The
Baptism of Our Lord
Is
55: 1-11; I
John 5: 1-9; Mark
1: 7-11
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
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For more than two weeks we have
celebrated Jesus as an infant. Now once again we begin celebrating Jesus as an
adult. Therefore appropriately we begin with Jesus’ first public appearance as
an adult, his baptism by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. 
Perhaps we wonder why Jesus requested
John to baptize him. Jesus did not have any sins to repent of and the baptism
offered by John the Baptist was for repentance of sins (Luke 3:3). When sinners
went to John at the river Jordan they did so because they acknowledged their
sinfulness and their baptism symbolized turning over a new leaf in their lives
and leaving sin behind. Jesus, although like us in every way, was without sin,
as the Letter to the Hebrews assures us (Heb 4:15). That explains why John the
Baptist objected to Jesus’ request for baptism in the Gospel of Matt, “I need
to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” (Matt 3:14). The answer
Jesus gave John helps us to understand why Jesus wanted to be baptized, “Allow
it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matt
3:15) “To fulfill all righteousness” is why Jesus wanted to be baptized. We
might say it is difficult to understand this answer because Jesus was not
lacking in righteousness and was already righteous. So how could his baptism
fulfill all righteousness? I would like to draw your attention on Pope
Benedict’s book “Jesus of Nazareth” pp 17-23 to help us to answer this
question. Sinless Jesus did not have any sins of his own to take down into the
river Jordan; therefore it could only have been our sins that he took down into
the river Jordan. Naturally no one would understand this at that time but they
would realize this later when they understood that Jesus died on the cross for
our sins. So Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan and his dying on the cross go
together; he did both for our sins. He took our sins on his shoulders as he
went down into the Jordan and as he died on the cross.
I think we can see this close
connection between Jesus’ baptism and his cross in the Scriptures.
v
The prophet Isaiah prophesied that a servant would suffer
because of our sins (Isa 52:13-53:12). You are familiar with this prophecy of
Isaiah from hearing it every year on Good Friday. This servant would be
righteous and by his suffering would make sinners righteous. We obviously see
this prophecy predicting Jesus’ Passion.
v
Jesus, when speaking in prophecy about his Passion, described
it as a baptism. “There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how
great is my anguish until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50) When James and John
wanted to sit in glory beside Jesus he spoke about his Passion to them but we
can be sure that they understand only later. Jesus said, “You do not know what
you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the
baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38)
v
The Gospel of John tells us that when John the Baptist saw
Jesus approaching him in the river Jordan he proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) It is interesting that
as Jesus appears at the river Jordan John the Baptist mentions that Jesus takes
away the sin of the world. It is also interesting that John the Baptist
describes Jesus as the Lamb of God. In the Gospel of John Jesus dies on the
cross as the Passover lambs are being slaughtered in the temple. The Passover
lambs were slaughtered in remembrance of the first Passover lambs whose blood
was smeared on the doorposts the last night the Hebrews spent in Egypt to
protect them from death. Jesus is the new Passover Lamb of the New Covenant who
shed his blood for us to save us from our sins and already at his baptism he is
proclaimed by John to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
On the cross Jesus took our sins on
himself and made us righteous. When Jesus was baptized he was looking forward
to taking our sins on himself on the cross. So when Jesus was baptized he was
already taking our guilt down into the river Jordan. In this way we can see
that when Jesus was baptized all righteousness was fulfilled. When Jonah was
thrown overboard the ship the life of everyone else on the ship was spared (Jon
1:12-15) and when Jesus took our sins and unrighteousness on his shoulders we
were saved and this begins with his baptism in the Jordan. So when Jesus is
baptized he is already accepting his Passion and death.
Just as there is a close link between
Jesus’ baptism and his cross there is a close link between our baptism and
Jesus’ cross. Paul in his letter to the Romans tells us,
Do
you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into
death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we too might walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:3-4)
Paul is saying that when we were baptized
we spiritually entered the tomb with Jesus to leave a life of sin behind. When
we were baptized we buried sin by spiritually entering the tomb with Jesus and
we rose again with the new life of Jesus just as Jesus rose to new life out of
the tomb. Our baptism, just like the other six sacraments, receives its power
from Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our baptism is a sharing in the effects and
salvation of Jesus’ death and resurrection, a sharing in the new life of Jesus
we receive from his death and resurrection.
The Sacrament of Baptism emphasizes a
new relationship with our Father. Though the sacrament of Baptism removes our
Original sin, it emphasizes more becoming a child of God and a member of the
Church. That is why after baptism at the font, four signs in the sacrament
symbolize for us this new relationship with God. If you listen to the prayers
accompanying these four symbols they tell us about our new relationship with
God.
Ø
Firstly the child is anointed with the oil of chrism. This is
the holy oil used by the bishop to anoint us on the forehead during
Confirmation and to anoint the hands of a priest during his Ordination. Part of
the prayer for the anointing during baptism is, “As Christ was anointed Priest,
Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing
everlasting life.”
Ø
Secondly the white garment is put on the child. Part of the
prayer accompanying putting on the white garment is, “…you have clothed
yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your
Christian dignity”.
Ø
Thirdly a lighted candle is given to the parents, a symbol of
receiving the light of Christ. Part of the prayer accompanying this is, “This
child of yours has been enlightened by Christ.”
Ø
Fourthly the ears and mouth of the child are blessed because
they will hear the Word of God and the child will profess his/her faith.
Being baptized as children would make
no sense and have no meaning if we don’t put our baptism into effect and if we
don’t live like people who have been baptized into the Catholic Church. I would
like to remind here to the parents and the god parents the promise that you
gave during the baptism of your children. The priest asks the parents in the
following way: You have asked to have
your children baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility of
training him/her in the practice of the faith. It will be your duty to bring
him/her up to keep God and our neighbour. Do you clearly understand what you
are undertaking? And the parents and the god parents say: “Yes, we do”. Now is the time for you my
dear parents and god parents to reflect and see whether you truly fulfilled or
fulfilling your duty towards your children as you have promised to God during
their baptism. Once again I would like to remind you that it is your duty to
bring your children up in the practice of the Catholic faith.
Another important fact to be
understood today is about all the seven Sacraments. All the Sacraments in the
first place bring forth sacramental grace. It is the plan of God that we should
receive these sacraments regularly to keep us alive. Baptism is the first
sacrament that a person receives, and is called sacrament of initiation. 
Dear
friends, Our baptism when we were children would have been senseless if we did not decide for ourselves as we grew
up that the decision made for us by our parents was in fact what we ourselves
also wanted for ourselves. There is one occasion above all others during the
year when we proclaim that what our parents did for us was what we also wanted,
that is during the Easter Vigil when we renew our baptismal vows. Every
sacrament has a lasting effect, our baptism was not just a magic formula
recited over us by the priest to wash off original sin and give us a chance of
getting to heaven. Baptism is like Ordination and marriage, it is something to
be lived every day. When we were baptized it is as if the Father said over us
as he said over Jesus, “This is my beloved son, this is my beloved daughter. Our
baptism is a sharing in the effects and salvation of Jesus’ death and
resurrection, a sharing in the new life of Jesus we receive from his death and
resurrection. Jesus was baptized so that all righteousness might be fulfilled
and this happens when we live our baptism by turning from sin to live the life
of Jesus and all righteousness is fulfilled.AMEN.
Fr.
A. Christopher, HGN
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