HOMILY FOR THE BAPTISM
OF THE LORD
1.Is55:1-11
|
2.1Jn
5:1-9
|
3.Mk1:7-11
|
Theme “ The baptism the
door to other sacraments”
The Baptism of our Lord
Jesus Christ, reminds us our own baptism. If you do not remember the date of
your baptism it is better to go through your personal files and find out when
it occurred.
This Sunday , the
liturgical season of Christmas comes to conclusion with the celebration of the
Lord. This is the time for us all to think that why did Jesus allow himself to
be baptized with John the Baptist? Furthermore, what could be practical
applications that can be made out of Jesus baptism at river Jordan? First and
foremost, we have to make a sharp distinction between the baptism of John the
Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. The word Baptism means to submerge in water.
This Christian rite of initiation was not
to the Jewish People. Within the Jewish Community there was a rite
immersion for legal purification for those who became defiled under the mosaic law. According to Jewish custom,
baptism was also used to welcome the converted gentiles into Jewish community.
From the very beginning
John’s baptism focused on repentance and conversion purposely for the receiving
of graces Christian baptism gives us. The baptism that John practised did not
confer graces, except it was rather a preparation for Jesus’ baptism. Thus sinless Jesus did not
have any sins of his own to take down into river Jordan, therefore it could
only have been our sins that he took down into the river Jordan. Jesus dying on
the cross was due to our sins, Jesus being baptized in river Jordan was to be
in solidarity with sinful humanity, thus, we can say that Jesus dying on the
cross and his baptism at river Jordan go together.
Jesus, when speaking in
prophecy about his passion, described it as a baptism, “there is a baptism with
which I must be baptized and how great my anguish until it is accomplished”(Lk12:50).
We should remember an episode whereby, the sons of Zebedee, James and John
wanted to sit in glory beside Jesus, and he spoke about his passion to them,
but we can be sure that at that moment they did not understand him, they
understood him later, Jesus said “ You do not know what you are asking. Can you
drink a cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am
baptized?”( Mark 10:38).
According to the John’s
gospel account, we are told that when John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching
him at river Jordan he proclaimed “ behold the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world.( Yn1:29). John mentions an interesting fact that Jesus is
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In the gospel of John,
Jesus dies on the cross as Passover lambs being slaughtered in the temple. The
Passover lambs were slaughtered in remembrance of the first Passover lambs
whose blood was smeared on the doorposts the last night the Hebrews spent in
Egypt to protect them from death. Jesus is the new Passover lamb of the New
Covenant who shed his blood for us to save us from our sins and already at his
baptism he is proclaimed by John to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins
of the World
The question we can ask
ourselves is that why was Jesus baptized since he was sinless, born without
original sin?(Heb4:15), John the Baptist himself objected to baptize Jesus “ I
need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me.” ( Matt3:14) The
sacrament of baptism is conferred purposely on person for the remission of
original sin, why Jesus was baptized? The first reason is that the baptism of
our Lord Jesus was to make him known to Jewish people. Jesus was to make known
his identity, bear in mind that during the time of Jesus the means of communication
like telephone, fax, news papers, videos, television were not available.
The moment of Jesus’
baptism was a moment of decision and identification. His baptism marks the
beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. Being baptized Jesus identifies himself
with the very people he has come to save. Jesus being immersed in water,
blesses water to make it to beget children through the sacrament of baptism.
Being man, Jesus chooses to complete this mission and makes free decision, he
carries out the Father’s will to its ultimate end.
In today’s culture many
people do not understand their real identity, even those who are baptized as
Christians. The sacrament of Baptism as the door to other sacraments, implants
in each one of us an indelible mark of being members of Christ’s family. Being
baptized means that we acquire a new identity as begotten sons and daughters of
God through Jesus Christ. Once we are baptized we become disciples of Jesus
Christ. This Sunday shows that Jesus gives us meaning, purpose, and direction.
In existing we exist for a purpose, that purpose is to accomplish the mission
our Lord Jesus Christ is calling us to do. In receiving baptism we receive
sanctifying grace and the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Finally we learn that
from the rite of baptism, the Christian community members are involved whenever
the sacrament of baptism takes place. For example early on the rite, the deacon
or priest says “ my children the Christian community welcomes you with great joy.” The church celebrates
this sacrament as the community, as the community we pray together, rejoice together,
grieve together, grow together. The Christian life is never lived in isolation.
