Peace and greetings to all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. In today's Gospel we hear St. Luke's account of Jesus' baptism. This central event in the life of Christ occurred just north of the Dead Sea in the Jordan River, near the city of Jericho. The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is recorded in all four canonical Gospels, highlighting its importance in salvation history. Of course, most of us are familiar with the story. Jesus approaches John the Baptist, who was preaching the word of God and offering a baptism of repentance. His ministry was drawing large crowds as there was a strong messianic expectation amongst the people. Many wondered if John may be the promised Messiah. John, however, understood that he was the forerunner of the Christ, declaring to the crowds that "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." {Lk. 3:16) St. Luke then tells us that at some point Jesus comes to John and is baptized. This great moment reveals the trinitarian reality of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that Jesus has publicly entered "his mission as God's suffering Servant" by allowing "himself to be numbered among sinners." (CCC 536) Further we hear that "the heavens were opened. .. and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation." (CCC 536) Of course, this prelude to the new creation foreshadows the sacrament of Baptism that will flow from Jesus himself whereby we are "buried. .. with him ... into death, in order that,just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." (Rm. 6:4)
Considering the greatest of gifts from Christ let us ponder our own baptism. St. Gregory of Nazianzus indeed reminds us that "Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift ... We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own." (Oratio 40)
As pure gift let us ponder the effects of Baptism in the life of the Christian.
We receive the forgiveness of sins: "By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins." (CCC 1263)
We become a new creation: "Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte "a new creature," an adopted son of God, who has become a "partaker of the divine nature," member of Christ and coheir with him, and a temple of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1265)
We are incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ: "Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: "Therefore ... we are members one of another." Baptism incorporates us into the Church. From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations, cultures, races, and sexes: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (CCC 1267)
We have a sacramental bond of the unity with all Christians: "Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church ... Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn." (CCC 1271)
We receive an indelible spiritual mark: "Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated." (CCC 1272)
Your baptism was truly one of the greatest days of your life. Your sins were washed away, you became an adopted child of God, you became a member of the Church - the Body of Christ, you entered into communion with all the baptized, and you were permanently marked with the seal of Christ. Let us rejoice today in the many gifts of our baptism.