For the Western Church, the Christmas Season officially comes to an end this Sunday with our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. The celebration of the Nativity is behind us and the new year stretches before us, so what better way to transition from Christmas to Ordinary Time than by celebrating the Lord’s Baptism. Baptism marks a new beginning… a rebirth. For Jesus, this marks the beginning of his ministry, and serves as an excellent transition from the infancy narratives to the story of his life and ministry. So this week we begin a new journey… The Word for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 55:1-11 Psalm 12:2-3, 5-6 1 John 5:1-9 Mark 1:7-11 Our first reading is the famous “banquet invitation” which concludes 2 nd Isaiah. This song from Isaiah is a fitting end to his prophecy on Israel’s liberation from Exile in Babylon. It sings of the goodness that ...
Comments on our weekly readings for Sunday Mass and other topics of interest for those who are going through the initiation process or want to learn more about the Catholic Faith