“This place, which is the holy place of the baptism of Jesus, which also marks the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, marks a new beginning for the life of our Church,” said Cardinal Parolin.

And that “holy place” has a special geographical significance. The baptism of Jesus took place in the Jordan River, in the valley east of Jerusalem, just north of the Dead Sea and not far from the ancient city of Jericho. Far from accidental, all of this is significant.

Noting that the nearby Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, Cardinal Parolin said that “it is precisely here that God came to meet us, as if to gather into his embrace also those from afar.”

That embrace extends to the “lowest,” the “deadest” and “oldest.”

Read it all.

Today is the Feast of the Holy Theophany (Epiphany), which celebrates the Baptism of Christ
Mosaic depiction of the Baptism of Christ from the 5th century Neonian Baptistery in Ravenna pic.twitter.com/jNklmTTyKY

— The Byzantine Legacy (@ByzantineLegacy) January 6, 2019

O Lord our God, who didst raise up thy servant Hilary to be a champion of the catholic faith: Keep us steadfast in that true faith which we professed at our baptism, that we may rejoice in having thee for our Father, and may abide in thy Son, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; thou who livest and reignest for ever and ever.

BOOK OF THE WEEK 🚨

As we're about to begin Hilary Term at @UniofOxford, we're displaying our books about the man after whom it is named: Hilary of Poitiers. But who was he? 🧵 pic.twitter.com/CgFDPcdtCA

— Pusey House Library (@PuseyHouseLib) January 14, 2025

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst humble thyself to take the baptism of sinful men, and wast forthwith declared to be the Son of God: Grant that we who have been baptized into thee may rejoice to be the sons of God, and servants of all; for thy name’s sake, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest ever one God, world without end.

The Baptism Of Jesus #gustavedore #romanticism pic.twitter.com/CiggVYfLOB

— Gustave Doré (@artistdore) March 15, 2022

To whom then will you compare me,
    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might,
    and because he is strong in power
    not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hid from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
    his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
    they shall walk and not faint.

–Isaiah 40:25-31

Zon en wolken geven kleur aan het hoge rivier water. Fijne dinsdag😀 #zonsopkomst #hoogwater pic.twitter.com/Qjx7PaWGee

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) January 14, 2025

That Jesus should come and be baptized by John is surely cause for amazement. To think of the infinite river that gladdens the city of God being bathed.in a poor little stream of the eternal; the unfathomable fountainhead that gives life to all men being immersed in the shallow waters of this transient world! He who fills all creation, leaving no place devoid of his presence, he who is incomprehensible to the angels. and hidden from the sight of man, came to be baptized because it was his will. And behold, the heavens opened and a voice said: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

The beloved Father begets love, and spiritual light generates light inaccessible. In his divine nature he is my only Son, though he was known as the son of Joseph. This is my beloved Son. Though hungry himself, he feeds thousands; though weary, he refreshes those who labor. He has no place to lay his head yet holds all creation in his hand. By his passion [inflicted on him by others], he frees us from the passions [unleashed by our disobedience]; by receiving a blow on the cheek he gives the world its liberty; by being pierced in the side he heals the wound of Adam.

I ask you now to pay close attention, for I want to return to that fountain of life and contemplate its healing waters at their source.

The Father of immortality sent his immortal Son and Word into the world; he came to us men to cleanse us with water and the Spirit. To give us a new birth that would make our bodies and souls immortal, he breathed into us the spirit of life and armed us with incorruptibility. Now if we become immortal, we shall also be divine; and if we become divine after rebirth in baptism through water and the Holy Spirit, we shall also be coheirs with Christ after the resurrection of the dead.

Therefore, in a herald’s voice I cry: Let peoples of every nation come and receive the immortality that flows from baptism. This is the water that is linked to the Spirit, the water that irrigates Paradise, makes the earth fertile, gives growth to plants, and brings forth living creatures. In short, this is the water by which a man receives new birth and life, the water in which even Christ was baptized, the water into which the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove.

Whoever goes down into these waters of rebirth with faith renounces the devil and pledges himself to Christ. He repudiates the enemy and confesses that Christ is God, throws off his servitude, and is raised to filial status. He comes up from baptism resplendent as the sun, radiant in his purity, but above all, he comes as a son of God and a coheir with Christ. To him and to his most holy and life-giving Spirit be glory and power now and forever. Amen.

—Hippolytus  of Rome (c.170-235) from a sermon c. 215 which may be found there.

