We celebrate today the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. After being born into the world and just before His public ministry our Lord Jesus Christ today receives holy baptism at River Jordan in the hands of John the Baptist. By so doing, He, the Author of baptism, has made holy the waters of baptism so that through the baptismal waters, we can be called out of darkness into His own wonderful light (1Pt. 2:9).

This is why in celebrating today the feast of the Baptism of the Lord we are celebrating our own individual baptism too. We recall today the day we were first made sons and daughters of God and members of His holy people, the church. We rejoice today because through our individual baptism we have identified with Christ who was the first to be baptised and we are seen as obedient to His teaching where He offers us the ‘baptismal bath’ as a necessary ritual for the salvation of all men and women born into the world (Jn. 3:5).

The first reading today is a message of hope from the prophet Isaiah addressed to the exiles in Babylon. The prophet Isaiah told them to be consoled; for their time of laborious service and slavery was drawing to a close. They were to know that their sins were already atoned for by means of their injurious suffering in the land of Babylon. At times, even in God’s love for us He chastises us in an equivalent measure to the offence we have committed (cf. Jer. 16:18). Remember that Israel had sinned greatly against the Lord with their idolatry, injustice, immorality and insensitivity to His messengers but they were still His people and He loved them. Though He would chasten them, He would not forsake them. This is why the opening verse of the first reading today portrays the prophet speaking in words of pardon.

As we progress in vv. 9-11 we hear the prophet Isaiah delivering God’s oracles in the ‘voice of peace’. Now the nation itself comes out of the valley and climbs the mountaintop to declare God’s victory over the enemy. To bring good tidings means ‘to preach the Good News’ and good news in that day was the defeat of Babylon and the release of the captive Jews (cf. Is. 52:7-9). Interestingly, the Good News today is the defeat of sin and Satan by Jesus Christ and the salvation of all who will trust in Him (Is. 61:1-3; Luke 4:18-19). This is the task that the sacrament of baptism fulfils and this is the hope it offers to Christians today.

Our Catholic Catechism already defines holy baptism as the ‘doorway sacrament’ that cleanses us from original sin; making us Christians, children of God and members of His church. It is only through baptism that we are guaranteed of our release from the power of Satan. It is in baptism that our sins are first washed away and we are given strength against our human inclination towards sin. Holy baptism serves as the bedrock for the Christian life of grace and virtue. Without baptism, every other struggle or dream for eternal life becomes a dicey venture.

Baptism for Jesus marked the beginning of His public ministry just as it is the call to our ultimate vocation as Christians today. To be baptised and to live the baptismal life is the first and basic thing that God requires of us since every other grace and privilege for the spiritual life can only be given to the Christian who was first of all baptised. This is why our celebration today should serve as a reminder for those who have kept coming to church for many years now and are yet to be baptised. The feast we celebrate today should make us know that unless we become baptised we may risk having any share in the heavenly life of the blessed.

For those of us who have been baptised, our celebration today also speaks to us. It is possible we have derailed from the vows we made to God at our baptism. Today is a day to return back to God and seek His mercy and strength. It is also possible that some of us who have been baptised have gone ahead to live as though nothing spectacular happened to us when we were baptised. Today, we see the heavens opening and the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus at the event of His baptism as the Father spoke in words of approval and pleasantness from heaven.

This is what happens every time when we are baptised and initiated into the life of God. The heaven opens up in joy that we are ‘born again’ into eternal life. Like Paul advised his spiritual son Titus in our second reading today, let us all give up everything that does not lead to God, observing self-restraint and living good religious lives in this world while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is what it means to live the baptismal life and this is the spirit of baptism. This is why we ought to know that until we keep the vows we made at baptism, we may not see the joy that the Christian hope offers.

This post is not written 100% by me