January 10, 2010 Baptism of the Lord Is. 40:1-5, 9-11; Tit. 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Lk. 3:15-16, 21-22 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings:   http://www.usccb.org/nab/011010.shtml   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   We Christians recognize in this description of the servant the profile of Jesus, the anointed one of God. Jesus’ identity and his ministry are confirmed by his own anointing by the Spirit at the time of his baptism and by the voice from heaven. Out of the waters of the Jordan stepped an unpretentious man who would transform the world. We too emerged from the waters at the time of our baptism, waters that had been transformed by him. At that time, we were commissioned to continue the ministry that he began.   Jesus' baptism inaugurated his public ministry by identifying with what Luke describes as "all the people." He allied himself with the faults and failures, pains and problems, of all the broken and hurting people who had flocked to the river of Jordan. By wading into the waters with them he took his place beside us and among us. With his baptism Jesus openly and decisively declared that he stands shoulder to shoulder with me in my fears and anxieties. He intentionally takes sides with people in their neediness, and declares that God is biased in their favour.   Jesus' baptismal compassion for and solidarity with broken people was vividly confirmed by divine affirmation and empowerment. Jesus heard a voice and saw a vision - the declaration of God the Father that Jesus was his beloved son, and the descent of God the Spirit in the form of a dove. The vision and the voice punctuated the baptismal event. They signalled the meaning, the message and the mission of Jesus as he went public after thirty years of invisibility - that by the power of the Spirit he embodied God's coming kingdom that welcomes people without exception or condition.   Beloved Son. In his baptism, Jesus was declared to be the Son of God, the only Son of God. In our baptism, we become the adopted sons and daughters of God. We too are declared to be children of God. Our relationship with God is transformed in baptism. Through our baptism, there is a new familiarity, closeness and intimacy with God. Baptism is the fantastic invitation from God to know us intimately and closely, so closely that we are called son or daughter, that we become family. We are closely connected to God, so close that we are now called a child, a son, a daughter, in whom God delights. We are family with God.   <<   Previous: Epiphany  | Next: 2nd Ordinary Sunday >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)