I mentioned last Sunday in my homily for the feast of the Epiphany that we celebrate three important manifestations of God in the Christmas season. On Christmas day, God came among us in the birth of baby Jesus with Good News for the poor, the outcast and the sinner. Jesus is born in poverty in the humble manger. The first to come to pay him homage are poor marginalized shepherds. Last Sunday we celebrated Epiphany, when the visitors from the East visited the child Jesus bearing gifts. With Gentiles recognizing Christ the king, a message of salvation was announced for all the people of the world, not just a select group. Today, we close out the Christmas season with the Baptism of Jesus. God is manifested in a special way in Jesus, his beloved Son, as he beings his ministry and his proclamation of God’s kingdom.
We might have one big question in our minds as we commemorate Jesus’ baptism today? Why did Jesus need to be baptized? The crowds came to John the Baptist to be baptized to repent for their sins. We, too, come to baptism in our Catholic faith to be rescued form the power of sin and to be baptized in the salvific love of Christ. So, why is Jesus baptized? Aren’t we taught in our faith that Jesus is like us in all things but sin? Indeed, John states very clearly that he is not the Messiah himself, that he came to pave the way for him. And yet Jesus, the Messiah, is baptized by John the Baptist. Why?
First of all, by being baptized with all those who were coming to repent from their sins, Jesus was showing solidarity with humanity. As we heard on Christmas morning from the beginning of John’s Gospel: “The Word was made flesh and lived among us.” Jesus identified with us in our humanity and in our human weakness. Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, but here did not come to seek out privilege and acclaim.
Second, by what occurred at Jesus’ baptism, we know that this is not an ordinary baptism. At the moment he was baptized, the Spirit, like a dove, came down from heaven as a voice cried out: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” This was an acknowledgment and an encouragement from the Father for the work Jesus was about to begin. Through his baptism, Jesus is being commissioned by the Father to do his public work of proclaiming God’s kingdom, healing the afflicted, reaching out to the marginalized and the oppressed, and teaching the people about God.
Whenever we celebrate a baptism in our Church, we have the opportunity to reflect upon our own baptism, which is what we are called to do today as we celebrate the baptism of our Lord. Our baptism is not a one time sacrament lasting just a few minutes that produces magical effects. Our baptism is just the beginning of a life-long journey we are on as disciples of Christ. Our baptism is the beginning of a journey in which we all as disciples grow together as the Body of Christ here on earth. Thus, our baptism is not just something we experience as individuals or separate families; it is also a community experience calling us to active participation in the life of the Church. We cannot just sit back, being complacent and passive. Each baptized Christian is called to be a living witness to Christ’s Gospel: to be a light in the darkness of the world; to be the salt of world; to bring hope and love into the world. Each day, our baptism calls us to follow Jesus. Baptism does not just entail going to Mass each Sunday and learning God’s commandments and the teachings of the Church, although that is very important. Our baptism calls us to a personal relationship with Christ, to grow in our faith, and out of our faith, to evangelize others. You have heard Deacon John and I speak a lot about the new evangelization to which we are called, about the importance of our small faith communities and our need to share our journey of Christ with us. You will continue to hear us speak about this again and again,
In the office of readings today, I love what the reading from St Gregory of Nazianzus states: Christ is bathed in light; let us also be bathed in light. Christ is baptized; let us also go down with him, and rise with him. Today, let us renew our faith in Jesus and our commitment to follow him. Let us reaffirm our willingness and readiness to carry on his work and ministry. Without our co-operation, much of God’s work will never get done.
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