Baptism of Our Lord - 1st Sunday in Ordinary Time

[gwyn]

Well, it's 11.30pm on Sunday evening 7th January. In half an hour's time it'll be Monday - The Baptism of Our Lord. Since the Baptism of Our Lord is the First Sunday in Ordinary Time does it carry a Sunday obligation to attend Mass? What'll happen now? Will the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time become the First Sunday?

All exciting stuff

[nazard]

The Clifton Ordo does not make today a Holiday of Obligation and makes next Sunday the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

[gwyn]

So does that make The Epiphany the new First Sunday in Ordinary Time?

[sidvicius]

No, I think the Epiphany remains the Epiphany, and the Baptism just gets sort of bypassed this year, presumably because the Baptism's subtitle is "First in Ordinary time", thus the first 'ordinary' (i.e. the first in an ordered sequence, not 'ordinary' in the modern sense of 'unexciting' or 'typical') sunday is overwritten by a more important feastday. This seems to have happened quite a lot over the last few years, useful prep I suppose, for what looks like being a confusing year.
I'm just wondering what my truelove will bring me for the bonus day of christmas. Thirteen members of the congregation keen to help in some way without their own agenda would be nice...

[docmattc]

I'm just wondering what my truelove will bring me for the bonus day of christmas. Thirteen members of the congregation keen to help in some way without their own agenda would be nice...

But thirteen pigs a-flying would be more likely

[gwyn]

It'd be great if all this could be properly thought through before any new missal goes to press.

[edbowie]

The Baptism was observed yesterday, the 8th at Westminster Cathedral. Of course, had the Bishops not made the unfortunate and ill advised decision abt the HDOOs the Epiphany should have been celebrated on the 6th and the Baptism on Sunday 7th.

Another query. Is the Feast of the naming of Jesus a greater Feast day than the Epiphany. I suppose the rationale is that the 1st Jan is also the Octave Day of Christmas. I note that the Canterbury Cathedral Service Scheme annotates the 1st Jan with 'Dies Precun extra Ordinem' whereas no such annotation attends the Feast of the Epiphany'

[sidvicius]

thirteen pigs a-flying

*beep* you and your statistical probabilities! though it would fit the song slightly better...

As for importance (ed), I would put Epiphanies above Baptism because of the more global sense of 'this one is special', and that news of His arrival would soon spread to many far off lands because of the attention to paid to the discoveries of the Magi. Heavenly symbols of the nature of the star of Bethlehem still had huge significance as omens of good or bad, and their interpretation was keenly awaited. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I should think baptisms, circumcisions and the like were two a penny, a much more family affair.

I think it's doubly strange that we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus now, though I suppose this is more to do with our Christian tradition rather than its Jewish heritage. Thoughts anybody?

[estuaire]

The feast of the Baptism is also an Epiphany! In the tradition of the Church three things are commemorated at the Same time as "Epiphanies", The adoration of the Magi,; the Baptism of the Lord and the Wedding feast of Cana. All are Epiphanies because all are manifestations of the divinity of Christ in his humanity.
P.S. how about thirteen trees a burning.

[asb]

The great advantage is that, in our parish, several hundred people celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord, instead of the usual couple of dozen.

True here too, but, But is "making it easier for people" an "advantage"? The words "down" and "dumbing" spring to mind - not necessarily in that order....[/i]