15th-century Italian painter Piero della Francesca died #OnThisDay in 1492. You can see his painting, 'The Baptism of Christ' in Room 54. pic.twitter.com/4JgiFxZBVi

— National Gallery (@NationalGallery) October 12, 2016

Listen to it all at the link there.

Lyrics:

1 O Morning Star, how clear and bright,
your beam shines forth in truth and light!
My Sovereign meek and lowly!
O Root of Jesse, Promised One,
my God and Ruler, you have won
my heart to serve you solely!
You are holy,
great and glorious, all-victorious,
Rich in blessing,
rule and might o’er all possessing.
2 Come heavenly Brightness, Light divine,
and deep within my heart now shine,
there make yourself an altar!
Fill me with joy and strength to be
your member, joined eternally
in love that cannot falter;
Longing for you
does possess me; turn and bless me;
Here in sadness
eye and heart long for your gladness.

The Baptism Of Jesus #gustavedore #dore pic.twitter.com/0zSovhrojs

— Gustave Doré (@artistdore) February 12, 2022

10. What statement about friendship can be more sublime, more true, more valuable than this: it has been proved that friendship must begin in Christ, continue with Christ, and be perfected by Christ. Come, now: propose what in your opinion should be the first question about friendship.

IVO. I think we should first discuss what friendship is, lest we appear to be painting on a void, not knowing what should guide and organize our talk.

11. AELRED. Is Cicero’s definition not an adequate beginningfor you? “Friendship is agreement in things human and divine, with good will and charity.”

12. IVO. If his definition suffices for you, it’s good enough for me.

–Aelred of Rievaulx Spiritual Friendship I.10-12 (Lawrence C. Braceland, tr., Marsha L. Dutton ed., Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2010), p.57

Today, the 12th January in 1167 is the date usually given for the death of Aelred of Rievaulx, it is also his feast day. He spent his youth at the court of King David of Scotland. While traveling in Yorkshire on royal business, he learned about the monks at the Cistercian pic.twitter.com/9n4sNUk8su

— HistoryandHeritageYorkshire (@GenealogyBeech) January 12, 2025

Almighty God, who didst endow thy abbot Aelred with the gift of Christian friendship and the wisdom to lead others in the way of holiness: Grant to thy people that same spirit of mutual affection, that, in loving one another, we may know the love of Christ and rejoice in the gift of thy eternal goodness; through the same Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

12 January 1167 Death of Aelred of Rievaulx, Abbot of Rievaulx since 1147. Aelred was a prolific and famed writer. His works include a Life of Edward the Confessor and The Mirror of Charity. pic.twitter.com/DiGiMLQ4yd

— Matthew Lewis (@MattLewisAuthor) January 12, 2023

When Jesus Christ baptised was,
The Holy Ghost descended with grace;
The Father’s voice was heard in that place:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

There were three Persons and one Lord,
The Son baptised with one accord;
The Father said these blessed words:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

Consider now, all Christianity,
How the Father said because of thee
The great mystery of the Trinity:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

Now, Jesu, as thou art both God and man,
And were baptised in River Jordan,
At our last end, we pray thee, say then:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.

Read it all.

When Jhesus Criste baptyzed was,
The Holy Gost descended with grace;
The Fadyr voys was herde in the place:
‘Hic est Filius meus; ipsum audite.’

A medieval carol about the baptism of Christ: https://t.co/W4zlsbiyzV pic.twitter.com/mfoGKLsppp

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) January 12, 2025

Almighty God, who at the baptism of thy blessed Son Jesus Christ in the river Jordan didst manifest his glorious Godhead: Grant, we beseech thee, that the brightness of his presence may shine in our hearts, and his glory be set forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Baptism of Christ
by Joachim Patinir, c.1515 pic.twitter.com/PiGZ6VNpQN

— Marysia (@marysia_cc) January 11, 2025

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

–Psalm 1:1-3

Happy Monday all ! Quite a nice sunrise this morning on the way to the office. Got better on the big camera I hope 🙂 hope you all have a good day pic.twitter.com/PEzUXKGSRu

— David Oxtaby (@Disc_light) January 13, 2025

Eternal Father,
who at the baptism of Jesus
revealed him to be your Son,
anointing him with the Holy Spirit:
grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,
that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Today's the feast of the Baptism of Christ, shown here in typically colourful Swiss glass, probably early 17th Century, now part of the collection at Great Saxham, Suffolk. Christ kneels by the River Jordan, the Pharisees and Sadducees watch from the far bank. 1/3

Great Saxham:… pic.twitter.com/DpLrvIz3a8

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) January 12, 2025

Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.

