Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

On this feast, which brings the Christmas season to its close, the Church presents us with the second great “Epiphany” or manifestation of Our Lord. While the Magi revealed Christ to the Gentiles, the Baptism in the Jordan reveals Him to Israel as the Son of God.

There is a profound paradox here. Saint John the Baptist, trembling with awe, tries to prevent Jesus, saying, “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?” The sinless Lamb of God has no need of repentance. Yet, Jesus insists, to “fulfill all righteousness.” By entering the waters, He does not wash away His own sins, for He has none; rather, He sanctifies the waters of the world, imparting to them the power to wash away our sins in the Sacrament of Baptism.

As He rises from the water, the heavens are opened—those heavens closed by Adam’s sin. In this moment, the Most Holy Trinity is fully revealed: the Father speaks, the Son obeys, and the Spirit descends. The Father’s voice proclaims, “This is my beloved Son.”

This mystery concerns us deeply. In our own Baptism, we were incorporated into this very mystery. We became adopted children of the Father, temples of the Holy Spirit, and members of the Body of Christ. Today, let us renew our baptismal promises, renouncing Satan and all his works, and giving thanks for the grace that made us sons in the Son.