Readings: Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Titus 2:11-14;3:2-7; Luke 3:15-16,21-22
You are my Son, the Beloved.
Today we are celebrating the feast of the Baptism of our Lord. A feast that upholds the sacrament of Baptism in our own life and invites us to participate in Jesus’ own Baptism. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. He received the baptism of repentance preached by John and through this Jesus brought himself to the level of the human life; though he was sinless. It is a puzzling situation. Why should Jesus be baptised? Even if he is baptised, why baptism of repentance? I feel, Jesus wanted to start his ministry by completely emptying himself; even though he did not commit any sin, and accept his humanity to the full. We see that he starts his ministry pretty soon after the baptism, which indicates that the reception of Baptism was the starting point of his ministry in the world.
The Baptism of Jesus is made special by the celestial signs of the Holy Spirit descending upon him in a bodily form and the words of the Father confirming Jesus’ Son ship. It is an extraordinary baptism as it heralded the beginning of the reign of God through Jesus’ active ministry with the people. The presence of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit at the scene of the baptism confirms the Trinitarian basis of our faith. Jesus’ ministry is Trinitarian in nature. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is present in and through Jesus’ ministry and we as followers of Christ are invited to hold this truth close to our heart.
Through the Baptism, Jesus officially begins his ministry of preaching, healing and liberating. He inaugurates the reign of God through his words as well as action. He reaches out to all who were neglected by the society and religion. He brings everyone to the table-fellowship where everyone is treated equally.
Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord invites us to re-live our own experience of Baptism. Our baptism too is the beginning of our mission in the reign of God. We too are partakers in the mission of Jesus in spreading this reign of God to all the earth. We too are called to speak and act in our role as the followers of Christ in realising this reign of God here and now. It is a challenging feast, as it calls all of us to action.
Let us then make this feast a starting point of our own personal renewal. Let us realise the reign of God in our own lives. Let us feel the presence of God in our day-to-day activities. May the reign of God begin to make a difference in our lives, so that we can talk about our own experience to others. May the feast of the Baptism of our Lord bring new vigour and enthusiasm in us so that we may be enrgised to the task ahead. And may this feast be a joyful time for us, so that we, as followers of Christ, begin to live for Christ.
Amen.