmas and the final coming of the Lord. The Search for an Inn fits very well into the second
part of Advent which is concentrating more on Christmas. In some places the re-enactment of Joseph and
Mary looking for shelter is done as a preparation for the Midnight Mass. Such a practice is meaningful as
long as it is done not only looking back to the past event two thousand years ago, but applying to the
celebration which will follow. We must open the door of our hearts to let enter the Lord under the Eucharistic
species so that he can be born again in us and through us in the world. In order that such a Eucharistic
application can happen there is need of a brief catechesis or the theme will have to developed in the homily.
In the last few days before Christmas the search for an Inn could also be done as an organized action of the
parish, performed by youth groups or members of a parish organization. Going from house to house,
reenacting the looking for a shelter, would bring the Christmas message (according to the gospel it is
preceding the birth of Christ) and the Advent message (to open our hearts to the needs of others so that we
can look forward with joy and confidence to the second coming of Christ) to the families Gifts that eventually
will be given to the players or singers can be used to help the poor of the parish.

5. The Feast of Santo Niño

In a newspaper of recent date an article was published with the title Santo Niño Image Drips Healing Oil" "
The author of the article relates the story of a two-foot image of the Santo Niño which has been dripping oil
since January 27, 1992. The oil has healing effects on sick people, especially cancer patients. But not only
this. "The Santo Niño de Providencia is known to turn his head. He was like this for some time. Then, he is
also known to walk around the house. He suddenly disappears from his altar" and they find him on the floor
or some other place. No matter what one thinks about the related story, it is indicative of the faith and trust
of many Filipinos in Santo Niño. His statue is found in many homes and in many churches and it decorates
even restaurants, hotel lobbies and business establishments. The devotion to Santo Niño is so popular in the
Philippines that the Bishops' Conference rightly opted for a special liturgical feast which is proper to the
Philippines. It is celebrated on the Third Sunday of January, therefore outside the Christmas season, but
strictly related to it.
In the 15th/16th century a great devotion to the Child Jesus. developed in Europe. From the many statues,
especially three became known worldwide and were and still are the object of great veneration, The oldest
one is the so-called "Bambino" of the Church Araceli in Rome. It dates back to the 15th century and is carved
of wood from olive trees of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. A Franciscan friar brought it to Rome where it became
very much venerated. It is richly decorated with gold and jewelry donated by devotees. At Christmas time the
Church with the "Bambino" becomes the center of popular piety. Well known are the "Sermons of the children"
given from a small pulpit close to the statue of the "Bambino". But also, throughout the year the devotion is
going on; people are praying before the statue and every year an average of two thousand letters from all
over the world are addressed to the "Bambino of Rome". These letters remain unopened, and their content
is not known; they are probably petitions, thanksgiving or just expressions of love and admiration. Another
famous image of the Child Jesus is the "Infant of Prague". It is found in the Church of the Carmelites Maria
de Victoria in the city of Prague, but it originates from Spain and was brought to Bohemia in 1556,"
Enter

In 1628 the statue was handed over to the Carmelites who exposed it in the church entrusted to them.
Thousands of people from all over the world flocked to this miraculous image-emperors, kings and simple
faithful-and made donations to "the small king and secret emperor". Copies of the Infant of Prague can be
found everywhere in the world from Brazil to India. In the Philippines it is the statue of the Santo Niño de
Cebu which conquered the hearts not only of the population of that city but also of all the Filipinos. On April
7, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan entered the port of Cebu. One week later a mass baptism was held. Several
hundred natives some say eight hundred, others five hundred-led by the chieftain Humabon were baptized.
Queen Juana was given as a baptismal gift a statue of the Child Jesus. In 1565 another expedition arrived
in the Philippines under the leadership of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fray Andres de Urdaneta. They found
a lot of resistance and hostility among the natives who fled the village and set it on fire. While searching
among the ruins for things spared by the fire, the statue of the Santo Niño was found on April 28, 1565. It
was entrusted to the Augustinian fathers who erected a church in 1571, dedicated to the Holy Child Jesus,
where the statue was brought and venerated. In 1740 a new church was erected, dedicated to St. Augustine,
and on January 16 the Santo Niño of Cebu was enthroned in that church. From Cebu the devotion to the
"Señor Santo Niño" spread to the other parts of the Philippines. In 1971 the feast of the Santo Niño was
introduced in the National Calendar to be celebrated on the Third Sunday of January. Rome confirmed this
decision in 1975 and in 1978 the texts for the Mass and the Divine Office were approved."

