The Baptism of the Lord can serve as a time of renewal and
rebirth for all of us. It can become a time for us to recommit ourselves to our
faith in preparation for the Season of Lent which will be beginning a very
short time from now. Sacred Scripture tells us that John the Baptist was sent
ahead of Jesus proclaiming a Baptism of Repentance of Sins. Through this event
we are encouraged to do the same. Repentance is two-fold. First there must be
remorse for one's actions then there must be a commitment to change one's ways.
This will inevitably prepare our hearts, minds, and souls to bring ourselves
closer to Christ and affect the relationship in a positive way. Whatever we did
in the past is guaranteed to stay there abandoned and forgotten while the future
becomes a shining light with Christ.
The symbol of water is an effective tool to envision what
happens to us as Christians when we confess our sins, repent, and repair our
relationship with God. Our sins are washed away and we are reborn with Jesus
Christ. The Holy Spirit repairs the wounds caused by sin and heals us
completely. We come forward broken and beaten. We leave strengthened and new.
This is how much God loves us. He offers us this gift continuously through the
Sacrament of Reconciliation and it will never be refused. We just need to take
that first step and respond to the call.
With the Baptism of the Lord, Jesus takes what John the
Baptist Offered and brings it to perfection. The Holy Trinity is revealed to us
in its entirety. We are reminded what our own baptism is and what it should
mean to us. Through the Power of the Holy Spirit we receive the Sanctifying
Grace which is necessary for salvation. This special grace is only received
once in our entire existence and must be cherished as such. It also gives us
the necessary strength and protection to combat the evils and temptations of
this world. Our relationship with God, broken by Original Sin, is once again
brought back to where it should be: a perfect state of perfect love which
actually reflects the Holy Trinity Itself.
At the center of this is God’s Love. The Trinity and Jesus’
Baptism demonstrate this in a most splendid fashion. This moment marks a
monumental event. Jesus’ Divinity is revealed and it reflects on everything
else to come. What was revealed partially throughout Sacred Scripture has now
burst forth in a brilliant fashion. It is a glimpse of the perfect love which
we all are invited to participate in. Love is not only an emotion but is an
action that when received can transform all of our lives. Us receiving that
perfect love can affect us in so many different ways. We become keepers of this
love and are challenged to accept it, cherish it, and allow it to influence all
of our actions. This in itself is a great honor and responsibility. If we treat
this unearned love with the realization that it is indeed the most precious
thing we can experience and have then we will be opened have the capability to
live our lives the way we supposed to: happy and content to be Children of God.
Jesus kneeling in the Jordan to be baptized by John
displayed the greatest humility and love. He gives us an example to live our
lives by. Our God, creator of everything, kneels down to receive what he didn’t
need to receive. John was undeserving to perform this as much as Jesus didn’t
deserve the baptism because he didn’t need it. Yet, he did it for us as a model
to go by. We need to be cleansed continuously through the Love of the Holy
Spirit and we need to insure that our relationship with God remains fruitful
and abounding.
Everything is offered to us. We only need to accept it.
Deacon Tom
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