The Baptism of the Lord Year C
Readings: Is. 42:1-4,6-7, Acts. 10:34-38, and Lk 3:15-16,21-22.
“The Baptism of Jesus Christ Inaugurates Our Own Baptism.”
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
1. When a priest or a bishop is newly ordained, there is for him a solemn Thanksgiving Mass during which he is introduced to the people as such. It holds the same when he is transferred or appointed to a parish or Diocese. This is exactly what happened when I got here; I was installed as the Pastor of our dear parishes. In like manner, Jesus Christ is being introduced to the public at the dawn of his public ministry in today’s liturgy as we celebrate his Baptism. He has completed his hidden life (from 12 – 30 years of age). At 30, He is being baptized by John in the River Jordan. John as we know is the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He had prepared the people for the coming of Christ, urging them to repent and to be baptized. He asked them to change from their sinful way of life and be ready to welcome Christ, in being charitable, just, caring, respectful to one another, being ready to welcome the Man he himself was not fit to undo the strap of his Sandals.
2. In the OT, the prophet Isaiah had revealed to us whom the chosen servant of God would be. He stated: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, nor shouting, not making his voice heard in the street….” (42:1-2). In the 2nd reading we heard that: “Jesus went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts10:39). Today, we have listened to the account of the Baptism of Jesus according to Luke. In the account according to Matthew, John first refused to baptize Jesus stating that it was Jesus Himself from whom he would have received Baptism, but when Jesus told John that it was the will of God, John accepted, he obeyed, and baptized Jesus.
3. It is necessary for us to see meaning in Jesus’ Baptism. Jesus had no sin, there was no need of repentance in Him. His Baptism therefore was a sign/means to introduce his public ministry which was to culminate in His future work of Salvation, the very reason for which his birth makes meaning. Jesus entered the River Jordan, the River which was ‘soiled’ and ‘dirtied’ from all the sins of the people who have been baptized by John. Entering the River, Jesus draws all the ‘dirt’, all the sins unto Himself and so became “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World.”
4. At Jesus’ Baptism, “the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him like a Dove.” With this, Jesus received the power to accomplish the work of Salvation. The Holy Spirit, the power of God is given to Jesus that he may accomplish the work he was sent to do. He is at the dawn of His ministry. At His Baptism, the voice came down from heaven: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” By this, God the Father approved of Christ’s work of Salvation. It was the will of the Father that Christ should come, live among us, teach us, and die for our sins, that we might be saved. The coming down of the Holy Spirit, and the voice that was heard, is God’s introduction of Jesus to us as our Savior at the very dawn of his public life and ministry.
5. The Baptism of Jesus Christ should remind us of our own Baptism. In chapter three of John’s gospel, Jesus indicated that Baptism is necessary for Salvation in His discussion with Nicodemus. He told him: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” (Jn. 3:5). Further, he added: “For God so love the World that he gave his only begotten-Son, that those who believe in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God did not send his Son into the World in order to judge the World, but that the World might be saved through him.” (3: 16-17). You cannot enter heaven if you are not born of water and the Holy Spirit. Baptism makes us:
- Special children of God.
- Members of the Church, members of the Body of Christ.
- Fills us with sanctifying grace, we are made holy with God’s own life.
- Makes us adopted sons and daughters in Christ, co-heirs with of Jesus.
- Makes us sharers in Divine life and temples of the Holy Spirit.
- Sharers in Christ’s mission of being Priestly, Prophetic, and Kingly people.
- It wipes away Original Sin, and all actual sins committed prior to Baptism.
- Guarantees Salvation.
- Opens the door for the reception of other Sacraments.
- Seals us with an indelible mark on our souls, that cannot be undone.
- Infuses us with God’s grace and we are restored to the state of ‘original justice’. Etc.
6. There are many things expressed in the Baptismal Rite. I want us to reflect or highlight two of them briefly:
i) There is the light of Christ we received at Baptism to keep burning brightly until the coming of Christ. And
ii) The faith of parents and Godparents upon which children are baptized. This is an incumbent responsibility that we should not and cannot play or clown with. We must sustain our faith, to be able to sustain that of others, especially those entrusted to our care, (our children and grandchildren, children for whom we are godparents, and other children in our faith community) those to whom we must be of good example.
May God help us to renew and live our Baptismal promises faithfully.
To God be the glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.
Fr. Anthony D. Lawir,
Pastor, St. Agnes and Our Lady of the Snows Parishes, Pittsfield and Dexter.