Today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
With today’s feast we end the Christmas season. You may now take down your trees and decorations, if you haven’t already. I know Epiphany is a popular time to do that sort of thing too.
The Baptism of the Lord leads us into Winter Ordinary Time where we’ll be for a few weeks until Lent begins, on February 18th this year. Before we start thinking about Lent let’s take the opportunity to think some about our own Baptism and that of Jesus.
In today’s Gospel reading, Matthew’s version of Jesus’ Baptism, we hear God’s voice identifying Jesus as His Son. That’s important as Jesus is about to begin His public ministry and the people need to know He’s not just another contender for the Messianic title. He is God Himself, odd as that must have sounded to those who heard it.
The other thing about today’s Gospel is that it gives John the Baptist the chance to make it clear who is who. Many people focus on the actual Baptism of Jesus and note He didn’t need to be Baptized. While that’s certainly true I think we should see Jesus doing this to help Him enter more fully into the human condition. It’s an amazing thing to think about God loving us so much that He became one of us in order to feel what we feel and experience what we experience, in all ways except sin.
I suggest we focus on that great gift of condescension and empathy and respond in praise and thanksgiving.
This feast naturally should cause us to think about the gift of our own Baptism where we were made adopted sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus. What a lavish and unmerited gift that is. Whether we are Baptized as infants, children, or adults, the gift is the same. The Church Baptizes infants because you can never be too young to receive that grace and start putting it to work in your life. Like any sacrament it is most effective when the recipient is properly disposed, and of course, an infant can’t be, but it doesn’t mean that the grace isn’t effective at all. As the baby grows and develops intellectually so that they understand what faith is their growing proper disposition joins the grace that already exists and becomes even more effective.
As adults we probably rarely think much about our own Baptism, but we should. I have my Baptismal candle displayed in a place at home where I see it every day. It’s a reminder of God’s great love for me and my good fortune to have been called to be one of His people.
We should also think about our Baptism when dipping our fingers into the Holy Water when entering and leaving a church. It’s just another way the church helps us to remember we belong to Jesus Christ and are called to imitate Him.
So, I encourage you to give some thought to your own Baptism, and that of Jesus, and consider the value of that great gift.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a great week.
Peace, Bob
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