We all celebrate our birthday with great joy. At Christmas, we have just celebrated the birthday of Jesus, certainly the greatest birthday of all. Now we are celebrating the feast of his baptism. But I wonder how many of us celebrate the anniversary of our baptisms? How many of us even know when we were baptized?
This Sunday, the liturgical season of Christmas comes to a conclusion with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. This is a time when we might ask ourselves why Jesus would allow himself to be baptized by John the Baptist and what practical applications we might make in our own lives.
There is a difference between the baptism of John the Baptist, as recounted in today's Gospel, and the baptism that Jesus gives to us. Baptism was not unknown to the Jewish people. Within the Jewish tradition there was a rite of immersion for legal purification for those who had become defiled under the Mosaic Law. Baptism was also used for Gentile converts to Judaism.
From the beginning, John's baptism focused on conversion. His exhortations and appeals for personal repentance prepared the people to receive those graces which Christian baptism gives to us. While John's baptism, a ritualistic expression of conversion, penance and repentance, did not confer sanctifying grace, Christian baptism, a sacrament necessary for salvation, does bestow upon the baptized sanctifying grace.
Jesus had no need of conversion and repentance. He is the sinless one. So, why did Jesus allow himself to be baptized? There are a number of reasons that we can consider
First of all, Jesus needs to make himself known to the Jewish people. Jesus walked the earth at a time when modern communication and the news media simply did not exist. A spiritual movement within the Jewish people was being stirred up by John the Baptist. It was very appropriate for Jesus to begin his public ministry by making his first public appearance precisely where John was baptizing. It is John the Baptist who announces to the crowds: "Behold, the Lamb of God!" Two of John's disciples are so moved by Jesus' appearance that they decide to become his disciples. Thus, Jesus uses the act of baptism as a means to make himself known to the people.
Secondly, the Lord's baptism is a moment of decision and identification. For thirty years he has faithfully carried out his Father's will in the ordinary circumstances of his hidden life. Now the Father is calling him to begin his public ministry. By being baptized, Jesus, although he is sinless, identifies himself with the very people that he has come to save. Through his baptism, Jesus announces to the world that his public ministry has begun. Through his baptism, Jesus identifies himself with all of us; i.e., sinful humanity, so that we can come to him filled with total confidence and peace.
In the world today, there are many who have great difficulty with their own identity. Many people wonder what their purpose is in this life. People find little or no meaning as they carry out their daily activities. A cloud of uncertainty hangs over many people as they also strive to find direction for their lives. This Sunday's liturgy shows us that Jesus gives us meaning, purpose and direction. It is through the sacrament of baptism that we become his disciples. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and it is precisely in Jesus that our human existence finds fulfillment.
Moreover, reflecting on Jesus' baptism, gives us an opportunity to remember our own baptism. If you do not know the date of your own baptism, it is a good idea to go through your personal files and find out when it occurred. An increasing number of people celebrate the anniversary of their baptism with a special celebration like a birthday. After all, baptism is the day that we are reborn. We become children of God, active members of the Church, and temples of the Holy Spirit. Original sin is washed away; we receive sanctifying grace and the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. The reality of baptism certainly gives us great cause to celebrate.
Finally, as we contemplate the baptism of the Lord, we are reminded of our apostolic mission as disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus commissions the Church to go forth and baptize all nations. The large numbers of people who have not been baptized should inspire us to always seek the salvation of souls. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove at Jesus' baptism underscores the apostolic dimension of baptism, precisely because it is the Holy Spirit who appears as tongues of fire at the moment when, at Pentecost, the Church begins its mission to baptize all nations.
Deacon Jim Olshefski
PS.: The date of my baptism is August 29!