1.Is55:1-11
|
2.1Jn
5:1-9
|
3.Mk1:7-11
|
Theme “ The baptism the
door to other sacraments”
The Baptism of our Lord
Jesus Christ, reminds us our own baptism. If you do not remember the date of
your baptism it is better to go through your personal files and find out when
it occurred.
This Sunday , the
liturgical season of Christmas comes to conclusion with the celebration of the
Lord. This is the time for us all to think that why did Jesus allow himself to
be baptized with John the Baptist? Furthermore, what could be practical
applications that can be made out of Jesus baptism at river Jordan? First and
foremost, we have to make a sharp distinction between the baptism of John the
Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. The word Baptism means to submerge in water.
This Christian rite of initiation was not
to the Jewish People. Within the Jewish Community there was a rite
immersion for legal purification for those who became defiled under the mosaic law. According to Jewish custom,
baptism was also used to welcome the converted gentiles into Jewish community.
From the very beginning
John’s baptism focused on repentance and conversion purposely for the receiving
of graces Christian baptism gives us. The baptism that John practised did not
confer graces, except it was rather a preparation for Jesus’ baptism. Thus sinless Jesus did not
have any sins of his own to take down into river Jordan, therefore it could
only have been our sins that he took down into the river Jordan. Jesus dying on
the cross was due to our sins, Jesus being baptized in river Jordan was to be
in solidarity with sinful humanity, thus, we can say that Jesus dying on the
cross and his baptism at river Jordan go together.
Jesus, when speaking in
prophecy about his passion, described it as a baptism, “there is a baptism with
which I must be baptized and how great my anguish until it is accomplished”(Lk12:50).
We should remember an episode whereby, the sons of Zebedee, James and John
wanted to sit in glory beside Jesus, and he spoke about his passion to them,
but we can be sure that at that moment they did not understand him, they
understood him later, Jesus said “ You do not know what you are asking. Can you
drink a cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am
baptized?”( Mark 10:38).
According to the John’s
gospel account, we are told that when John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching
him at river Jordan he proclaimed “ behold the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world.( Yn1:29). John mentions an interesting fact that Jesus is
the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In the gospel of John,
Jesus dies on the cross as Passover lambs being slaughtered in the temple. The
Passover lambs were slaughtered in remembrance of the first Passover lambs
whose blood was smeared on the doorposts the last night the Hebrews spent in
Egypt to protect them from death. Jesus is the new Passover lamb of the New
Covenant who shed his blood for us to save us from our sins and already at his
baptism he is proclaimed by John to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins
of the World
The question we can ask
ourselves is that why was Jesus baptized since he was sinless, born without
original sin?(Heb4:15), John the Baptist himself objected to baptize Jesus “ I
need to be baptized by you and yet you are coming to me.” ( Matt3:14) The
sacrament of baptism is conferred purposely on person for the remission of
original sin, why Jesus was baptized? The first reason is that the baptism of
our Lord Jesus was to make him known to Jewish people. Jesus was to make known
his identity, bear in mind that during the time of Jesus the means of communication
like telephone, fax, news papers, videos, television were not available.
The moment of Jesus’
baptism was a moment of decision and identification. His baptism marks the
beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. Being baptized Jesus identifies himself
with the very people he has come to save. Jesus being immersed in water,
blesses water to make it to beget children through the sacrament of baptism.
Being man, Jesus chooses to complete this mission and makes free decision, he
carries out the Father’s will to its ultimate end.
In today’s culture many
people do not understand their real identity, even those who are baptized as
Christians. The sacrament of Baptism as the door to other sacraments, implants
in each one of us an indelible mark of being members of Christ’s family. Being
baptized means that we acquire a new identity as begotten sons and daughters of
God through Jesus Christ. Once we are baptized we become disciples of Jesus
Christ. This Sunday shows that Jesus gives us meaning, purpose, and direction.
In existing we exist for a purpose, that purpose is to accomplish the mission
our Lord Jesus Christ is calling us to do. In receiving baptism we receive
sanctifying grace and the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.
Finally we learn that
from the rite of baptism, the Christian community members are involved whenever
the sacrament of baptism takes place. For example early on the rite, the deacon
or priest says “ my children the Christian community welcomes you with great joy.” The church celebrates
this sacrament as the community, as the community we pray together, rejoice together,
grieve together, grow together. The Christian life is never lived in isolation.
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