Baptism of the Lord

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of the Ordinary Time. It is a great epiphany which is a manifestation of Jesus to the world as the Beloved Son of God totally committed to serve the saving plan of the Father. Jesus is manifested as the Savior of all nations. The Baptism of the Lord is also a manifestation of the Holy Trinity, the Saving God, the heart of our salvation. The Holy Trinity is the author and architect of our salvation. The Baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of His public ministry. In the Gospel of Matthew (3:13-17), John tried to prevent Jesus from baptizing Him. He said that I need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me. He is reluctant to baptize Jesus because He is the Son of God, unblemished and sinless. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Moreover, the baptism of John is for people seeking repentance for their sins and Jesus is without sin. Jesus allowed John to baptize Him because His baptism reveals His total solidarity with the human race. He is our flesh and blood. He stands and identifies with sinners. He enters into our dysfunction and sinful world to bring healing and free us from our sins. He involves and engages because God is not a mere spectator and audience. He enters into our human story and shows us the way to love. The Baptism of the Lord points to our baptism because we receive new life, identity and dignity as children of God. Our baptism is rebirth, regeneration and restoration. We are incorporated into the Christian community and become members of the Body of Christ. The sinful influences that pervade our world become reversed by our exposure to the vision of Christ practiced and lived in the faith community. Our baptism is not a past event but a daily dying and rising to new life, death to sin and old self. Through our baptism we share in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. We are priests because we mediate between God and man. Prophets because we speak the word of God.
Kings because we are servant leaders.