Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and mark the end of the Christmas season. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. We know that — since Jesus was born without sin — he did not really need to be baptized. But Jesus welcomed his own baptism as an example for the rest of us.
"Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. 'He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake . . . to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water' (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Liturgy of the Hours, I, 634). Jesus’ immersion in the water is a sign for all human beings of the need to die to themselves to do God’s will. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin—Original and actual—and begin to live a new life with God."*
Consider the meaning of the Sacrament of Baptism; then reflect on the connection between your own Baptism and work to protect the life and dignity of every person.
*Reprinted (excerpted) from Catholic Current, copyright © 2006, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
