The thoughts of the Church today, are fixed on the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan, which is the second of the three Mysteries of the Epiphany. The Emmanuel manifested Himself to the Magi after having shown Himself to the shepherds. But this manifestation was made within the narrow space of a stable at Bethlehem, and the world knew nothing of it. In the Mystery of the Jordan, Christ manifested Himself with greater publicity. His coming is proclaimed by the Precursor. The crowd that is flocking to the river for Baptism is witness of what happens. Jesus makes this the beginning of His public life.
But who could worthily explain the glorious circumstances of this second Epiphany? It resembles the first in this, that it is for the benefit and salvation of the human race. The Star has led the Magi to Christ. They had long waited for His coming, they had hoped for it. Now they believe. Faith in the Messiah having come into the world is beginning to take root among the Gentiles. But faith is not sufficient for salvation: the stain of sin must be washed away by water. “He that believes and is baptised, will be saved” (Mark xvi. 16). The time is come, then, for a new manifestation of the Son of God by which there will be inaugurated the great remedy which is to give to Faith the power of producing life eternal.
Now, the decrees of divine Wisdom had chosen water as the instrument of this sublime regeneration of the human race. Hence, in the beginning of the world we find the Spirit of God moving over the waters” (Genesis i. 2) in order that they might “even then conceive a principle of sanctifying power,” as the Church expresses it in her Office for Holy Saturday. But before being called to fulfil the designs of God’s mercy, this element of water had to be used by the divine justice for the chastisement of a sinful world. With the exception of one family, the whole human race perished by the terrible judgement of God in the waters of the Deluge.
A fresh indication of the future supernatural power of this chosen element was given by the dove which Noah sent forth from the Ark. It returned to him, bearing in its beak an olive-branch, the symbol that peace was given to the Earth by its having been buried in water. But this was only the announcement of the mystery. Its accomplishment was not to be for long ages to come. Meanwhile, God spoke to His people by many events which were figurative of the future Mystery of Baptism. Thus, for example, it was by passing through the waters of the Red Sea that they entered into the Promised Land, and during the miraculous passage a pillar of a cloud was seen covering both the Israelites, and the waters to which they owed their deliverance.
But, in order that water should have the power to purify man from his sins, it was necessary that it should be brought in contact with the Sacred Body of the Incarnate God. The Eternal Father had sent His Son into the world, not only that He might be its Lawgiver, and Redeemer, and the Victim of its salvation — but that He might also be the Sanctifier of water, and it was in this sacred element that He would divinely bear testimony to His being His Son and manifest Him to the world a second time.
Jesus, therefore, being now thirty years of age, comes to the Jordan, a river already celebrated for the prophetic miracles which had been wrought in its waters. The Jewish people, roused by the preaching of John the Baptist, were flocking there in order to receive a Baptism which could, indeed, excite a sorrow for sin, but could not effect its forgiveness. Our divine King approaches the river not, of course, to receive sanctification, for He Himself is the author of all Justice — but to impart to water the power of bringing forth, as the Church expresses the mystery, a new and heavenly progeny. He goes down into the stream, not, like Joshua, to walk dry-shod through its bed, but to let its waters encompass Him, and receive from Him, both for itself and for the waters of the whole Earth, the sanctifying power which they would retain for ever. The saintly Baptist places his trembling hand upon the sacred head of the Redeemer and bends it beneath the water. The Sun of Justice vivifies this his creature. He imparts to it the glow of life-giving fruitfulness and water thus becomes the prolific source of supernatural life.
But in this the commencement of a new creation we look for the intervention of the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. All Three are there. The heavens open. The dove descends, not as a mere symbol prophetic of some future grace, but as the sign of the actual presence of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of love, who gives peace to men and changes their hearts. The dove hovers above the head of Jesus, overshadowing, at one and the same time, the Humanity of the Incarnate Word and the water which bathed His sacred Body. The manifestation is not complete. The Father’s voice is still to be heard speaking over the water and moving by its power the entire element throughout the Earth. Then was fulfilled the prophecy of David: “The Voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty has thundered. The Voice of the Lord breaks cedars (that is, the pride of the devils). The Voice of the Lord divides the flame of fire (that is, the anger of God). The Voice of the Lord shakes the desert, and makes the flood to dwell (that is, announces a new Deluge, the Deluge of divine Mercy)” (Psalm cxxviii. 3, 5, 7, 8, 10). And what says this Voice of the Father? “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew iii. 17).
