Baptism of our Lord (A)

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Mt 3:13-17

Liturgical Note

Last Sunday was the Epiphany. But this Sunday is also an Epiphany.

Epiphany is translated as manifestation (“pagpapakita” in the tagalong liturgical text). What exactly does Epiphany mean? I can compare to a debut. A debut is a for-mal presentation to society that a girl is now a young woman and is available (marriageable). Epiphany is a formal presentation of Jesus as Savior.

Last Sunday he was presented to the Gentiles through the magi as Savior of the Gentiles. This Sunday at his Baptism, he is also being presented to the Jewish people as their Savior, as the one promised in the Old Testament.

Biblical Note

Last Sunday where was Jesus? In Bethlehem. This Sunday he is in Galilee at the Jordan River. Last Sunday Jesus was about 1 year old. This Sunday he is already about 30 years old. Last Sunday with Jesus were Mary, Joseph and the three magi. This Sun-day he is with John the Baptist and other Jews.

Baptism

Jesus came to John to be baptized. Take note that the baptism of John is not the sacrament of Baptism that we have. It is a ceremony publicly declaring repentance. That is the reason why John did not want to baptize Jesus. But Jesus insisted because as Savior he had to be identified with sinful humanity.

Spirit of God

Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. Why is this detail important?

When Jesus went back to Nazareth and was given the prophet Isaiah during the service at the synagogue, this was what he read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” He ended by saying: Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

That declaration recalls Isaac. In Gen 22:2 we read: “Then God said: ‘Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.’”

What is the significance of this detail? Like Isaac Jesus is going to be offered in sacrifice. The offering of Isaac did not push through. The offering of Jesus on the cross will push through.

This seems to be the only occasion in the gospel when Father, Son and Holy Spirit are together.

Baptism as Sacrament

It is one of the 7 sacraments.

Channel of Grace

Because it is a sacrament, it is a channel of grace. Grace means what is given is a gift from God. It is free. It is something good. And God gives it because he is good! So what gift does Baptism give us? In fact, Baptism gives us two gifts. The first is God welcomes us as his children. If you have a good relationship with your father, try talk-ing to God and calling him: “Tatay. Itay. Dad. Papa.” The second gift is forgiveness of sins both original sin and personal sin. What that means is that God takes away our sins so that nothing comes between us and God.

Sacrament of Initiation

Baptism is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation. Initiation is entry into the Church, into the community of believers. Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are the Sacraments of Initiation. That is why if you do not participate in Sunday mass, you are not “in na in sa pamilya ng Diyos”.

Sign

Because it is a sacrament, Baptism must have a sign that we can sense. For exam-ple, the sign of the Eucharist is the bread and wine. For Baptism, it is water. Now the sign must give you an idea of what the sacrament is all about. For the Eucharist, bread and wine gives us an idea that it must have something to do with spiritual nourishment. And indeed, Jesus declares himself to be the Bread of Life. For Baptism, water gives us an idea that Baptism must have something to do with cleansing and with life. And in fact, Baptism cleanses us from sin and gives us new life, life as a child of God.

Formula

Because it is a sacrament, Baptism must have a formula. For example, the formula of the Eucharist is: This is my body. This is my blood.” For Baptism, it is: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The formula clarifies the meaning of the sign. For the Eucharist, the bread and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ which is our spiritual nourishment. For the Baptism, the water makes us belong to the Blessed Trinity as child of God.

Commitment

Sacraments are not mere ceremonies. Ceremonies are things that you do and then forget. Sacraments are commitments, that is, when you celebrate them you take upon yourself some obligation. For example, when you receive Holy Communion, you commit yourself to avoid sin and become more and more like Jesus. It’s like the song, “Day by day, oh dear Lord, three things I pray. To see thee more clearly. To love thee more dearly. To follow thee more nearly.” For Baptism, our commitment is to grow in the faith. Parents have the special obligation to help their children to grow in the faith by word and example. Ninong and ninang should also follow-up their ina-anak.

Faith means believing in certain things, some of which are difficult to believe. But it is more than just believing in certain things. Faith is primarily living according to those things that you say you believe in. And that can be more difficult. For example, how would your life look like if you really believe that God is always with you? I would suppose that in the midst of your work, once in a while, you would remember him and say something to him.

Conclusion

Today we do not only remember the Baptism of Jesus. We also remember our own Baptism. Today God reminds us that because of the commitment of our Baptism we have to keep our faith growing. And faith is not just about believing in certain things. It is about living according to the things we say we believe in.



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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - finvoc@yahoo.com - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.