A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
    Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

–Isaiah 40:1-5

Gorgeous red skies again this morning – temperatures have risen and started the thaw – Ardvasar, Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @angie_weather @ThePhotoHour @StormHour @VisitScotland @BBCScotWeather @itvweather pic.twitter.com/vuGHpCm7zZ

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) January 12, 2025

We thank thee, O God, that thou didst give thy Son Jesus Christ to be the light of the world, and that in him thou hast revealed thy glory and the wonder of thy saving love. Help us to love thee who hast so loved us; strengthen us for the service of thy kingdom; and grant that the light of Christ may so shine throughout the world that men everywhere may be drawn to him who is the Saviour and Lord of all, and the whole earth be filled with thy glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

—Let Us Pray: A Book of Prayers for Use in Family Worship, Church Schools and Fellowships, prepared by the Committee on Public Worship and Aids to Devotion of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (London:Oxford University Press, 1959)

Cosme Tura Adorazione dei Magi pic.twitter.com/jFnxRsRcPd

— Ugo Ramella (@RamellaUgo) January 5, 2024

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them for ever and ever;
he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed.

–Psalm 148:1-3

Red skies sunrise – Ardvasar, Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿11/01/25 @angie_weather @ThePhotoHour @StormHour @VisitScotland @BBCScotWeather @itvweather pic.twitter.com/kxsk4y2CNF

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) January 11, 2025

O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, whose mighty hand holds back the waters and commands the elements according to Your will; look with mercy upon our land now threatened by devastating fires, and stretch forth Your hand to protect Your people. Shield the brave firefighters and first responders who risk their lives in service to others, grant them wisdom and strength in their labors, and surround them with Your divine protection. Send Your refreshing rains to quench these flames, calm the winds that drive them, and preserve both life and property from destruction; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Fire Chief Stephen Freeman has lived in Bat Cave, North Carolina, for more than six decades. He’s seen severe and deadly weather events. But he’d never seen anything like the force of water that swept through the southern Appalachians in September of last year. He said he’s also experienced God’s presence and the love of God’s people in amazing ways.

“What’s happened is catastrophic,” he said. “But you can see God’s love coming in. It is so good to see God in action. Actions speak louder than words. And the love of Christ has shown through Samaritan’s Purse. They’re in it for the long haul.

“You see God’s beauty in all this instead of seeing all this destruction. Taking something that’s real bad and turning it into something good. Everything is getting better every day.”

Read it all and please take the time to watch the powerful video.

The First Wise Man

 To break down her defenses
And profit from the vision
That plain men can predict through an
Ascesis of their senses,
With rack and screw I put Nature through
A thorough inquisition;
But she was so afraid that if I were disappointed
I should hurt Her more that Her answers were disjointed –
I did. I didn’t. I will. I won’t.
She is just as big a liar, in fact, as we are.
To discover how to be truthful now
Is the reason I follow this star.

The Second Wise Man

My faith that in Time’s constant
Flow lay real assurance
Broke down on this analysis –
At any given moment
All solids dissolve, no wheels revolve,
And facts have no endurance –
And who knows if this is by design pure inadvertence
That the Present destroys its inherited self-importance?
With envy, terror, rage, regret,
We anticipate or remember but never are.
To discover how to be living now
Is the reason I follow this star.

You may read the rest there (pp. 27-28).

Adoration of the Magi by Garofalo #rijksmuseum #garofalo pic.twitter.com/OEtEH1IQx3

— Rijksmuseum Art (@rijksmuseum_art) September 1, 2018

The star shines out with a steadfast ray
The kings to Bethlehem make their way
And then in worship they bend the knee
As Mary’s child in her lap they see
Their royal gifts they show to the King
Gold, incense, myrrh are their offering

Thou child of man, lo, to Bethlehem
The Kings are traveling, travel with them
The star of mercy, the star of grace
Shall lead thy heart to its resting place
Gold, incense, myrrh, thou canst not bring
Offer thy heart to the infant King
Offer thy heart.

Listen to it all.

Keep us, O Lord, constant in faith and zealous in witness, that, like thy servant William Laud, we may live in thy fear, die in thy favor, and rest in thy peace; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

O God, who by the shining of a star didst guide the wise men to behold thy Son, our Lord: Show us thy heavenly light, and give us grace to follow until we find him, and, finding him, rejoice.  And grant that as they presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh, we now may bring him the offering of a loving heart, an adoring spirit, and an obedient will; for his honour, and for thy glory, O God most high.

