The Baptism of the Lord - Fr. Leo
John the Baptist called people to repentance as a way to prepare for the coming of the Lord. His penance was not about punishment, it was about letting go of old patterns to take up new patterns, new ways of thinking, believing, and living. To make this real he used the experience of baptism. John immersed people in water and raised them up. The scare of being immersed in the water lead to the joy and freedom of rising from danger and the death of an old life, to the living of a new life.
Jesus comes to John to be baptized. John thought it should be the other way around and on one level he was right. But, Jesus wanted to be immersed in the mystery of the dying and rising that was his mission. So when he is baptized and praying, which shows his heart felt desire to do his Fathers will, the Sprit descended and God’s voice is heard: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
We were all baptized into the same spirit as Jesus. The same Holy Spirit has descended and entered into us. Thus, we are to be Christ living in the way we live, move and have our being. For that to become real in our lives, we need to immerse ourselves in God. This is why from time to time in the Church we renew our Baptism in Christ. Water is sprinkled on us and we make the sign of the cross. We enact the same reminder when we enter the Church and bless ourselves with Holy Water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So, like Jesus we pray to have his same desire to live entirely in God. Our celebration today is such and invitation. We renew our baptism by the sign of the Cross as we receive the Holy Eucharist. We immerse ourselves in God and pray our yes to God’s will be followed by the same words Jesus heard; “You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Every time we enter this church and bless ourselves with Holy Water. Let us do so as a prayer and a commitment and not something we do without thinking. Then that simple ritual will have meaning, and become the blessing we pray for. Our sign of the cross over our bodies will change us forever. May God bless us, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!