Homily Baptism of Our Lord - A 12th January, 2014
As the preface of the Eucharistic prayer for this weekend’s Mass says: … “in the waters of the Jordan (The Father) revealed with signs and wonders, a new Baptism,
And, so ‘Jesus’ own baptism in the waters of the River Jordan was the introduction to a new path…. Baptism now becomes for all of us the means by which we are joined (in a special way) to Jesus’ life and, therefore, joined to God’s family.. // sharing life in God’s own love…..
As we celebrate the wonderful event of Jesus’ Baptism, it is always a time for us to renew the promises made at our baptism, and to celebrate the gift of baptism for others too.
Initially, it seems strange that Jesus needed to be baptized at all. John was offering a baptism of repentance… for the forgiveness of sin…. Jesus did not need that, and John the Baptist realized this, and so did Jesus… but it was really important, nevertheless that Jesus did this…..
It is not easy to understand why Jesus accepted baptism. For you and for me, baptism is our initiation into Christ. We “put on Christ” at baptism like we put on a new set of clothes. We become Christ-like at baptism. We are made one with God through our baptism and our sins are taken away (not only personal sin, but also the overall experience of alienation and “not-at-oneness” that we humans experience in this world….). Jesus was already God and Christ and perfectly “one with the Father.” Jesus had not sinned. So why is He baptized??
For some of the early Christian writers, the baptism of Jesus is best seen as Christ the flipside of what we receive in Baptism…. Just as we are made holy in the waters of baptism…. It is Jesus, who MAKES the waters holy and thus it is Jesus who transforms US WHO RECEIVE IT… Jesus makes g holy the waters of baptism. We can understand that Christ going into the Jordan brings holiness to all that He touches. ( JESUS, by undergoing Baptism, was bringing to this beautiful action of repentance and forgiveness a new, deeper and divine meaning and divine POWER… Jesus was, (so to speak).. “electrifying the waters” with God’s transforming power to makes us God’s children and make us truly into brothers and sisters in Jesus…and to wash clean our sins and re-create us in God’s image anew…)
At another level, Christ being baptized is showing us that He takes very seriously his desire to share in our human nature, to be in solidarity and in perfect union with his people….. God takes on ALL of our humanity and shows us the way to live our lives. Baptism, the Scriptures tell us, is a baptism into Christ’s life and his way of living… his self-emptying way of loving…. a love that gives everything… even unto death, (on a cross). Jesus invites us, by going into these water, to follow him into the waters that are the daily living of his good news…. the daily living of the sometimes difficult challenges of loving as Christ loves..
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Jesus the suffering servant, subjects himself to his human condition out of love and service…….so that he is "a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." (Abbot’s Homily, Monastery of Christ in the desert).
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It has also been said that, at his Baptism, Jesus definitively begins to SHOW AND TO ACT according to what he always was and always would be…..…. Jesus’ baptism is the official manifestation of him living this reality in his public ministry….being anointed by the Spirit with the oil of gladness to bring us light and hope and forgiveness…. (notes from 366 Days with the Lord)
Jesus shows us that discipleship is not merely a personal thing… not just a private thing…… Being part of Christ’s good news is a participation in a very public ministry of Christ himself……..
Christ’s Baptism – signals the Commencement of his PUBLIC ministry. He has come from quiet and humble obscurity – from 30 or so years of everyday living, and now is dramatically appearing on the public scene… revealed at last as the messiah, the chosen one…… the suffering servant of the Father…. and the son of God……with whom the Father is well pleased.
Jesus’ baptism is an invitation for us to reflect on the public and communal dimensions of our baptismal call…………. it is a good time to ask ourselves “in what ways do I step forward publicly as Jesus did, as a way of announcing and living practically the new reality represented in Baptism; 2. what can I do to live out my baptismal commitment more openly, more publicly, more consistent with the fact that Christianity is a distinctly communal religion never solely a private devotion……., what will I do?...…..
one thing we can do.. is to encourage someone whom we notice has intentionally changed his/ her way of life for the better, // (Notes also taken from: Prayer Time, Cycle A. Robert J. Heyer, ed. 2007)
some ways we can put this into action…… ……. we can pray and give thanks for people involved in our regular baptisms that are undertaken in this parish.. whose names are regularly printed in the newsletter……. We can pray for and be supportive and encouraging of our liturgy leaders, our ministers, our teachers, and catechist…. our visitors to the sick and housebound… and so many more… … and of course… …. Just as importantly…. …..everyone who conducts their daily lives, their family life, their jobs and any other daily activities in the intentional spirit of Jesus’ good news – is living out their Baptismal calling in a very practical way…..
May the lord who calls us to follow him into the waters of Baptism, raise us to newness of life, so that, united with Jesus, we may serve Christ by living our discipleship in everything we do and say….. giving public witness by our love and service to all…
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