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The Light of the World
Octave of Epiphany
Today we celebrate the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. The heavens opened above Him,
the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in the form of a dove, and the Father glorified Him:
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). This is the second epiphany,
or manifestation, of the Lord. The past, the present, and the future are made manifest
in this epiphany.
Christ was baptized. The most holy one placed Himself among us, the unclean and sinners.
The Son of God freely humbled Himself at the hand of the Baptist. By His baptism
in the Jordan, Christ manifests His humility and dedicates Himself to the redemption of
man. “Behold the Lamb of God. Behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world” ( Jn
1:29). He takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and buries them in the waters of
the Jordan. He answers the call of the Father with a divine energy, and is prepared to die
even the death on the cross for the salvation of our soul. He knows that He is destined for
another baptism, a baptism of blood, and yet He exclaims: “How am I straightened until
it be accomplished?” (Lk 12:50.) At this moment the great manifestation takes place. The
heavens open above Him, and the voice of the Father declares: “This is My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased.”
Today we are witnesses with St. John the Baptist of this great manifestation of God at the
Jordan. We rejoice that our Lord and Savior is proclaimed from heaven the Son of God before
the whole world. We express our adoration in the Gloria of the Mass: “O Lord God, Lamb of
God, Son of the Father, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Who takest
away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.”
The epiphany at the Jordan continues even to this day. It is recalled every time a person
receives the sacrament of baptism. In baptism we bury our guilt in the baptismal water, and we
are cleansed of all sin. We arise to a new life as the children of God, who says of us: “This is My
beloved child; in him I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit enters the soul with the fullness of
grace and many spiritual gifts.
Christ’s baptism is repeatedly recalled in the celebration of Mass. There we become
one with Him in His death, and with Him die to sin and perversity. With the substance
of the bread we become transformed and we are consecrated men, sanctified by God
and offered up in the divine manifestation of the sacred Consecration. Baptism bears its
fruit in the sacrificial meal of Holy Communion. There Christ fills us with His life and
spirit, and draws us into His person, into Himself. We become one with Him, with Him
children of the Father. And the voice of the Father declares, “This is My beloved child;
in Him I am well pleased.”
There will be another epiphany, or manifestation, of God in heaven. After the struggle with
death, after we have used up the time that is allotted to us, we shall enter the eternal life and
enjoy the perfect harmony of the children of God. Then heaven will again open for us; it will
open its treasures and we shall again behold God in all His glory. The voice of the Father will
proclaim unceasingly, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Where Jesus humbled Himself, there the heavens exalted and glorified Him. God treats us in
the same manner. “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Lk 14:11).
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