The Triple Gift of Baptism

The Catholic Liturgy for the Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 12, 2020. Gospel of St. Matthew 3:13-17. Theme: The Triple Gift of Baptism

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord that we celebrate today has been a favorite theme in both art and liturgy since the earliest days of Christianity.  It closes up the Christmas season and presents us with the Child Jesus now all grown up into a young adult, about 30 years of age.  He has spent the bulk of his life in the little village of Nazareth, living an ordinary life and working as a laborer, a carpenter. In today’s Gospel, we see Him approach his cousin, St. John the Baptist at the Jordan River, ready to inaugurate His public mission as the Messiah, the Savior, the Promised One sent to lead humanity back to God.

Jesus enters the Jordan River, not because He has any sins to be washed away, but to show that he is in solidarity with us sinners.   In some mystical but real way, we are all united with him, gathered together in him, at that moment as He delves into its waters. He begins his public appearance and ministry in this way because he is the Lamb of God who has come to heal us spiritually and give us new life in God through his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. 

Jesus shows us by his example that baptism is our first step to a new and meaningful relationship with God. And what happened to Him at his baptism is both a sign and a promise of what happens to each one of us at ours. By reflecting on this gospel, we can discover some extremely important truths about the Sacrament of Baptism: it destines us for Heaven, it fills us with the Holy Spirit, and it makes us beloved children of God.

The first thing we hear about after Jesus comes up out of the water is that heaven was opened. And this is precisely what Baptism does for us. It re-opens the way to Heaven which was closed to us by the original sin of Adam and Eve.  Recall that in the beginning of our history, the first humans were given the choice of living in obedience to our Creator or of living life on their own terms, separated from him. They freely chose to turn their backs on God and turned down the gift of eternal life with Him in Heaven.  

And so, the heritage they passed on the human race, to us their descendants, was this spiritual deficiency, this spiritual alienation from God and heaven. Every single human being since then – except for Jesus and Mary – have been conceived and born into our world in this spiritually-challenged condition we call original sin.

But Jesus came precisely to undo what the first humans had done. His mission as God-in-the-flesh was to give each one of us a chance to accept God’s invitation and re-enter an intimate relationship with him. And the first step in making this choice is baptism.

The next marvelous thing we see at the Jordan is the Holy Spirit coming down upon Jesus under the appearance of a dove. The dove is a universal human symbol of peace and innocence and it is by the waters of baptism that we are freed from the ancient chains of sin and become at peace with God. This innocence and peace remain within us as long as we chose to live the promises of our baptism: to reject sin and Satan, to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and to live as Christians, believing what Jesus teaches us through the Scriptures and his Church.

This indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit is a baptismal gift to us that is the core of our intimate relationship with God. It is a gift that keeps-on-giving throughout our lives, making us His living, walking, breathing temples. And His presence is increased within us every time we pray, receive the sacraments with faith and devotion, and strive to do good to others. Imagine that!

Finally, the gospel tells us that God the Father’s voice was audibly heard declaring Jesus to be His Beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. And this is exactly what God the Father says about each one of us who have become spiritually one with Jesus in Baptism: we become His beloved adopted children in whom He finds delight! The Scriptures assure us that God delights over you, delights over me, delights over each one of us personally.  And it’s this personal love of God that transforms us from the inside out, giving us the desire, the grace, the spiritual power, to live and love in a way that delights in Him in return.

So, maybe we can better see now why the Baptism of Jesus has always been a favorite story among of the Christian people, both in liturgy and in art. It’s not so much because of what it says about Christ per se, but more-so because of what it says about us.  Or more precisely, what is says about the marvelous and awesome things that God does for us through, with and in our beloved Brother and Lord, Jesus.