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The Baptism of the Lord - Cycle C

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What better way to bring the Christmas season to a close than with the celebration of the moment where Jesus was consecrated to his ministry – the celebration of The Baptism of the Lord.  Whereas Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, Christmas is the season where prophecy and expectation are fulfilled – born to us is the Christ, the one we have been waiting for is here!

The Word for The Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (or Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11)
Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 (or Psalm 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30)
Acts 10:34-38 (or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7)
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

This Sunday’s celebration offers us two possible sets of readings, so I have chosen the alternate readings for this commentary since these are the ones we have used recently most often.

Our first reading, from Second Isaiah, is a prophecy of hope for the people of Israel held captive in Exile in Babylon.  To our Christian ears, however, it also sounds a lot like John the Baptist preaching the coming of the Lord!  In both its Hebrew and Christian perspective it is a message of hope, a prophecy of fulfillment.  Just as in the time of the Exodus, the Lord has heard the cry of his people and promises to set things right.  This is a momentous occasion, as heard by the exuberant language of the text.  The Lord will deliver us!  Our Psalm serves as both a confirmation of the Lord’s greatness and as a prayer of thanksgiving as we sing, “O bless the Lord, my soul.”

Our second reading comes from Paul’s letter to Titus.  Titus, like Timothy, was an acolyte of Paul’s doing his best to form the large growing Christian community on the Mediterranean island of Crete.  This is a monumental task, so Paul is providing encouragement and guidance through the example of Jesus.  Paul says, “He saved us through the bath of rebirth…” Baptism, so that “we might be justified by his grace.”  Baptism is a new beginning, a new hope.  Through our own baptisms we become heirs to this hope.

This “new hope” is given form and a face in our Gospel with the story of the Baptism of the Lord.  As we are in Cycle C for our Sunday readings, we hear Luke’s version of Jesus’ baptism by John.  John announces the coming of the Christ, and then we experience God’s affirmation of Jesus.  This is not only a moment of revelation for those who witnessed it, but it marks a turning point in Jesus’ life – the moment he accepts his mission and begins his ministry.  God’s voice not only was an affirmation to the people but no doubt a comfort to Jesus as he takes on the task for which he was born.

Final Thoughts:
Free will.  Jesus was born to fulfill a great mission – the son of man that would reconcile the people back to God.  No small task.  Yet with such great expectations since before his birth, we sometimes forget that Jesus had a choice.  This is why our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord is so important.  For it is this moment that sets Jesus on the path that, while ultimately leading to his own death, leads us to salvation.

Just as Jesus had the free will to accept his baptism; just as Jesus had the free will to accept the cross, we too have the free will to enter into the sacramental life of the Church and to carry on its mission.  It is also this free will we see being exercised today as many people argue about COVID-19 vaccination.  The trouble with free will is, often times there’s an undeniable right answer and an undeniable wrong answer.  Adam’s and Eve’s free will had them say “no” to God’s rule about eating from the Tree of Knowledge which sent humanity out of paradise.  Mary’s free will to say “yes” to the angel brought us Jesus.  Jesus’ free will to say “yes” to his mission, even though it meant his death, brought us the salvation we had lost through Adam and Eve.

Having free will in important, but how we exercise that free will can lead to life or death – it can change the world!  A decision you make can have a universal affect!  Think about that for a moment.

I’m reminded of that famous phrase from the world of Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.”  Often times we take that power for granted, and often times we ignore the responsibility associated with that power – that “free will.”  Another phrase for that free-will is “personal freedom.”  Unfortunately, too many people today align “personal freedom” with selfishness – what I want, as opposed to what’s better for others.  And many self-professed Christians too easily forget that we are obligated to orient our free-will and personal freedom toward others – to love our neighbors.  To sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others.  To think about what is better for others or for society instead of ourselves.  This is our Christian teaching.  This is our Catholic faith.  It is also the teaching and faith of all other mainline religious traditions.  As Catholics we should also never forget that our own Baptism anoints us as priests, prophets, and kings in the image of Christ.  We must inform our own consciences and exercise our own free will to live and act as Christ called us to do, even if that means making some sacrifices to our personal freedom.

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