Feast of the Baptism of the Lord/B
Massimo Palombella
In ancient times, the Churches of Byzantine tradition called this feast ‘Epiphany’ where three manifestations of Jesus were united: the adoration by the Magi (Mt 2:1-12), the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (Mt 3:13-17) and the first miracle that took place in Cana of Galilee (Jn 2:1-11).
In the current Liturgy this feast is not theologically distinct from Epiphany, except for different emphases. In the Roman and Ambrosian rite the three aforementioned manifestations of Jesus are separated into three days: Epiphany and the two following Sundays.
With today’s feast we enter a segment of Ordinary Time (which will lead us up to Ash Wednesday) that has a distinct Christological accentuation, in the sense that it focuses specifically on the identity of Jesus.
The Lord manifested himself at Christmas and with many signs reveals his identity. We often fail to recognise him in the events of our lives because we look for him in pre-established schemes, we expect him with precise expectations.
Perhaps we need to look for the Lord in what is fragile, in what is not certain, in what is not taken for granted. Perhaps we need to seek him beyond the horizons of an education we have received, beyond the horizons we have given ourselves and the plans we have made. Perhaps it is precisely there that He is waiting for us.
In the Ambrosian Rite, the entrance antiphon of today’s celebration has the following text:
“In excelso throno vidi sedere virum,
quem adorant multitudo Angelorum, psallentes in unum:
et ecce, cujus imperium non exterminabitur.”
(In the excelso throne I saw a Man sit,
whom the multitude of Angels adored, singing in chorus:
and behold, his dominion will never end).
The attached music, in Ambrosian Chant, is taken from the Antiphonale Missarum Iuxta Ritum Sanctæ Ecclesiæ Mediolanensis, published in Rome in 1935, which, to date, is the only ‘official’ book of Ambrosian Chant for the Eucharistic Celebration. The live performance is from the Musical Chapel of the Milan Cathedral at the Pontifical Celebration on 8 January 2023.
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
