Baptism and Epiphany

Before child baptism was common in the early Church, Epiphany was a special holy day for baptism. This is because Epiphany is traditionally associated with the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was revealed to the gentiles in the visit of the Magi, Jesus is revealed as the Messiah and Son of God in the baptism of John—a trinitarian theophany where the Father speaks and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove.

In the early Church, Neophytes (those to be baptized) would come down to the water in the dark to be immersed in the water, only lit by the flickering light of…