All of us, by virtue of our own baptism, are also marked as God's beloved children. Our identity and mission are the same as Christ's.
Sunday after Epiphany
Or, if Epiphany is celebrated on January 7 or 8, the following Monday
Liturgical Color: White/Gold
January 8, 2023
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. Contrary to popular belief that Christmas ends on December 25 or on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, this feast marks the end of the Christmas season. We saw in the Gospel that Jesus was baptized by Saint John the Baptist in the River Jordan. On these occasions, Jesus entered into His ministry of service and gained His first disciples and apostles. Saint John declared that Christ is the Lamb of God and that the way of the Lamb was prepared by him. Christ's nature as God was also revealed.
In the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Person of the Trinity is clearly shown here at the same time: the Son who was baptized, the Holy Spirit who descended to the Son, and the Father who spoke from heaven. In these events, the Father and the Holy Spirit confirm the divinity of Christ, and Jesus submits to the will of His Father.
We Catholics believe that Jesus is God and therefore is sinless, but why did John baptize Him?
When the Lord Jesus Christ approached John, John hesitated to baptize Him. For John, baptism is for people who repent and want to turn away from their sins, and Jesus has nothing to repent of. Why does Jesus insist on being baptized? By choosing to be baptized, Jesus fulfilled all glory, preparing himself to be the perfect sacrifice for us.
During this feast, we have many things to reflect on, one of which is the time when we were baptized when we were just babies. As we think about the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, let's also think about the day we were baptized. On that day we became in communion with Christ in His death and resurrection. Through Him, we also become the children of God, and if we live according to His will, God will also be pleased with us. As Pope Benedict XVI said of the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord:
"Baptism is communion with the One who conquered death and holds in his hand the one who holds the key of life. To belong to this circle, to the family of God, means that we are united with Christ, that He lives and gives eternal life."
All of us, by virtue of our own baptism, are also marked as God's beloved children. Our identity and mission are the same as Christ's. The way in which missions are carried out in our modern world will be very different from the way Christ carried them out. More than two thousand years ago, the mission of Christ for all of us did not change. We are all called, like Jesus, to carry out the kingdom of God. May Christ, in His Divinity and humility shown in His baptism, bring about justice, love, healing, liberation, and peace in any way possible. Amen. +
Jasper Rome | OLA Social Communications
References:
opusdei.org. (2024, January 7). Meditations: Baptism of the Lord. Opus Dei. https://opusdei.org/.../meditations-baptism-of-the-lord/
#OLAmarikina #BirhenNgMarikina