6. Annunciation of the Lord (March 25)

History and content of this feast Many aspects about the historical development of this solemnity are
still in the dark and not yet enough investigated What is certain is that the feast originates in the East around
the middle of the sixth century. The oldest written proof for the existence of this feast is a homily of Abraham
of Ephesus which was held in Constantinople between the years 530-550. In the Eastern churches the title
of this feast was and still is "Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary". In the West the feast was introduced
in the seventh century.
According to the Liber Pontifical is it had the name "Annunciation of the Lord". Pope Sergius I (687-
701) celebrated this feast in Rome with a procession from the Forum to the Marian Church of St. Mary Major
(such a procession was also held on August 15, feast of the Assumption; on September 8, feast of the birth
of Mary; and February 2, feast of the Presentation of the Lord). In the Middle Ages this Christological feast
got more and more a Marian meaning. That is why the Missal of the Council of Trent has as official title no
more "Annunciation of the Lord" but "Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (in annuntiatione Beatae
Mariae Virginis). In the Roman Calendar of 1969 this is reversed and they go back to the Christological title
this feast had in the beginning. "In order to indicate more clearly that the solemnity of the Annunciation is
primarily a feast of the Lord, the title is changed to "Annunciation of the Lord". (Commentary on the New
Calendar, II, variations in the Roman Calendar, March 25). The date of this festivity was chosen in relationship
to the date of December 25, the Nativity of Christ. Nine months before the birth is the conception by the power
of the Holy Spirit. The solemnity of the Annunciation is so important that it should never be omitted. If the
feast falls in Holy Week or in Easter week it is celebrated on the Monday after the Second Easter Sunday.
The content of this feast is clearly indicated in its title. We celebrate the great event of the history of salvation
that the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she will have a son. And Mary, submitting to the word of God,
conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. This feast is, there- fore, at once a Christological feast (the
conception of Jesus; the beginning of his human existence) and a Marian feast (beginning of the motherhood
of Mary, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the faithful and submissive servant of the word). Pope Paul VI in
Marialis Cultus gives a good summary about the content and the importance of the solemnity of the
Annunciation. As for Mary, the celebration is the feast of the New Eve, of the obedient and faithful maiden
who with the generous utterance of her own fiat has been made the Mother of God through the working of
the Holy Spirit, as well as truly the mother of the living and the true ark of the Covenant, the temple of God,
because her body received the one Mediator (see 1 Tim. 2,5). Thus the solemnity of the Annunciation is the
recollection of the moment in time that was the high point in the dialogue concerning our salvation initiated
by God with us; the day is also the memorial of the virgin's freely given consent and of her cooperation in the
carrying out of the divine pian for human redemption.

7. Feast of the Holy Family (Sunday during the Octave of Christmas)

A special veneration for the Holy Family developed in the 17th century, especially in France and
Belgium. François de Laval de Montmorency (1623-1708), a Frenchman and first Bishop of Quebec, brought
this devotion from France to Canada and fostered and promoted it. As the first Bishop of Quebec he
constructed a seminary and his great concern was to get soon many and dedicated priests for his diocese.
Being aware that the seedbed for vocations are good families, he propagated christian family values by giving
the family of Nazareth as model and guide to the faithful. Under him the Confraternity of the Holy Family was
founded and the feast of the Holy Family was instituted on a local level. From the French possessions in
America (New France) this devotion spreadly rapidly also to the United States and the whole of North
America. In Europe of the 19th century there were movements which were a threat to the Christian family. In
Germany there was the conflict between Church and State especially over control of education and church
appointments ("Kulturkampf) which affected very much the Christian family spirit.
There were also collectivistic tendencies under influence of Marxism which were a threat to the family
structure. Pope Leo XIII fought vigorously against these dangers. In the Brief "Neminem fugit" (June 14,
1892) and in his encyclical "Graves de communi re" (January 18, 1908) he mentioned and criticized the
wrong developments, defended the teachings of the church and gave the Holy Family as model for all
christian families. "It is of great help to propose the splendid example of the Holy Family of Nazareth and to
advise the invocation of its protection" (Graves de communi re, 25). On July 14, 1893 he instituted the
liturgical feast of the Holy Family (Congregatio Rituum, d. 3802) to be celebrated on the third Sun- day after
Epiphany. The feast was optional and was intended only for the dioceses and religious orders that requested
it. In the liturgical reform

We should be happy that with this feast we have a contribution of cond the Church of Canada to the Liturgical
Year. There is no doubt that the like. idea behind it is very praiseworthy, namely, to propose to the families
of that today the great example of the family of Nazareth. On the other hand we must admit that it is a
reduplicative feast. The Holy Family is the center of attention during the whole Christmas season. The feast
of the Nativity, phase the manger, the Solemnity of Mary as Mother of God, Epiphany and that especially
also the Presentation of the Lord on February 2 are all implicit celebrations of the Holy Family. It is a typical
idea-feast and not everybody is happy that this feast was kept in the liturgical reform of the p Vatican II.'

