Before we delve into the scripture readings for the day, a brief note on the history of the feast day. Originally the baptism of Jesus was celebrated on Epiphany. At that time, the Feast of Epiphany commemorated the coming of the Magi, the baptism of Christ, and the wedding at Cana. The common theme being the “theophany” of the Lord to the nations and the people of Israel.

Over time the emphasis of the visit of the magi during Epiphany so minimized the Baptism of Jesus and the wedding at Cana, accommodations were made to the (western) lectionary of Sundays and Feast Days. In the West the celebration of the baptism of the Lord came to be commemorated as a distinct feast from Epiphany. In the Eastern Catholic tradition Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th regardless of the day of the week on which it falls. In the Western Catholic tradition Epiphany is celebrated on the first Sunday following January 1st.

In 1955, the Feast of the Baptism (in the West) was established as the Sunday after Epiphany with one caveat. If Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday, Jan. 7 or 8, the Baptism of the Lord is the following Monday – and part of the Christmas season – and “Ordinary Time” begins the following day.