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Hello! Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today’s Gospel comes from Luke 3:15-16, and 21-22. There is so much going on in today’s readings! We can’t possibly cover them all in the few minutes we have together, but hopefully this podcast will serve as a good supplement to what you hear preached this weekend in church. So let’s jump right in!
So John is baptizing people. Interesting footnote: neither John nor Jesus invented baptism. The ritual purification of sins by bating had been practiced by the Jews for centuries and is the equivalent to our Sacrament of Reconciliation.<1> But John preached that this bath was necessary to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.
Now, the question that people often ask is, if Jesus is just like you and just like me in every way except sin, why does He need to be baptized by John? Why does He need to enter this sin-cleansing ritual?
Well, on one level, if John is telling people they must be baptized to access the Messiah, then Jesus entering the water is a way of his signaling to the rest of us that God is not asking us to do anything that Jesus is not willing to do. Jesus entering the pool and the heavens opening up so that God’s grace poured down affirms that baptism is the way to enter into this community – the way to enter the Church.
On another level, Jesus entering the pool and accepting baptism by John was His acceptance of God’s will for His life and it marked the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He subjects himself to John in baptism just like He will subject himself to those who would later crucify him.
Also, Jesus enters this water that is ritually filled with the sins of the people. He immerses Himself in the water and He carries these sins with Him all the way to the cross. Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins.
As we end this Christmas season and begin Ordinary Time, we do so knowing that, in our own Baptism, we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of His Church. This means that we, too, are called to humbly submit ourselves to God’s wise and loving plan for our lives.
On the day of our Baptism, as Pope St. John Paul II explains, we were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, the sign of Christ’s gentle strength, to fight against evil. Blessed water was poured over us, an effective sign of interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We were then anointed with Chrism to show that we were thus consecrated in the image of Jesus, the Father’s Anointed One. The candle lighted from the Paschal Candle was a symbol of the light of Faith which our parents and godparents must have continually safeguarded and nourished with the life-giving grace of the Spirit.<2>
The Church teaches that, “Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1213). So we are challenged by the Gospel to grow in our baptism every day. Today then is a good day to pause and to review our baptismal promises.
During baptism, we are asked, or for infant baptism our parents and godparents were asked, “Do you believe in God the Father, the maker of heaven and earth?” In other words, do you believe in God – that there is a God and that you are not that God?
The second question, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?” In other words, do you believe that, although you are not God, the one who is equal to God did not think being in the form of God was anything to be clung to, so emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant and becoming human like all other human beings (Philippians 2:6–7)? Can you believe that what you and I are, a creature, is so powerful, so important, so wonderful that God has chosen to be a creature along with you?
And finally, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?” That the Spirit and the Church are linked in this third question is significant. Do you believe that the Spirit of God is present in the world, not first and foremost in you or in me, but in us? In other words, do you believe that the Spirit dwells primarily not in individuals but rather in the community – in the Church? It’s not enough to drink a cup of coffee on your porch, watch the sun rise and say to yourself, “I’ve praised and worshipped God.” If we are physically able to go to Church, then through our baptism we are called to be part of the community and present every weekend. If we are not physically able to go to church, then we should let the church know. There are ways to watch the mass on television or via the internet, but the church would like to send someone to you to bring you the Eucharist so that even at home, you’re connected to the community.<3>
At various times throughout the year, our liturgy begins with a sprinkling rite, where the priests and deacons go out into the community sprinkling us with water. So, too, has it long been a custom for people to bless themselves with holy water when entering a church. These are reminders and reaffirmations of our baptism. It’s a way for us to recommit ourselves to baptism again and again. At every stage of our lives, we are called to discover anew what baptism really demands of us.
Homework! After having been nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and by the Eucharist, please reflect on these questions:
- First, what does it mean to believe in a God a that is not you?
- Second, what does it mean to believe in your own holiness and goodness?
- Finally, what are some ways this year that you can deepen in your baptismal promises? Some examples might be going to mass on a regular basis and perhaps an occasional daily mass; going to confession once a month; joining a faith formation or Bible study program at your parish or through a trustworthy online source.
You’ll find the homework in the notes for this podcast or on the website, deaconrudysnotes.org. I think by doing our homework, we can be mindful of our baptism and we can challenge ourselves to grow in our faith so that we can be better disciples of Jesus Christ. Do you get it? Well, good! May each of us grow in our baptism through the grace of Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. +Amen!
Notes
<1> Until the fall of the Temple in 70 AD, it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh – literally a “collection of water” – as a means of spiritual cleansing, to remove spiritual impurity and sin. Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath. Women, took this ritual bath monthly. Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism. To this day, the Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. See also: The Gospel of Luke, by Pablo T. Gadenz, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018, 81-83.
<2> John Paul II, “Feast of the Baptism of the Lord,” Vatican Website, January 7, 2001, para. 2, accessed January 12, 2018, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20010107_baptism.html
<3> “Rite of Baptism for Children.” In The Rites of the Catholic Church, the Roman Ritual Revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and Published by the Authority of Pope Paul VI. Study ed. Vol. 1. 2 vols., 360-466. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1990.
Further reading
Himes, Michael J. The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to Catholicism. Cincinnati, OH: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2004.