The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated on Sunday 12 January  on the banks of the River Jordan, marked the end of the Christmas period and the start of ordinary time. With the end of the Christmas festivities and the celebrations of the Epiphany in Bethlehem in the past few days, the Franciscan community once again gathered at Qasr al-Yahud, the place traditionally identified as the site of Jesus’s Baptism.

Accompanied by the Custody’s Vicar, Fra Ibrahim Faltas and the diplomatic representatives of Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Egypt, the faithful stopped first at the “Convent of the Good Shepherd” in Jericho. There were welcomed here by Fra Mario Maria Hadchiti, the parish priest of the Catholic community and by the local religious and civil authorities. All the faithful then went to the Orthodox monastery where the procession to the Chapel of the Latins began.  

Jesus, a new hope

In his homily, the Vicar emphasized the topic of the purification from suffering of which this Holy Place is a witness. “It is difficult to eliminate the mines of the suffering from the heart and minds of the people who live in the Holy Land and the world injured by wars. This place helps us to pray: remembering the past, we implore peace for the present. Let’s remember that John the Baptist baptized and purified humanity here and gave a new hope: Jesus! ” 

Light in dark times

Recalling the reopening of the site of the Baptism in 2020,thanks to the clearance of the mines present in the surrounding area, Fra Ibrahim also invited the faithful to reflect on the meaning of this place which “today represents for us the light that every person who lives in dark times is looking for,  times when darkness is made even deeper by wars and conflicts that have almost wiped out hope.”

A particularly touching note was the baptism of the little Charbel Yohanna, who received the sacrament from the hands of Fra Mario with the water of the River Jordan. This gesture united the community of faithful present in a moment of joy and celebration. It is a sign of hope in these times marked by suffering. 

Towards the banks of the River Jordan

At the end of the celebration, the faithful went in a procession towards the banks of the River Jordan , passing through the door that was reopened for the first time last year, after the mines had been cleared from this border area, following the 1967 war.

In this regard, Fra Ibrahim said, “Those dangerous mines have been eliminated to show that evil can be defeated. The mines, that represent the physical and moral traumas of humanity wounded by the war, have to be eliminated by love and good.”

When they arrived at the bank of the river, the diplomatic corps, Fra Ibrahim and Fra Mario were allowed to  go down and touch the waters.

By Lucia Borgato | custodia