Cycle A - Year I:  

9 January 2023: Feast of the Lord's Baptism 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (or Acts 10:34-38)

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 3:13-17 

We are God's beloved children!

The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord connects the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Ordinary Time. This Feast is celebrated on the Sunday after the Epiphany. Since next Sunday is already the third Sunday (and Feast of the Sto. Nino) the Feast of the Lord's Baptism will be on 9 January this year, Monday. In the liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Lord's Baptism signifies the end of the Christmas Season.

Catholics meditate on the Baptism of the Lord in the first Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. This event in the life of our Lord is notable because it marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry and confirms His identity as the Son of God. The Lord's Baptism is described in the synoptic Gospels (the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke which describe the events in the life of Jesus from a similar point of view as contrasted with that of St. John.)

It is interesting to note that in Christ's Baptism  all the Persons of the Holy Trinity are present at the same time: the Son being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending, and the Father speaking from the heavens. In this event, the Father and the Holy Spirit confirm the deity of Christ, and Jesus submits to His Father's will.

We recall that the baptism of John is one of repentance, but our Lord Jesus had no sins to repent of as He is God. The water of Jesus' baptism did not cleanse Him of any sin. Instead, Jesus our Lord cleansed the water so that we could be baptized in this water to cleanse us of original sin from Adam and Eve.

Today's Feast of the Lord's Baptism offers us some important insights into our own baptism and its importance in our journey of faith:

In baptism, our identity as children of God is affirmed. In a world where there is so much negativity in childhood and throughout our adult lives, God's voice at the Lord's Baptism is clearly heard: "This is my child, my beloved!"  Disciples of Jesus are called to heed that voice recognizing our own worth in God's kingdom.

The story of Jesus' baptism reminds us that we, like Jesus and John the Baptist, have been called to "fulfill all righteousness" as children of God.  To accept the gift of baptism means submitting to God's will as Jesus did, to become disciples of Christ, to align our living to the way that Jesus had taught us. 

A blessed Feast of the Lord's Baptism to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!