THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD, OUR BAPTISM

The manifestations of Christ that we celebrate during Christmas Time culminate in the Baptism of the Lord which we celebrate today. Jesus is revealed as the Son of God and from this point forward Jesus begins his public ministry of service to God’s people.

Baptism is the sacrament by which we are born into Christian life. It is the sacrament that calls us into Christian action. It is in the waters of baptism that we are marked with the sign of the cross. As our foreheads are anointed with chrism oil, we are told, “he now anoints you with the Chrism of salvation so that you remain members of Christ, Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live as a member of His body.” We wear a white garment as the outward sign of our Christian dignity and are told, “You have clothed yourself in Christ.” We are also presented a lighted baptismal candle in which we are told, “receive the light of Christ” and “keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts to be kept burning brightly.”

And so this is not only a Feast of our Lord, but also our feast when we are reminded that we too are ministers of the Gospel.

In our Diocese we have embarked on the Road to Renewal Our Journey Toward Holiness. We are invited by Pope Francis to participate also in a two year journey of renewal through a universal Synod defined as: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” The Synod challenges us to ask ourselves if we are truly living our faith in ways that are evident and that lights the way for others. Are we truly living out the sacrament of our own Baptism.