INTRODCUTION
Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. It is a prolonged feast of Epiphany. Today at the river of Jordan, God has revealed himself as three Persons in the Blessed Trinity. Today, the star that led the magi has given way to the voice of the Father that now leads the new people of God to his own beloved son. The feast of the baptism of the Lord has concluded the Christmas season and has inaugurated the mission of Christ, the Son (the Gospel), the suffering servant of Isaiah (first reading) and the salvation of the gentiles (second reading). Yes the three readings today tell us that Jesus must be a Son in order to accomplish his divine mission; must be a servant in order to obey the voice of the Father who sent him; and a missionary to the gentiles in order to bring the salvation of God to humanity through the working of the Holy Spirit (Cornelius).
FIRST READING: Isaiah 42:1-4.6-7
The first reading today is one of the four songs of the suffering servant contained in the book of the prophet Isaiah (Chapters 42, 49, 50, 52-53). The identity of this servant was not specified. Thus, this has given rise to different interpretations. For some it is Israel as nation. For some others, it refers to Cyrus king of Persia whom God will raise to set his people free from the Babylonian exile. And for the rest, they supposed that the prophet Isaiah himself must be this servant. But looking at the description given of this suffering servant especially in his role as the lamb of sacrifice taken to the slaughter room, one meant to suffer for the guilt of his people and through whose stripes the wounds of his people will be healed (Is 52; 53:5), the exegetes have not been able to reconcile it with any other historical figure throughout the Old Testament. This landed them to the affirmation that Jesus is the perfect fulfilment of the prophecy through his redemptive passion.
In the reading today, it is Yahweh himself who speaks on behalf of this servant and about his role. He calls him ‘his servant, his chosen one in whom his heart delights.’ This is a prefiguration and a perfect expression of the words of the gospel. In the gospel today, the same words resound from the same speaker saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus is the suffering servant of Isaiah whom the Father has inaugurated his mission today at the baptismal font.
SECOND READING: Acts 10:34-38
The second reading today is one the public Post-Pentecost discourses of the apostle Peter. It is precisely at the house of Cornelius of the Italica in Caesarea who ranked among the first gentile families to be converted to the faith. Peter the conservative and who considered the gentiles as ‘impure’ was surprised with the enormous power and working of Holy Spirit as well as the generosity of God who spread salvation to every nation and to every people without limit, thanks to the person of Christ. In his speech the apostle affirmed the anointing of Christ by the Holy Spirit (at baptism) which propelled his public ministry. While Peter was speaking, the Spirit descended on Cornelius and his household, hence the gentiles once considered outside of grace and salvation. And immediately Peter ordered that they be baptized (Acts 10:44-48). Yes it was the conversion of Cornelius and his household, but also a conversion for Peter whom the Spirit has brought to the knowledge of the generosity of God in dispensing his salvation.
GOSPEL: Matthew 3: 13-17
The Gospel reading makes us to understand that the mystery of ‘the God with us’ which was announced at the hem of the advent season and realized at the dawn of Christmas is fulfilled today in a concrete way through the baptism of the Lord. Jesus’ presence at the Jordan, the den of sinners seeking for repentance and baptism is a concrete way that the ‘Emmanuel’ has decided to identify with his people. Therefore, it is not just the mystery of God with us, but God like us (Heb 4:15). Everything was taking place at the river of Jordan:
-This is the same Jordan that the Israelites crossed before entering the Promised (Joshua 3:15-17). Yes Jesus comes to the Jordan to become the crossover of the new people of God.
-Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan river on a dry ground (2 Kings 2:8.14). Yes Jesus has come to the Jordan to tell his people that he is the fulfilment of all the prophets and the prophesies.
– Naaman’s leprosy was cured at the Jordan river (2 Kings 5:14). Today Jesus is at Jordan to let his people know that he is the healer of every disease and every affliction (physical and spiritual).
-Yes today Jesus enters the Jordan river not to be sanctified by the water of baptism but to sanctify the water of baptism.
– Today he makes the Jordan river a point of contact with all the waters of the earth through which the children of God will be reborn. He consecrated the water and made it a channel of the Holy Spirit through which spiritual cleansing and rebirth will be brought about.
– Today Jesus officially inaugurates a new era for the Chosen people of God through the institution of the sacrament of baptism.
– At Jordan, he has chosen to transform the ‘imperfect’ baptism of John meant for repentance into a baptism of Christ that makes us children of God and members of his body.
– Today the silent voice of the Father was heard for the first time needing no mediation of angels.
– Today heaven undergoes ‘Ephphatha’ (opening). It is the same heaven that has remained shut as a result of the sin of man (Adam and Eve). God has decided to reopen the heaven and to enter into contact with humanity again. This is the power of baptism. This is the grace of baptism. It is the sacrament that opens heaven and allows the believer to enter into the life of God. Yes the heaven must remain open, for man cannot enter into contact with God as long as the heaven is shut. The heaven must remain open, for miracles cannot take place as long as the heaven is shut. The evangelist Matthew said that the voice of the Father was heard. Yes, because the heaven has opened, the ears of men deafened by sin can now hear the voice of the Father.
– What more can we say about this day? Today, the baptism of Christ has revealed the long time hidden mystery of the blessed trinity: God the Son comes out of the water; God the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and God the Father spoke.
-The baptism of Christ inaugurates his public ministry, and the presence of the trinity in this great event reveals a recreation of a new world and ordains a new order. Christ is the origin of a new world and a new people.
LIFE MESSAGES:
1. The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity and our mission. It reminds us of the graces we have received in Baptism and how we must keep our baptismal promises. On the day of our baptism the word ‘Ephphatha’ was spoken, thus calling us to hear the voice of the Father that speaks to us. But how often have we shut our ears from the voice that told us, ‘you are my sons and daughters with whom I am well pleased?’ How often have we refused to look up to the heaven that got opened for our sake? We have often preferred to look at ‘other heavens that the world has opened for us and to hear other voices that lure us to believe that we are their beloved.’ Today, we are invited to renew our baptismal promises so that the voice of the Father can resound afresh in us.
2. On this day, we are reminded that God with us has become God like us. His presence among us is not a passive-inactive presence, rather an active presence. He has become too close and familiar with our human conditions. ‘The sinners at Jordan were not left alone.’ The face of misery has received the face of mercy. At Jordan, those who were once condemned are now redeemed. At Jordan John must cease to baptize because he now baptizes his people with the fulness of his Spirit. We are now regenerated by him. The Father is the witness of this event. The Holy Spirit is the pledge of this regeneration. Let us match ahead for we now have a God like us. He is our brother and we are co-heirs to his kingdom.
3. For those who are hungry and tasty for love, the Father says today ‘you are my beloved sons with who I am well pleased. ‘ Imagine how this world would look like if men are open to hear this repeated voice of the Father. Many people have a ‘never good enough’ syndrome that has kept them away from hearing this voice. And several times people have discouraged us to feel that we are not among the ‘beloved.’ Please, the Father says to you today, ‘I do not care about how others see you or judge you, do not feel less importantt for as long as I am concerned, you are my beloved son, and you are well pleasing to me.’ Let us not snub this voice. We must allow ourselves to hear it on rising every morning, when we begin our day, at our work and when we retire broken by the daily worries. It is the voice of renewal and assurance. It is the voice that empowered Jesus throughout his ministry, in moments of rejection and even persecution. God loves us and nothing can change that, not even our weaknesses.
PRAYER
Lord help us to always remember how much you love us, so that the baptismal graces we have received from you may not be wasted on the love for the world. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
