On the Sunday after Epiphany (or the following Monday, if Epiphany falls late), the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord (Jan. 11 this year). Because Jesus is sinless, his entrance into the Jordan sanctified the waters and filled them with his grace. Through baptism, we are plunged into that same grace and are called to profess our faith in Christ and make his love present in our world.

Which is why it’s fortuitous that around this time (Jan. 2), we also celebrate the feasts of Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory of Nanzianzen. These saints are especially remembered for defending the belief that Christ is both fully God and fully human, “consubstantial with the Father.” Both were instrumental at the Council of Constantinople in 381, which alongside the Council of Nicaea, gave us the Nicene Creed we pray each Sunday.

The creed is deeply tied to baptism. In fact, the Nicene Creed is simply an expanded version of the more ancient Apostles’ Creed, which new believers profess, in question format, before being baptized. But the creed isn’t simply a part of the ritual of baptism; it helps us to live our baptism. St. Basil writes, “As we were baptized, so we profess our belief. As we profess our belief, so we offer praise.” Knowing who God is and what God has done to bring about our salvation (what’s in the creed!) calls forth a life of gratitude and praise. Living our baptism means responding daily to the gift of salvation.

To celebrate the gift of baptism – and the legacy of Sts. Basil and Gregory – we’ve mixed up a basil-infused mocktail to quench your thirst and lift your soul!