The vision of St. Jude is to welcome everyone to become ONE Catholic family, with fullness
of life, living the Paschal Mystery, in the Holy Spirit, with Mary as our companion.
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
The Baptism of the Lord (or the Baptism of Christ) is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.
Originally the Baptism of Christ was celebrated on Epiphany, which commemorates the coming of the Magi, the Baptism of Christ, and the wedding at Cana. Over time In the West, however, the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord came to be commemorated as a distinct feast from Epiphany. It is celebrated in the Catholic Church as well as the Anglican and Lutheran Churches on the first Sunday following The Epiphany of Our Lord.
The Baptism of the Lord is observed as a distinct feast in the Roman rite, although it was originally one of three Gospel events marked by the feast of the Epiphany. In 1955, long after the visit of the Magi had overshadowed the other elements commemorated in the Epiphany, Pope Pius XII instituted a separate liturgical commemoration of the Baptism.
The Tridentine Calendar had no feast of the Baptism of the Lord for almost four centuries.Then the feast was instituted, under the denomination "Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord," for celebration in January. A mere 14 years after the institution of the feast, Pope Paul VI set its date as the first Sunday after January 6 (as early as January 9 or as late as January 13) or, if in a particular country the Epiphany is celebrated on January 7 or 8, on the following Monday.
Pope John Paul II initiated a custom of papal baptism of babies in the Sistine Chapel on this feast.