Homily — Baptism of the Lord, Year B

Isaiah 55:1-11 1 John 5:1-9 Mark 1:7-11

Fr. Timothy W. Castor

Today, we make the transition from Christmas to Ordinary Time by celebrating the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus’ baptism relates to Ordinary Time in that it marked the beginning of his public ministry (the period of three years when he traveled throughout Galilee, Judea and Samaria preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and performing other miracles). It’s this public ministry which is our theme in the Gospels of Ordinary Time. But the Baptism also marks the end of Christmas and Epiphany because it is one of the three great manifestations of Christ’s divinity (along with the Star which revealed him to the Gentile wise men and the changing of water into wine at Cana, the first of our Lord’s miracles, which revealed his glory to his disciples).

At his Baptism, Jesus’ identity is revealed to John the Baptist as the Holy Spirit descends upon him and the voice from heaven proclaims, "You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased." When John saw and heard what happened to Jesus, he knew at once that this man from Nazareth was indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah. And through his testimony, we know as well.

To reveal Jesus’ identity as God the Son was the primary reason for his Baptism. But some questions naturally arise in this regard – questions for which answers are not immediately apparent. Why did God the Father wait for this moment to reveal his Son? And why did Jesus submit to a baptism of repentance anyway? He had no sin, and therefore had no need of repentance.

The answers lie in the reason why God sent his Son into the world: He was to be a sin offering for the human race. Remember what John the Baptist said when he spotted Jesus coming toward him: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" He is God’s perfect sacrificial lamb. God from God, he is offered to God as the only victim truly worthy of God. True Man, born of the Virgin Mary, he is offered for mankind to atone for our sins. To do this, "he had to become like his brothers in every way," as the writer to the Hebrews says, "that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people."

So, even though our Blessed Lord was completely free from sin, both original and actual, still he had to identify with sinful humanity. And he did this by receiving a baptism of repentance from sin. That’s why God chose this moment – this moment of identification with us sinners – to reveal the divine nature of his Son and to fill him with the Holy Spirit, thus empowering him to carry out his great work of redemption. This redemption was accomplished on the Cross – the greatest act of love in human history. St. John, in today’s second reading, makes a connection between Christ’s baptism and the Cross when he says: "This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth." The "blood" refers to his death on the Cross for our salvation; the "water" refers to his baptism, when the presence of the Holy Spirit testified to his divine sonship.

This is why we celebrate this great moment in salvation history – it is a defining moment in Jesus’ life and ministry, setting the stage for all that is to follow. But the Feast of our Lord’s Baptism is also an occasion to recall our own baptism – the moment we identified with Jesus in his death and resurrection. This is why we began Mass today with the Sprinkling Rite – a reminder to us of the moment we were cleansed of original sin and became members of his mystical Body, the Church. And it’s a reminder that, just as with Christ and his baptism, our baptism is only a beginning, not an end.

The instant we emerge from the sacred waters of Baptism, we enter a world full of temptation, full of wickedness and sin. And, although we are washed clean, we carry with us the tendency to sin, and it’s a rare person indeed who never falls into serious sin after his or her baptism. Perhaps one or two of the greatest saints were able to preserve their baptismal purity, but for the vast majority of us, this is not a grace we can presume to have. But that’s why we do have the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation: so that when we fall, we can regain the state of grace we were given at Baptism.

It’s often said that a great leader never asks his followers to do anything he himself would not do. This is certainly true of our King, Jesus Christ. If we were to continue reading the Gospel of St. Mark from the point at which today’s passage leaves off, we would find that, immediately after his baptism, Jesus is taken by the Spirit into the desert where he is tempted by the devil for forty days. It’s an analogy of our life in this world following our baptism. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus triumphs over temptation, and is confirmed in his sacred mission. Through that same power, we too can know victory over sin and temptation.

My dear brothers and sisters, all of us experience temptation, all of us are beset by the cunning of Satan, deceived by the lies of the world, and seduced by the desires of the flesh. And, yes my friends, we all fall into sin. It’s a waste of time to make excuses for ourselves, trying to justify our sins and failings. In the first reading today, the Prophet Isaiah writes, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; Let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving." This is a message for all of us because we are all sinners. So, swallow your pride and make a humble confession. That’s right, go to confession, even if it’s not Advent or Lent. This great Sacrament is available in Ordinary Time, too. And, even if you’re not conscious of mortal sin, use it to gain victory over those pesky venial sins that drag us, little by little, away from our true love, Jesus Christ.

In his holy Baptism, Jesus identified with us. In our Baptism, we were identified with him. Let us, then, follow our divine Savior – not only in his Baptism and in his temptation – but especially let’s follow him in his victory over sin, so that we may ultimately follow him into his heavenly Kingdom.