SUNDAY BEFORE THEOPHANY: The Baptism of Our Lord This week we will celebrate the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan River by John. The observance of this feast is not merely intended to commemorate the historical act of Jesus’ baptism, but rather to celebrate the identification of Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One whose coming was foretold by the prophets. What happened at the banks of the Jordan River was a mystical event. The Spirit of God was seen descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove and a voice was heard from the heavens declaring, “This is my beloved Son, my favour rests on Him.” (Mark 1:11) Prior to this moment, Jesus was recognised as merely a carpenter from Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph. After His baptism. He was now identified as the Son of God. This is why the feast day is referred to as “Theophany,” a term which literally suggests a “God appearance.” John’s role in this event was not simply as baptiser, but also as prophet. He foretold the coming of the Kingdom. The theme of his preaching was, “One more powerful than I is to come after me!” (Mark 1:7) John witnessed the fulfillment of this prophecy at the Baptism of our Lord. We, too, like John, are called to be prophets. We, like John, prepare the way of the Lord by the way we conduct our lives, by the way we choose our words, and by the way we treat others. May we invite our Lord to come within us during this festive season so that we, in turn, might prepare a place for Him in others. “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst,” says the Lord. – Fr Augustine