Thus was the Holiness of the Emmanuel manifested by the presence of the dove and by the voice of the Father, as His kingly character had been previously manifested by the mute testimony of the Star. The mystery is accomplished, the waters are invested with a spiritual purifying power, and Jesus comes from the Jordan and ascends the bank, raising up with Himself the world, regenerated and sanctified, with all its crimes and defilements drowned in the stream. Such is the interpretation and language of the Holy Fathers of the Church regarding this great event of our Lord’s Life. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates this wonderful mystery of Jesus’ Baptism, and we cannot be surprised at the Eastern Church having selected this Day for one of the solemn administrations of the sacrament of Baptism. The same custom was observed, as we learn from ancient documents, in certain Churches in the West. John Mosch tells us that as regards the Oriental Church, the Font was more than once miraculously filled with water on the Feast of the Epiphany, and that immediately after having administered the Sacrament, the people saw the water disappear. The Roman Church, even so early as the time of Saint Leo, decreed that Easter and Pentecost should be the only two days for the solemn administration of Baptism. But the custom of blessing the baptismal water with great solemnity on the Epiphany was still retained, and is observed even now in some parts of the West.
The Eastern Church has always religiously observed it. Amidst all the pomp of sacred rites, accompanied by his Priests and Ministers who are clothed in the richest vestments and followed by the whole people, the Bishop repairs to the banks of a river. After reciting certain beautiful prayers, which we regret not being able to offer to our readers, the Bishop plunges into the water a Cross richly adorned with precious stones. It represents our Lord being baptised by Saint John. At Saint Petersburg, the ceremony takes place on the river Neva, and it is through a hole made on the ice that the Metropolitan dips the Cross into the water. This same ceremony is observed by those Churches in the West which have retained the custom of blessing the baptismal water on this Feast. The faithful are very anxious to carry home with them the water of the stream thus sanctified, and Saint John Chrysostom, in his twenty-fourth Homily on the Baptism of Christ, speaks to his audience of the circumstance which was well known by all of them, of this water never turning corrupt. The same has been often seen in the Western Church.
Let us honour our Lord in this second Manifestation of His divinity, and thank Him, with the Church for His having given us both the Star of Faith which enlightens us, and the Water of Baptism which cleanses us from our iniquities. Let us lovingly appreciate the humility of our Jesus who permits Himself to be weighed down by the hand of a mortal man in order, as He says Himself, that He might fulfil all justice (Matthew iii. 15), for having taken on Himself the likeness of sin, it was requisite that He should bear its humiliation that so He might raise us from our debasement. Let us thank Him for this grace of Baptism which has opened to us the gates of the Church both of Heaven and Earth. And let us renew the engagements we made at the holy Font, for they were the terms on which we were regenerated to our new life in God.
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O Lamb of God, you entered into the stream to purify it. The dove came down from Heaven, for your sweet meekness attracted the Spirit of love. And having sanctified the waters, the mystery of your Baptism was over. But, what tongue can express the prodigy of mercy effected by it! Men have gone down after you into the stream made sacred by contact with you. They return regenerated. They were wolves, and Baptism has transformed them into lambs. We were defiled by sin and were unworthy to stand near you, the spotless Lamb, but the waters of the holy Font have been poured upon us, and we are made as the sheep of the Canticle which come up from the washing fruitful, and none is barren among them (Canticles iv. 2), or as doves upon the brooks of water, white and spotless as though they had been washed with milk, sitting near the plentiful streams! (Canticles v. 12). Preserve us, O Jesus, in this white robe which you have put upon us. If, alas, we have tarnished its purity, cleanse us by that second Baptism, the Baptism of Penance. Permit us, too, dear Lord, to intercede for those countries to whom your Gospel has not yet been preached. Let this river of peace (Isaias lxvi.12), the waters of Baptism, flow out upon them and inundate the whole Earth. We beseech you, by the glory of your manifestation at your Baptism, forget the crimes of men which have hitherto caused the Gospel to be kept from those unhappy countries. Your heavenly Father bids every creature hear you: speak, dear Jesus, to every creature!On this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Rome, on the Via Labicana, the crowning of forty holy soldiers, a reward they merited by confessing the true faith under the emperor Gallienus.
In Sardinia, St. Potitus, martyr, who, having suffered much under the emperor Antoninus and the governor Gelasius, was at last put to death by the sword.
At Singidonum (now Belgrade) in Upper Moesia, of the holy martyrs Hermylus and Stratonicus, who were severely tormented and drowned in the river Danube under the emperor Licinius.
At Cordova, the holy martyrs Gumesindus, priest, and Servideus, monk.
At Poitiers in France, the birthday of St. Hilary, bishop and confessor of the Catholic faith, which he courageously defended, and for which he was banished four years to Phrygia, where, among other miracles, he raised a man from the dead. Blessed Pius IX declared him Doctor of the Church. His festival is celebrated on the fourteenth of this month.
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, St. Leontius, a bishop, who strongly opposed the Gentiles under Licinius, and the Arians under Constantine.
At Treves, St. Agritius, bishop.
In the monastery of Verzy, St. Viventius, confessor.
At Amasea in Pontus, St. Glaphyra, virgin.
At Milan, in the monastery of St. Martha, blessed Veronica of Binasco, virgin of the Order of St. Augustine.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
