The Lord’s Baptism
January 11, 2009
With the celebration of the Lord’s Baptism, we end the Christmas season. With His baptism, Jesus began His public life. The liturgy now helps us reflect on Jesus’ mission of teaching and working miracles, leading up to the celebration of the paschal mystery. Today’s feast reminds us of our own baptism. Most likely, we were not aware of what happened since we still would have been babies. However, the Church teaches us that through the sacrament of Baptism, we were justified. That is to say, all our sins, original and personal, were forgiven, and we were transformed into new creatures, adopted children of God, partakers of the divine nature.
Furthermore, “reborn as sons of God, [the baptized] must profess before men the faith they have received from God through the Church and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1270) We participate in Christ’s apostolic mission. We can profess the faith before others most of all through our good example. When we struggle to live virtuous lives despite obstacles and difficulties, when we make time for prayer despite busy schedules, when we live according to the truth and justice, we are bearing witness to Christ.
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