8. January 6: Epiphany

The feast with this strange and foreign name Epiphany is a twin feast of Christmas. It is a second or "little
Christmas feast" and compliments and enriches the 25th of December "They both celebrate from different
perspectives the mystery of the Incarnation, the coming and manifestation of Christ in the world. Christmas
places the accent on the coming, while Epiphany emphasizes the manifestation". Or in the words of St. John,
we can say that the 25th of December emphasizes more "The word was made flesh" (Jn. 1,14), while
Epiphany gives greater emphasis to "we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full
of grace and truth" (Jn. 1,14). The same mystery, namely, revelation of God in Jesus Christ, but different
aspects. Epiphany is one of the oldest and most important feasts of the liturgical year, in some places
celebrated as official holiday. The word itself comes from the Greek language and means "manifestation",
"revelation" (Greek: epiphancia).

"Among all the feasts of the liturgical year no one gives us so many problems in regard to its historical
development as the feast of the Epiphany. These problems are so difficult and complex that one can easily
get the impression that they will never find a solution" " That is how Franz Nikolasch characterizes the
situation in regard to our knowledge about the historical origin of Epiphany. Many things are still in the dark.
But in the past fifty years much new source material has been presented which make it seem probable that
the date and even the content of this festivity are determined by two pagan feasts of Egypt. On the 5/6th of
January the pagan population of Alexandria celebrated the birth of Aion (Latin acvum; English: acon), the
god of time and eternity, from the Virgin Kore. It was the day of the winter solstice according to the Egyptian
Calendar which was twelve days behind the Julian Calendar. The christians opposed this pagan festival and
christianized it by commemorating the manifestation of God in the birth of Jesus Christ. - The other feast that
influenced the 6th of January was a kind of a water festival. On the eleventh of the month Tubi (sixth of
January) many Egyptians went to springs and espe- cially to the river Nile to draw water and to keep it at
home. Behind this cult of water is probably an old myth that a divinity came down from heaven and changed
water into wine. Such a veneration of water was for the christians a welcome occasion to commemorate on
this day the bap- tism of Jesus in the Jordan and the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana.

The oldest account of a Christian feast celebrated on the 6th of January is found in the writings of St. Clement
of Alexandria (ca. 150-215). He reports that in the early second century a gnostic sect, the followers of
Basilides, or Basilidians, celebrated a feast on the 6th of January commemorating the baptism of Jesus in
the Jordan." According to their belief it was only during the baptism in the Jordan that the Divine Word took
possession of Jesus of Nazareth. Before baptism, Jesus was an ordinary human being God, therefore,
became man only at the moment of baptism and that is why they celebrated January 6 with so great a
solemnity. Al- ready in this feast of Gnostics, as early as the second century, we can recognize the various
themes of Epiphany. It is commemoration of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan; this theme was inspired by
the pagan water-cult in Egypt. It is commemoration of the Incarnation; this theme was brought about by the
belief of the Gnostics that only during Baptism Jesus became divine. It is commemoration of the wedding
feast at Cana.

this theme originated because of the pagan water-cult and because of the Gnostic belief that during the
baptism of Jesus humanity and divinity, God and man, were joined in marriage. Is then the feast of Epiphany
ultimately of pagan origin, which was christianized by a Gnostic sect and later on taken over by the church
and purified of the sectarian beliefs? Many aspects of this feasts still have to be researched in order to support
such a hypothesis and to get a clearer picture of its historical roots. One thing is sure and this is proven by
solid arguments: the feast of the Epiphany originated at Alexandria and it is older than the Christmas feast of
the West on the 25th of December.

From the fourth century on, we have many testimonies that January 6 was observed as a festival of greatest
importance throughout the whole East. For example the so-called "Canons of Athanasius of Alexandria",
dating back to the fourth century, recognize only three great feasts in the year of the church: Easter,
Pentecost and Epiphany. These Canons direct the bishop to gather the poor on these three festivals and
show loving care and concern for them.

The content of the feast of Epiphany is complex and comprehensive up to our days. It is the festival of several
great manifestations of the Lord. The event of the Magi finding the child is his manifestation as Savior not
only of Israel but of all mankind. The event of the Baptism in the Jordan is his manifestation as the beloved
Son of the Father. The miracle at the wedding feast of Cana is his manifestation as the One who has divine
powers, as John says: "This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let
his glory be seen and his disciples believed in him" (Jn. 2,11). The antiphon to the Magnificat summarizes
the comprehensive character of this feast: "Three mysteries mark this holy day: Today the star leads the
Magi to the infant Christ today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be
baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation". A commemoration day of the baptism of the Lord
the 6th of January ( some places also the 7th of January) became the great baptismal day in the churches of
the East. It was called "feast of the lights" (ta phota) for- baptism was understood as an enlightenment with
the light of Christ. That is why the favorite term for baptism was "illumination" or "enlightenment" (photisma,
photizesthai),

9. Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

History The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a very old feast and at the same time probably the youngest
feast in the year of the church (besides some feasts of saints). It was and still is one of the mysteries of Christ celebrated
on the feast of Epiphany especially in the churches of the East. As such a liturgical celebration to commemorate the
Baptism of Jesus dates back to the fourth century, perhaps even earlier. In the church of Rome and in other churches
of the West the commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord never got much attention because during the Middle Ages
Epiphany developed into the feast of the Three Kings. The Code of Rubrics of 1960 tried to improve this situation by
instituting a special feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The date was set on January 13, the octave day of Epiphany to
show the connection and close relationship of these two feasts. Both are festivities of revelations of the Lord: Epiphany,
the manifestation of Jesus as Savior of all; Baptism in the Jordan, manifestation of Jesus as beloved Son of the Father.
The Roman Calendar of 1969 changed the date of this feast and assigned it to the Sunday after Epiphany. In countries
where Epiphany is not celebrated on January 6 but transferred to a Sunday, it can happen that the feast of Epiphany
and the feast of the Baptism of the Lord coincide. This occurs when Epiphany falls on January 7 or 8 like in the year
1995, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2007, etc. In such a case the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the following

Monday and in the liturgy or the Word only one reading is taken. At the discretion of the celebrant, it may be
the one from the Old Testament or the one from the New Testament. Considering the historical development, we can
observe once more that the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is very old dating back to the fourth or even third century
because it was connected with Epiphany. But it is a very young feast in so far as we got a special festivity only in 1960.
With the feast of the Baptism of the Lord the Christmas season comes to an end. It is a beautiful final event of the
period of the manifestations of the Lord. It began on December 25 when we celebrated the manifestation of the
kindness of the Lord in becoming a man like us in all things, except sin. It received a special accent on January 1 when
we commemorated his revelation as Son of Mary and born of a woman. It was continued on Epiphany when he
manifested himself as Savior of all and it finds its final point in the Baptism in the Jordan when he was revealed as be-
loved Son and servant of the Father.

a. Questions for Discussion:

1. What is the importance of Church feasts in the understanding of our Christian Faith?
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2. How are Church Feasts/local celebrations influence our liturgical calendar?
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 3. What do you think is the most recognized feast by the Filipinos? Why?
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b. Activity 6. Choose the correct answer from the box.

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Annunciation of the Lord Aguinaldo

Epiphany Feast of the Holy Family Santo Niño Saint Nicholas

Immaculate Conception Aguinaldo Masses

_________1. The date of the eighth of December was chosen in relationship to the older feast of the birth
of Mary.

_________2. It comes from the Spanish Language and means a gift, in a very special way a
Christmas.
_________3. He is one of the most popular saints in the West despite his being a bishop in the East.
_________4. It is a kind of an Advent play of German origin which became popular also in many other
countries as far as the Philippines.
_________5. It is celebrated on the Third Sunday of January

_________6. The feast originates in the East around the middle of the sixth century. The oldest written
proof for the existence of this feast is a homily of Abraham of Ephesus

_________7. A special veneration for the Holy Family developed in the 17th century, especially in France
and Belgium.

_________8. It is a second or "little Christmas feast" and compliments and enriches the 25th of December.

_________9. A very old feast and at the same time probably the youngest feast in the year of the church
(besides some feasts of saints).

________10. The oldest account of a Christian feast celebrated on the 6th of January is found in the
writings of St. Clement of Alexandria.

Course References:

• Wostyn, Lode. DISCIPLESHIP IN COMMUNITY: A WORKBOOK FOR THEOLOGY 3. Quezon

City: Claretian Publications, 2003.
• Raas, Bernhard, SVD. LITURGY, MINISTRIES AND THE BIBLE. Manila: Logos Publications,Inc.,
2010.
• CBCP-ECCE. CATECHISM FOR FILIPINO CATHOLICS. Manila: Word and Life Publications,1997.
• Chupungco, Fr. Anscar, OSB. The Filipino Catholics and their Life of Worship And Prayer.
• DOCETE, Nos. 107 & 108, Issue Nos. 112, 113 & 114. Intramuros, Manila: ECCE National
Catechetical Office, Jan to Sept. 2003.
• Balon, Jess P. Liturgical Year, DOCETE, Nos. 107 & 108. MANILA: ECCE-National
Catechetical Office, 2015.

• Salud, Audrey Vincentine. Christ and the Church (Module 2), Letran Calamba Religious Education
Program. Katha Publishing Company, Inc., 2013.
• Knox, Ian. Theology for Teachers, Claretian Publications, 2011.