The Baptism of the Lord
This Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John. The beginning of the messianic work of Jesus is marked by the moment of his baptism. The sacrament of Baptism is the key that opens the door to all the other sacraments for us. Baptism has two essential results, firstly it wipes us clean from original sin making us one with God and secondly it is the beginning for us as we begin our journeys as members of the Church. Baptism gives us the opportunity to receive the other sacraments, most particularly the Eucharist which is the sacrament that we most frequently experience it is the main way that our souls are nourished by God’s grace.
We remember that the Baptist foretold Jesus coming and he is acclaimed on earth by John and Jesus links himself to John by being baptized by him. After his baptism Jesus is acclaimed from heaven by the voice of the Father and the presence of the Spirit. None of us will remember our own baptism but for those who were baptised as adults there is the added bonus of being able to tell others about their baptism as well as the journey that has brought them into the faith. Through our baptism we died with Christ and have been reborn into a whole new life (Romans 6). We, the baptized, are made a part of the body of Christ. We are called to imitate Jesus, whom Paul says, “went about doing good.” We don’t need a detailed rule book in order to know how we should act in each situation of our lives, for in baptism, we have the companionship of the Spirit who is our wisdom, our help and our guide to do good, and that Holy Spirit enables us to do what is right in every situation we may find ourselves in. The baptism of Jesus is a moment of special grace in the story of salvation.
Not only did the Son of God join us in our human condition but the Father and the Spirit were seen and heard to be present with him by the banks of the Jordan. The gospel for this Sunday uses the simple phrase that “the heavens were opened,” the voice of the Father was heard saying this is my Son and it is a powerful statement. This particular gospel story is the beginning of the journey that Jesus was to undertake and it brought him to Calvary and the cross. Through our own baptism, each of us is asked to travel a journey of faith though we won’t end up on the Cross. Our personal faith journeys have one great purpose and the purpose is to try and live our lives as people of God inspired by Jesus and enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Sons and daughters of the Father who are called through baptism to bring his love into the world so that the world may see how we live our lives and believe in what they see and that is the love of God in action.
Fullerton T 