The Church called on us today to commemorate the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Actually, the baptism of John was for sinners, a sign of change of heart and a total turning to God. Christ had no sin, he had never turned away from God, in truth he is God himself, but he was the representative of sinful humanity. He represented us sinners that day and opened the door of salvation for us. In that ceremony Christ was proclaimed by the heavenly Father to be his son and faithful servant, and the power of the Holy Spirit came upon him. At Jesus’ baptism, God introduces Jesus to the world, not just as his servant, but as his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased.

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The Baptism of Jesus signifies Jesus officially accepting the mission given to him by the Father. It also showed his full and complete submission to the will of his Father.  When Jesus was fully and completely immersed in the waters of the Jordan, it represented what Jesus would have to give to win our salvation. Jesus would have to give everything he had so that the heavens could be open to us. The Father then spoke words of gladness to Jesus and these words were heard by those gathered around the river Jordan. The Father’s words are, “You are my beloved Son with you I am well pleased.” In that very moment Jesus fully embraced his role and mission as the servant of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.

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At the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the presence of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was revealed to us. By revealing himself as Trinity, something that not even faithful Jews had conceived possible, God made it clear that something new was about to happen. The kingdom of God that Jesus was sent to inaugurate was not just a continuation of what had come before, but God was up to something new and dramatic which he wanted everyone to pay attention. In this scene, we see each Person of the Trinity in action. All enthusiastic to “fulfill all righteousness,” Jesus willingly submits to baptism by John and through that start his mission of doing the Father’s will; then speaking from heaven, the Father announces that he is well pleased with his Son; and finally, the Holy Spirit rests on Jesus setting him apart for his mission. The three Divine Persons united in love in order to accomplish their desire for our salvation.

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Jesus was compassionate, passionate, and just. He proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom, which gave people hope and brought light to a world caught up in darkness. Jesus’ baptism by John provides an occasion for us to reflect on our own baptism and the grace that it brought to us sinful human beings. By the virtue of our baptism, Jesus made us all, Jews and Gentiles, in fact, the whole human race, adopted sons and daughters of his heavenly Father. We are not just children but also heirs of the eternal Kingdom of God.  As members of his mystical body we are called upon to give service to God worthy of our new status. It is also a clarion call on us to be merciful, just, faithful, passionate and to always try our best to practice the virtues of our Christian faith. The presence in our lives of joy, peace, and mercy, the fruits of charity, will serve as evidence that our love for God is true. For Jesus, his love for humankind meant saying yes, no matter what the inconvenience. Jesus tells us to do the same.

As Christians, our lives are called to be a reflection of our Lord Jesus. Such unity with Christ demands that our lives be fully engrossed in Christ. We are to submit our lives to God and do his will in our daily lives, to fear him with reverence and respect and to do what is right. His love for sinners as well as saints cannot be measured. That love is reaching out to us every day and every moment of our lives. Jesus’ baptism is a model for us to have a full commitment to our vocations in life, it cannot be half-hearted.  This means we need to seek to do the will of God in our lives. Our Christian life is that of full, complete and total commitment. Once we try to do our part, the Father will be pleased with us just as he was well pleased with Jesus his Son.

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The prophet tells us that there is always hope for the souls, when the grace of God is at work. Now, our baptism is linked with that of Jesus. With baptism our new life of grace begins; it is a fresh start and also the gateway to the rest of Christian life. What we should be prepared for is that our journey of faith, much like Jesus' journey, continues to unfold long after our baptism as we try to discern what our baptism means in our daily living. On this feast day of the baptism of the Lord, we have a good opportunity to recommit ourselves to Jesus. The effects and graces of baptism remain with us as long as we do not turn our hearts and minds away from the Father who through his Son chose us as his adopted sons and daughters in the sacrament. Today, let us try to realize the privilege that is ours and through Christ offer ourselves as a pure sacrifice in honor to our God.