The Baptism of the Lord

Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. It brings to an end the season of Christmas and where Church recalls Our Lord's second manifestation or epiphany which commemorates on the occasion of His baptism in the Jordan by Saint John the Baptist.

God the Father attests to the divinity of the Son at the moment of his baptism in the waters of the Jordan and, by this means, Jesus "manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him." Our Lord's baptism, a sign only of his divinity, better enables us to understand our own reception of this great sacrament of initiation into Christian life and salvation. Baptism is a grace which we accept and in which we grow through a life of perseverance in prayer and worship in body, mind and spirit.

Through Baptism the Christian is sacramentally assimilated to Jesus, who in his own baptism anticipates his death and resurrection. The Christian must enter into this mystery of humble self-abasement and repentance, go down into the water with Jesus in order to rise with him, be reborn of water and the Spirit so as to become the Father's beloved son in the Son and 'walk in newness of life' (Rom 6:4)(CCC 537)

Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. (Lk 3:23; Acts 1:22). The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son.'(Mt 3:13-17) This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God. (CCC 535)

The greatest of gifts is ours in baptism: God's very own life and love. A life to overcome the death which is our inheritance from Adam's sin, a love to overpower and win us away from love of self to love of God for his own sake and our neighbors for his glory.
Another of the baptismal gifts we receive is the ability, in Christ, to praise and worship the Father in the Holy Spirit, and to be found pleasing to God as we do so. The baptismal font was often placed in the courtyard or near the entrance of early churches, and the practice continues so in many places today. We "entered" the Body of Christ at the moment of our baptism. We became worshipping members of the Son, pleasing and beloved by the Father, through our baptism. This is why holy water fonts are placed near the entrance of our churches.
As we dip our fingers into the font and make the sign of the cross each time we enter the His house to worship the Lord, remember it is by the power of our baptism that we render fitting and pleasing worship to God in our spiritual sacrifice of holiness of life and, most fully, the Eucharistic sacrifice. It is by our bath in the waters flowing from the side of Christ the High Priest in his one, perfect offering on the cross that we have been incorporated into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic body of Christ in the world, his bride the Church.

The Baptism of Jesus manifests the very life of the Holy Trinity to the whole world and opens the door, through Jesus Christ, into a “communion”, a participation in the life of the Trinity through Baptism into His Body, the Church. The “Baptism of the Lord” is also called the “Theophany”, the manifestation of God Himself and we are called to live our lives now in the “Theophany” of the God who is a Trinitarian communion of Perfect love. The Christian vocation is to reveal the Love of the Trinity to the entire human race in order to bring them to the Waters of Baptism into New Life in the new humanity of the Church which is Christ's Body. There joined in Him we continue His mission until He returns to make all things new.

Matthew 3:13-17

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Sunday, January 13, 2013
The Baptism of the Lord (Feast)

First Reading
Isaiah 42: 1 - 4, 6 - 7

1	Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2	He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3	a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4	He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.
6	"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,
7	to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Psalm
Psalms 29: 1 - 4, 3, 9 - 10

1	Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2	Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy array.
3	The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, upon many waters.
4	The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
9	The voice of the LORD makes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forests bare; and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
10	The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king for ever.

Second Reading
Acts 10: 34 - 38

34	And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
35	but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36	You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
37	the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38	how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Gospel
Luke 3: 15 - 16, 21 - 22

15	As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ,
16	John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
21	Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,
22	and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."