Deacon Keith Fournier: The Baptism in the Jordan: The Theophany. Why Was Jesus Baptized?

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By Deacon Keith Fournier, The Wanderer, January 9, 2020

Deacon Keith A. Fournier is the Dean of Catholic Online School and Chaplain of Your Catholic Voice Foundation. He currently serves the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, under Bishop Strickland, as General Legal Counsel, Director of Deacon Formation and Dean of Catholic Identity at the Bishop Gorman Catholic School. …

In the Catholic Church we end the Christmas season this Sunday with the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism in the Jordan. Some of the most beautiful readings in the Office of Readings are found in the Liturgy of the Hours, the official prayer of the whole church, on the days between the Feast of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord.

The Liturgy of the Hours is also called the Breviary. It is the sort of baseline prayer of all Clergy, Bishops, Priests and deacons, as well as those in the consecrated life. However, since the last great Church Council, Vatican II this official Prayer of the Church is recommended for all Christians – and understandably so. Once one discovers the Office of Readings it becomes the first place, after the Sacred Scripture, to go for inspiration and food for life’s journey!

These readings touch upon the deeper meaning of both of these feasts by touching the mystery of what actually occurred. Here are a few sentences from an ancient homily given by the Bishop of Constantinople, St. Proclus, as an example:

At Christmas we saw a weak baby, giving proof of our weakness. In today’s feast, we see a perfect man, hinting at the perfect Son who proceeds from the all-perfect Father. At Christmas the King puts on the royal robe of his body; at Epiphany the very source enfolds, and, as it were, clothes the river. Come then and see new and astounding miracles: the Sun of righteousness washing in the Jordan, fire immersed in water, God sanctified by the ministry of man.  ….

Read more here  https://thewandererpress.com/uncategorized/the-baptism-in-the-jordan-the-theophany-why-was-jesus-baptized/