Readings for the Baptism of Christ (Epiphany 1) – 11th January 2026

Collect for the Baptism of Christ

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus

revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit; grant to us, who are

born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your

adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with

you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 42, verses 1 to 9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put

my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or lift up

his voice or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly

burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow

faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands wait

for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched

them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the

people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord; I have called you in

righteousness; I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a

covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring

out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am

the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the

former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring

forth, I tell you of them.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 10, verses 34 to 43

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,

but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to

him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus

Christ - he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee

after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the

Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were

oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both

in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God

raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us

who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose

from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the

one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about

him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

A reading from the gospel according to Matthew, chapter 3, verses 13 to 17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John

would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to

me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to

fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just

as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw

God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the

heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

Second Collect

Lord of all time and eternity, you opened the heavens and revealed

yourself as Father in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son; by the power of your

Spirit complete the heavenly work of our rebirth through the waters of the new creation;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen