At the time of Jesus, baptism was already a custom showing repentance and a sense of recommitment to the spiritual life. Culturally, ritual bathing could be the sign of inner spiritual cleansing. Of course, Jesus himself had no need of cleansing. Being God Incarnate, he was free of all sin. So why did he need go through baptism? In fact, in the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist himself wonders why Jesus would want to be baptized by him, given that Jesus is the Lord.
Two reasons come to the fore as to why Jesus had John baptize him. One was to set an example for his future followers. Jesus made baptism the foundational sacrament of the Church, the entryway into the new life of salvation he offers to all of humanity. Even though Jesus did not need to get baptized, he underwent baptism to show the way.
The other reason is to foreshadow that he would take upon himself the sins of the world when he offered himself up as the sacrifice upon the Cross for all of humanity. This connection is more explicit in The Gospel of John, where John the Baptist refers to Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) in the context of talking about the baptism of Jesus.
Again, Jesus himself needed no cleansing. By taking upon himself the sins of the world, he did not become guilty of any sin. He willingly suffered the consequence of all sins, without in any way being tainted himself. His baptism merely foretells his role as the sacrificial lamb.
Baptism, as stated above, is the foundational sacrament through which we begin to receive the grace of Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross. The underlying theology of baptism is rooted in the salvation history of the world. God created a good world, free of any imperfection, but through sin, humanity marred God's perfect creation. But God did not abandon us in our self-inflicted brokenness but instead came among us, became one of us, and offered himself up as expiation for our sins. Through his sacrifice upon the Cross, Christ restored the relationship between us and our Creator.
The grace given to us by Christ is even greater than the original state of blessedness that humanity had lost through sin. By coming among us and taking on our human nature, Christ established the deepest, most intimate possible union between the Creator and the created world. Through the gift of Christ, we are invited to become partakers of the divine life of the Holy Trinity, living in, imbued by God's eternal love without end.
When we are baptized into Christ, we are freed of Original Sin and regenerated. The door is then open for us to enter into the most intimate possible union with our Creator. In the process, we are ontologically changed, meaning that baptism transforms us in the core of our being. Baptism imparts upon our soul an indelible mark, which can never be erased or reversed. Even if we were to turn away from the grace of baptism, our soul would still bear the mark of Christ. In that case, our self-inflicted suffering would be unspeakable, since we would be willingly turning away from the source of true life and true, infinite joy.
But if we do cut ourselves off from Christ after baptism, we can restore the relationship through Confession. When we receive absolution from a priest after a good Confession, we are cleansed and regenerated anew. Our relationship will return to where we were before we marred our union with Christ.
Years ago, I saw a documentary about fish living in seasonal lakes in Africa. When the rainy season would come, new lakes would appear and the water would be teeming with fish. But where did all the fish come from and what happened to them when the rainy season passed? Scientists found that as the dry season started and the lakes receded, the fish entered into a sort of petrified stasis, hibernating in the dirt until the rains returned, bringing back the seasonal lakes. The story of these fish can serve as a symbol for our soul. The waters of baptism give us true life. If we turn away from Christ, we are bereft of true life and become dried out like the fish in the in the ground. But the potential is still within us. When we accept the grace of Christ again through Confession, we return to true life in Christ, just as the fish return to life in the lakes.
Our relationship with Christ through baptism is not just an individual relationship. Through baptism, we become a part of the Body of Christ, which encompasses the whole Communion of Saints, the Church on earth, the holy souls in Purgatory, and all the heavenly hosts. Through baptism we enter into the union of infinite love that binds together all those who have accepted the love of Christ.
Baptism, as stated above, is the foundation for the other six sacraments in the life of the Church. Confirmation completes the transformation that began in baptism, further imparting an indelible mark upon our soul. In the Eucharist, we receive Christ fully, his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in the closest possible union with God on this side of Heaven. The Sacrament of Penance, also known as Reconciliation or Confession, heals us spiritually if we fall away from Christ. The Anointing of the Sick gives us the grace to bear physical or psychological illness and sometimes leads to healing as well. The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony blesses marriage, the fundamental building block of society, infusing it with divine grace. The Sacrament of Holy Orders consecrates men for ordained ministry in the Church, through which the grace of Christ is poured out upon the world. All this starts with our baptism.
As we celebrate and reflect on the Baptism of the Lord this Sunday, let us reflect on our own baptism too. Do you know when you were baptized? Do you know where? Do you have any records? Any pictures or videos? Any mementos from that day? If not, I would encourage you to find out as much as you can. Ask any family members who might remember. I would also encourage you to celebrate the anniversary of your baptism every year. In our culture, we celebrate or commemorate many anniversaries. Given the great significance of baptism in our lives, our baptism anniversary should be one of the days we pay special attention to. We could celebrate both spiritually, by going to Mass and saying extra prayers, and also socially, by having a nice dinner with family or even throwing a party.
On this Sunday, let us also reflect on the role baptism has played in our lives. Spend some time with the following questions, either in quiet meditation or in discussion with a friend or family member: How would your life be different today if you had never been baptized? How have the other sacraments you have received built on the new relationship with God that started with your baptism? What are you doing today to live in Christ? What more can you do to open your life to the grace of Christ?
||
The readings for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Cycle C are:
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
or Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10
or Psalm 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30
Acts 10:34-38
or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: The Baptism Site of Jesus in Jordan (c) 2016 by Zoltan Abraham.