The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Fr Dominic’s Homily

John the Baptist was very popular. He was well loved and had thousands of followers. People really thought that he was the Christ and the Messiah. The one they had been waiting for and god’s son. But he makes it clear that he isn’t. He says that he isn’t even worthy to be a slave to the one who is to come. He can’t even undo his sandal.

John was baptising a repentance and the forgiveness of sins with water which was really important for the people. Jesus however would soon baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire because he is divine. He is God.

So Jesus finally meets John and is baptised by him. The whole trinity is present. Jesus as Gods son, God the Father speaks from heaven approving his son. (Remember that it’s very rare that God the Father speaks. It only happens three times during the whole of the scriptures. And this is one of them.) And the Holy Spirit appears visible and rests on Jests as a dove rests on a branch.

You may ask why Jesus needed to be baptised as surely he never sinned! He has no original sin because he is God. Mary is the only human being to be born without Original Sin. Jesus doesn’t need Baptism but he chooses for it as a sign of fulfilling the law and inaugurating his ministry.

Instead of the waters of baptism making us holy – when Jesus is baptised the waters of the river Jordan are made holy by him.

So this baptism of Jesus by John sets the tone of his ministry. Jesus arrives shoulder to shoulder with humanity. He identified with us and this is how it’s going to be. He is not a far and distant God whom we worship in fear and trembling but one who accompanies us on our journey.

And so why do we need baptism? Well we are all born into a world affected by sin. The line separating good from evil cuts through the hearts of us all. We all have this disposition of sinfulness within us. We don’t choose this state of Original sin – we are born into it.

So to be baptised is to be drawn into the life of God. Baptism is the beginning of the divine life in us. It frees us from the effects of Original sin, it enables us to become a member of the Christian community and a true Child of God. It allows us to gain a place in heaven.

You might say that I saw no dove at my baptism or no fire of Pentecost at my confirmation. But just because you didn’t see them doesn’t mean they weren’t there! Baptism is a powerful spiritual sacrament. A supernatural rebirth and the gateway to all the other sacraments. In baptism through the Holy Spirit we really become a new creation in Christ.

Now many people believe you should leave the child until it has reached the age of reason to decide for itself whether or not it should be baptised. (We don’t do this with school or with the dentist) Just because a baby doesn’t understand what is happening to it that doesn’t mean that it won’t be appreciated at a later stage.

It might well be that through that very baptism the child maintains its faith which it wouldn’t have done if it was left to decide on later. And after all as adults do we really fully understand the full nature of any of the sacraments we receive? They have a spiritual and mystical element about them. But what we do know is that they are good for us and bring us closer to Christ. And this is never going to be a bad thing. Baptism is God’s gift to us that we desperately need. It’s sacramental and gives us a new identity. We are given a name in the family of God.

People say sometimes: “Well Fr. I am a good person so why do I need to be baptised? I don’t need religion!” But Christianity is not simply about just being a nice person and doing the right thing. Just as our lives are not all about us.

Baptism isn’t just a pretty ceremony that is part of our family’s tradition. And it’s so more than just a Christening party. We don’t bring our babies to church and have them baptized simply just to please our parents and our grandparents and then celebrate.

Baptism is our own inauguration into a way of living that is often rejected by this world. When we are baptised we are grafted onto Christ and we can call God our Father on that day. The flame of divinity is lit in our souls.

Just as God the Father says to Jesus “You are my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.”

This message applies to all of us. He says to us all “You are my beloved children with whom I am well pleased” And this is the deepest truth of Baptism.