In the past several months here at Holy Savior, we have had a lot of baptisms, which has truly been a blessing for our parish. Parishioners who have been here at Holy Savior for many years have told me that they remember many time periods when there have not been a lot of baptisms here. I also tell the family during the baptism that this sacrament is such a wonderful celebration of joy for both the family and the Church.
Our celebration of the baptism of the Lord today marks a close to the liturgical season of Christmas. Tomorrow we return to Ordinary Time. The Baptism of the Lord and the Nativity of our Lord have similar significance in our Catholic faith, as they both show how the the Son of God has come into the world to bring us salvation and to save us from our sins. Since Jesus is the son of God, it was not necessary for him to undergo John’s baptism of repentance, because he never sinned. Yet, Jesus received his baptism from John to show solidarity with all of humanity.
Since the beginning of the Church, Baptism has been more than a sign of repentance. In baptism, we join ourselves to Christ in his death and resurrection. In our Catholic faith, we enter the waters of Baptism, die to our old life, and receive new life in Christ, becoming a new creation. We are freed from original sin in baptism as we participate in Christ's victory.
Through baptism, we enter into the Church, the Body of Christ. Today’s second reading teaches that Jesus Christ was born to save us all, so that we are justified by God’s grace and become heirs in the hope of eternal life. As members of the Body of Christ, this mission becomes ours, to proclaim God’s kingdom and to evangelize others with this message of salvation, that they might be saved. In the last few years, we have had the synodal process and the reimagining process in our Diocese to help us to move forward as individuals in this mission. This is the mission of all of us as baptized Catholics, not just the mission of the Bishop with his priests.
There are two required elements of baptism in the Catholic Church: baptism with water and in the name of the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We see Jesus’ baptism containing these two elements, as he is baptized by John in the River Jordan, as the Holy Spirit descends upon him as a dove, and as the voice of the Father calls Jesus his beloved son.
I think of the importance of water in both our baptism and in our existence here on earth as human beings. In recent years, with drought plaguing many cities in the United States and in the world, and with the collapse of the water system in the city of Jackson, we perhaps can appreciate how precious water is to our human existence. For many years, we turned on the tap and got all the clean water we needed without thinking about it. Maybe we view water differently today. Perhaps we also take our baptism for granted, not realizing the true gift that is for us in our lives of faith. I had watched a video on the internet about how the Diocese of Buffalo is in the middle of the process of closing 78 parishes. Many parishes face declining attendance. Many Catholics do not attend Mass every Sunday. And we all know the priest shortage we are facing, and how many of our priests today are spread very thin, covering multiple assignments. Our baptism, our faith, our Church, and our life of discipleship should never be taken for granted.
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