Blog Post
Baptism Of The Lord
Jan 09, 2021
Today’s Feast marks the conclusion of the Christmas season & the beginning of Ordinary Time. It’s a feast of transition from Jesus’ hidden life to that of His public ministry. Jesus did not need to be baptized as He had no need of repentance.
By accepting the baptism of John, He affirms all that John has said & done & affirms his sacred role of preparing the way for Jesus & for a new era of grace.
The Baptism of Jesus acts as a bridge between the Old Testament prophets
(of which John was the last) & the New Testament era of grace & truth.
It has been said that when Jesus entered the waters of baptism, He was not baptized by the waters rather, His Baptism was one in which all the created waters of this world were, in a sense, “baptized” by Him. By entering into the waters, Jesus sanctified water & poured forth His grace making all water the future source of salvation.
The Baptism of Jesus was an epiphany. It was a moment of manifestation. As He emerged from the waters, “Heaven was opened & the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form as a dove. And a voice came from Heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased.” This manifestation of the sonship & divinity of Jesus took place in a physical, audible & visible form so that all present would know, without question, that Jesus was the Son of the Father.
As we prepare to begin Ordinary Time, reflect, today, upon these words of the Father at the Baptism of Jesus. Hear the Father speaking to You about the divinity of His Son. Turn your eyes to Jesus & prepare yourself to follow Him to heed every word He speaks. He was sent into this world to draw us to the Father, allow Him to fulfill that mission in your own life.
Lord, I believe that You are the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the World. I believe that You have brought about a new era of grace and truth and that I am called to follow You wherever You lead. As we begin this liturgical season of Ordinary Time, may it be a time of extraordinary grace in which I daily heed Your voice.
Jesus, I trust in You.
THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life. The gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.”
Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Christ’s Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28: 19-20.
Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord’s will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.
The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water over the head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into a new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.
Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character of Baptism cannot be repeated
Those who die for the faith, those who are catechumens, all those who, without knowing of the Church, but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill His will, can be saved even if they have not been baptized.
Since the earliest times, Baptism has been administered to children, for it is a grace and a gift of God that does not presuppose any human merit; children are baptized in the faith of the church. Entry into Christian life gives access to true freedom.
With respect to children who have died without Baptism, the liturgy of the Church invites us to trust in God’s mercy and to pray for their salvation.
In case of necessity, any person can baptize provided that he have the intention of doing that which the Church does and provided that he pours water on the candidate’s head while saying: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”