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HOMILIES ARCHIVE
HOMILIES
Dear Audience,For better understanding of the spiritual message behind this homily I kindly remind you to first read and contemplate the biblical texts before reading or listening to my preaching - a human reflection on the Word of God!
The Baptism of the Lord (Year A)
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0First Reading
A reading from the Book of Prophet Isaiah (42:1-4, 6-7)
Thus says the Lord: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the Earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement; and from the dungeon those who live in darkness.
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms of David (29:1-2, 3-4, 9-10)
(R) The Lord will bless His people with peace.
Give to the Lord, you sons of God, give to the Lord glory and praise, give to the Lord the glory due His name; adore the Lord in holy attire. (R)
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the Lord, over vast waters. The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic. (R)
The God of glory thunders, and in His temple all say, "Glory!" The Lord is enthroned above the flood; the Lord is enthroned as king forever. (R)
Second Reading
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (10:34-38)
Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears Him and acts uprightly is acceptable to Him. You know the word that He sent to the Israelites as He proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."
(P) The word of the Lord.(R) Thanks be to God.
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (3:13-17)
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."
(P) The Gospel of the Lord.(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
Do you remember your baptism? If you were baptized as a baby, your only memories may be pictures you have seen or stories that you have heard from your parents and family. Even if you don't have any memory of your baptism, do you know or remember the date and the place of your baptism, and the priest who baptized you? Some people who got baptized as adults would say that they don't remember the actual date, but they do remember the day, the place, and the priest. The thing is that unlike our birthdays or the days of other special occasions, such as wedding, Valentine's Day etc. which we remember, most of us forget our baptismal day.
Baptism is not a mere ritual cleansing or naming of persons, but a tangible expression of our life-giving relationship with God, that nothing and no one in this world can take away. Martin Luther, the German friar and professor of theology who was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in the 16th century once said, "There is no greater comfort on earth than baptism." Today's celebration of our Lord's Baptism reminds us that our own baptism indeed can give greater comfort, encouragement, assurance, and peace than prayer, bible, family, or community of believers.
Today's gospel, Matthew (3:13-17), narrates that, one day, John the Baptist was out in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and people from everywhere were coming to be baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Then, suddenly, Jesus too came to be baptized by John! It was a big surprise for John. Because, Jesus, whom the Bible says is the "Sinless Son of God", (Luke 1:35, 4:41; Mark 3:11; Hebrews 9:14) came to be baptized by John, a human being and sinner like us. Jesus' baptism by John reveals three amazing things.
God always takes the initiative in the relationship we have with Him. When John was calling people to repent of their sins and receive baptism, preparing the way for the Messiah, Jesus Himself came to John. Here, Jesus took the initiative to go to John, rather than having John come to him. After His baptism, He went to all the villages, towns, marketplaces, and synagogues throughout Israel, preaching and healing. He was constantly on the move. He went and found some people at the seashore and tax booths and called them to become His disciples, (Luke 5:1-11, 27-32; Matthew 4:12-22). He actively searched for those who were lost, separated from God, and in need of salvation.
He didn't wait for people to come to Him. He sought the tax collectors, prostitutes, adulterers, beggars, the possessed, the lame, the sick, the poor and other outcasts and sinners of His time, embraced them with love and offered them the free gift of grace. For instance, Jesus surprised everyone by inviting Himself to the home of Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector and then said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house", Luke (19:1-10). God comes to us, through Jesus, before we even go to God. Before we are even able to go and find God, God finds us. That is grace. Whether we are baptized as babies or adults, our baptism is grace. Before we are ready, before we even can ask to be baptized, we are received into God's arms of grace. Baptism is a work of God. It is God's decision, not ours. Jesus says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you", John (15:16).
God sympathizes with sinners. In His baptism, Jesus expressed His love and willingness to stand with the sinful people He came to save. He was sinless, Hebrews (9:14) and had no need of repentance. Yet, He submitted Himself to John's baptism to truly become one of us, to become one with us. He allowed Himself to be baptized in the sin-soaked waters of the river Jordan, along with all other sinners, to truly enter into our sinful life.
God always does the right thing. In His baptism, Jesus "fulfilled all righteousness", Matthew (3:15). Even though He was sinless, Jesus obeyed God's plan and set the right example of obedience.
Thus, Jesus' baptism was more than an event in his life - it was His first concrete step on the journey that would bring Him to His self-sacrificing death on the cross and His resurrection from death. Moreover, "when Jesus came out of the water, heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased", Matthew (3:16-17). In other words, God Himself made it clear that Jesus had chosen well, and that He would have the Holy Spirit to empower Him for the task ahead, that is, to die on the cross for the sins of the world.
By the gift of our own baptism, we too have become sons and daughters of God. Being a son or daughter or child of God far outweighs any identity that has been or will ever be placed on us. Baptism is the greatest blessing and gift to us. It is not surprising that baptism is of great comfort. When we received our baptism and began our journey towards God that lasts a lifetime, a lifelong walk to heaven, God pronounced the same words over us with fatherly love: "You are my son. You are my daughter. You make me so happy. I am so proud of you."
As His children, we all have the potential to become like God. When we fully follow the example of Jesus, we too can become kinder, more merciful, more loving and more forgiving, and eventually enter the Kingdom of Heaven. However, this journey - a life of obedience, listening to God's Word and obeying Jesus in everything that He has commanded us to do - is never easy or gentle. As each of us knows, it can be difficult to remain steadfast in our faith. Therefore, remembering our baptism may serve as a healing balm. Remembering our baptism will give us clarity and energy for the journey ahead. Remembering our baptism will fill us with gratitude for the grace that still covers us. Remembering our baptism will help us identify ourselves as one with Christ. Remembering our baptism will help us realize that like Jesus, we too are God's beloved children, called to walk in the light. Remembering our baptism will give us the courage to face the unknown and rely on the power of God to see us through it.
Today, as we remember that Jesus, the Son of God, chose to undergo this rite of humility, obedience and submission for us, may we find comfort in the astonishing truth of the gospel - that we are God's children and that He really loves us, and calls us to become like Him by following the example of Jesus Christ. And let us remember our baptism not just today but as often as we can, and be thankful for that.
(P) Amen.God Bless You!
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