January 13, 2008

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

DIALOGUE --&-- FEAST ABUNDANTLY on CATHOLIC THEOLOGY & SCRIPTURE

Baptism of the Lord

Humble Inaugural Mystery

During the whole Christmas season we contemplated the miraculous birth of Jesus. The Word of God becomes flesh in the womb of Mary. Mary conceives through the power of the Holy Spirit without loss of her virginity, by her humble submission to the invitation of the Lord. Her response to a great honor, “I am the maidservant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Thy Will.” Joseph too exhibits tremendous faith by His humility and total obedience to God through the messages of angels and dreams so that the Savior would enter into our world.

Now as the Christmas season concludes, on this first Sunday of Ordinary Time, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. The very first public act of Jesus is His Baptism in the Jordan. The very first words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew echoed the profound depth of Jesus’ humility and obedience to the will of His Father. He enters into the waters of the Jordan to be baptized by His cousin, St. John the Baptist, so that He could identify with humanity’s sinful nature. John rightfully protests. As St. Gregory of Nazianzus, eloquently points out in the Office of Readings for the day, “John is the lamp in the presence of the sun; the voice of God in the presence of the Word of God, the greatest of all born of woman in the presence of the firstborn of all creation.” Yet Jesus would humbly say to John, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. Indeed holiness demands humility!