News

United Through Baptism

The Baptism of the Lord

As we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, many of us might be wondering why Jesus needed to be baptized, especially since He was sinless. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, in order to ‘fulfill all righteousness.’ Jesus’ gesture is a manifestation of His self-emptying” (1224).

Through His Incarnation, Jesus lowered Himself by becoming man like each of us. This condescension is proof that the Lord wanted to be so close to us that He became one of us. Jesus’ Baptism is another feast during which we celebrate His great longing to be close to us. For, even though He was without sin and did not need to be baptized, He was baptized first, as an act of obedience to God the Father, and second, to reveal how He identifies with each of us in our sufferings, in our joys, in our hardships, and in our trials.

On this great feast, I would like to reassure you that you are not alone.

Through our own baptism we each belong to Christ in a unique and particular way.

Through baptism, we have entered into the mystery of faith. This mystery that tells us that our Lord loves us, that He chose to become one of us, that He suffers, rejoices, and endures every trial with us. Jesus is before us, leading the way, encouraging us on, giving us the graces we need to be obedient to the Father’s will, so that one day we too might stand before God and hear Him say: “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”

Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur

Readings for The Baptism of the Lord: Lectionary 21