Being a complete unknown in Israel at the time, the Lord traveled 80 miles from his hometown of Nazareth to Bethany beyond the Jordan to be baptized by St. John the Baptist. The baptism of the Lord is the first event in which the Gospels present the Lord as an adult in his public life.
The Lord did not need to be baptized. He could have skipped the long journey to Bethany beyond the Jordan and simply relocate from Nazareth to Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Yet, the Lord chose to go in procession to the Jordan River and walk shoulder to shoulder with sinners.
St. John's baptism was one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord submitted to this baptism not because he was a sinner in need of repentance and forgiveness. He submitted to the baptism of St. John the Baptist as a demonstration of his total solidarity with sinful humanity.
The Lord did not stand apart from sinners but stood in solidarity with them. Twelve centuries earlier, Moses acted as the great intercessor for the people of Israel. After the sin of idolatry, remember the golden calf, God wanted to put an end to the people and start a new people with Moses. Moses interceded for them and God forgave them. The perfect intercessor of humanity is the Lord, and we see him right there in that role from the first moment of his public life. The solidarity that the Lord demonstrated by participating in the baptism of St. John the Baptist set in motion the path to his passion and death on the cross.
The Lord's Baptism was a prelude to his passion. In fact, in the Holy Scriptures, being immersed under water was a symbol of death. Let us remember Jonah whom God saved from the waters, protecting him in the stomach of the great fish. The Lord himself would later speak of his death as a baptism (Mark 10:38).
It is on the cross that we see the Lord's perfect solidarity with sinful humanity. Without being a sinner himself, he takes the place of sinners and dies for them to make the forgiveness of sins possible. By submitting to the baptism of St. John the Baptist and to death on the cross, the Lord acknowledged God's just judgment on sin. At the same time, the Lord offered God the response of perfect repentance on behalf of humanity.
The Church concludes the liturgical season of Christmas with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. On this Feast the Church thanks God almighty for sending us his only Son to be our Savior. Today we thank the Lord for his solidarity with us, sinners.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord also invites us to reflect on our own Baptism, when we were reborn as children of God. A deeper reflection on our Baptism and the commitment we made with it is offered to us each year during the season of Lent.
Catechumens, that is, people over seven years of age who have not been baptized and are in the process of receiving the sacraments at Easter, reinforce their preparation for such an important event in their lives during Lent. Those who have already been baptized should also prepare themselves during Lent. Lent, which will begin in seven weeks, starts with the symbol of ashes, which shows our determination to do penance in search of God's forgiveness.
We make the sign of the cross with holy water upon entering the church. Holy water is a sign of baptism. We are reminded of our Baptism, which has given us spiritual life and access to the other sacraments. We make the sign of the cross with holy water again as we leave the church, as a reminder of our baptismal obligation to carry Christ’s Gospel into the world.
Let us humbly ask the Lord to help us through his grace to remain faithful to the Spirit we received in Baptism.