The Baptism of the Lord

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus shares in the baptism of John because he wants to unite himself to us. He might not have needed to be cleansed, but he wants to let us know that he understands our need for forgiveness and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. His baptism is also a sign of his transition from his private life as a carpenter and the son of Mary and Joseph to his public life as the Messiah and Savior. Just like Jesus, we also are called to transition from our private lives to public lives of faith. We might not be called to leave behind our private lives completely as Jesus was, but to some degree all Christians are called to lead a public life in imitation of Jesus. We can do this through our thoughts, words, and works. We can do this through small and great acts of love, mercy, and grace towards others or through lives of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting for God’s greater glory. The degree to which we transition from our private, worldlier lives to public, faithful lives is the degree to which we manifest Jesus Christ to those around us. So let us be beacons of God’s Will in the world so that one day our Heavenly Father will be able to say to us, “You are my beloved Son (or daughter); with you I am well please.”

Do we pray for the grace to live our faith in a way that brings ourselves and others closer to God? How do we imitate Jesus’ public ministry in our own lives? Are our lives pleasing to God?

O Lord, send your Holy Spirit down upon us so that we might be transformed into your beloved children and please you in all that we think, say, and do.

Amen.