Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord
The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord is closely connected with the Solemnity of the Epiphany; both are biblical manifestations of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. On the occasion of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan river at the hands of St. John the Baptist, the voice of God was audibly heard to declare to the gathered crowd, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” At his baptism Jesus sanctified the earth’s waters, giving water the power to beget sons of God through the Sacrament of Baptism. Through the cleansing waters of baptism Jesus heals our sinful nature and clothes us with his own Divine life, bringing us into the Kingdom of God. It is by imitating Our Lord in his Baptism that a person becomes a Christian, the first sacrament of initiation into the Church. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season on the new liturgical calendar.
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Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon whom I have put my spirit.”
Isaiah 42:1
After the Lord was baptized, the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove, and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
cf. Matthew 3:16-17
What happens in baptism is the beginning of a process that embraces the whole of our life: It makes us fit for eternity.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Jesus, beloved son, have mercy on us.
Be not afraid! And may the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones today and always. Holy Family, pray for us. Amen.
