The Feasts of Christmas, Epiphany, the Baptism of our Lord, as well as the recollection of the Wedding Feast in Cana, all play an important part in shaping the Christian imagination during our celebration of the Christmas season both in the Churches of the West and the Churches of the East, although the Churches in the West places more importance upon December 25th, while the Eastern Churches give greater honour of place to the Feast of the Epiphany. What these feasts have in common is that they all celebrate in various ways the revelation to all the peoples of the earth that "God is with us," that, as St. Paul reminds us in the Letter to the Philippians, Christ Jesus, although he was in the form of God, emptied himself and was born in human likeness, or as John's Gospel tells us, "The Word became flesh and lived among us" sharing our life, or joys and sufferings, and even our death.

Beginning tomorrow we enter what is called "Ordinary Time," the time in the Church's calendar which is not devoted to preparing for and celebrating in a special way the Incarnation (Christmas) or Pascal Mystery (Holy Week and Easter). Today's celebration reminds us that just as Jesus stepped into the waters of the Jordan sanctifying them, he has also stepped into our lives as well also making them holy. He is present and continues to accompany us as we journey through our everyday, "ordinary time" lives.