Adorazione dei Magi, 1505
Andrea Mantegna pic.twitter.com/OP3Q4S181t

— Juan NAVARRO (@jnavarrosimon) January 5, 2025

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    thou dost preserve my life;
thou dost stretch out thy hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and thy right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;
    thy steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.
    Do not forsake the work of thy hands.

–Psalm 138:7-8

Winterse buien drukten het zonnetje weg. Fijne vrijdag😀 #natuur #landschap #winter #Rhenen #ElstUt #Elsterbuitenwaard #Nederrijn #zonsondergang #mooieluchten pic.twitter.com/g1vasiZQHb

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) January 10, 2025

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, several ministers, MPs, and representatives of the political and military leadership attended the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Dionysios Areopagite and the Blessing of the Waters at the Athens Reservoir.

“The sunlit Greece celebrates Epiphany with grandeur, drawing strength and hope from its message,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis remarked after the ceremony.

Read it all.

(Tovima) Believers Celebrate the #Epiphany Around the World- Photos https://t.co/o2b2sVuNLG 'President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, attended the celebrations in Kilkis, where she participated in the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Metropolitan Church of the…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) January 10, 2025

Epiphanies open the possibility that we might change and the world might change, for they offer an opportunity to create new ways of living from our fragments of revelation. In the moment of illumination, our experience is enlarged, the boundaries of our lives made more permeable. Existence itself seems to hold more possibilities than we had imagined. But epiphanies are evanescent—they shine out, and then they recede. How can we hold onto the possibilities of change we glimpsed, in ourselves, in the world?

We need practices that keep us grounded in our epiphanies, even when the Magi have returned to their country and we to our daily lives. We need ways to extend our vision even when we are too busy to remember we’ve had one.

One way to do this is to make living in the afterglow of that vision a habit, a commitment. Benedictines do this when they choose to welcome every guest as Christ among them—a choice grounded, surely, in an epiphany, but a choice that can be made even when the light of illumination has dimmed. The story of La Befana illustrates this way of making an epiphany last. If she cannot go with the Magi to see the Christ Child, she will choose to find Christ in every child.

How will we choose to respond to the illumination of Epiphany, which passes so swiftly into memory? What commitments can we make to keep the Magi’s epiphany in view? Will we choose to see the Christ Child lying on the floor of a detention center, covered in a foil blanket? Will we choose to see the Holy Family separated and caged? And if we choose to see, what will we choose to do?

Read it all.

#TiPortoInDono

I Magi nell’arte#VentagliDiParole

🖌 Niccolò Bambini pic.twitter.com/Xwi00KiSJp

— francesca (@francesca4967) January 6, 2023

It might have been just someone else’s story,
Some chosen people get a special king.
We leave them to their own peculiar glory,
We don’t belong, it doesn’t mean a thing.
But when these three arrive they bring us with them….

Read it all.

Fantastic in every way, especially if you love gold skies: Adoration of the Magi by Lorenzo Monaco, 1422. Today is his day. pic.twitter.com/XYHNWOA7Ux

— Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) November 21, 2024

Lyrics:

All they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense;
and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. Alleluia.
The Kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give Him presents;
the Kings of Arabia and Sheba shall bring gifts. Alleluia.

God of all creation, who dost call us to make disciples of all nations and to proclaim thy mercy and love: Grant that we, after the example of thy servant Julia Chester Emery, might have vision and courage in proclaiming the Gospel to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ, our light and our salvation, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Julia Chester Emery was National Secretary of the Women's Auxiliary of the Board of Missions 1876-1916 and founder of United Thank Offering which supports innovative mission & ministry throughout The Episcopal Church & Provinces of the Anglican Communion: https://t.co/pJsWB7eEvT pic.twitter.com/o5SF575i69

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) January 9, 2024

Almighty Lord God, who didst give thy Son Jesus Christ to be the light of the world: We praise and magnify thy holy name that in him thou hast revealed the wonder of thy saving love to men. With those of old who brought their tribute to his feet, confessing him as King of heaven and earth, we now present the worship of our grateful hearts, beseeching thee to give us grace to give ourselves to thee; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Early morning colour in Glastonbury. pic.twitter.com/7ZEPy0VgHb

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) January 9, 2025

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

–Psalm 121 (KJV)

Each morning we like to throw open a window into the National Park and share some of its special qualities and best views. Like this view of the sun coming up over Wensleydale.#YorkshireDales #Wensleydale pic.twitter.com/M7seRIR3wd

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) January 9, 2025