COLLECT: “ALMIGHTY EVER-LIVING GOD, WHO WHEN CHRIST HAD BEEN BAPTIZED IN THE RIVER JORDAN AND AS THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED UPON HIM, SOLEMNLY DECLARED HIM YOUR BELOVED SON, GRANT THAT YOUR CHILDREN BE ADOPTED, REBORN OF WATER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, MAY ALWAYS BE WELL PLEASING TO YOU. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Is 42:1-4,6-7 or Acts 10:34-38; Mt 3:13-17.
Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. It has many lessons to teach us.
WHAT IS BAPTISM? It is a Sacrament of rebirth a Sacrament that washes away Original Sin (and personal sins for adults) and makes us adopted children of God. It is a sacrament of regeneration, renewal and refreshment that brings new and fresh life to the individual.
WHY DID JESUS, A SINLESS PERSON, HAVE TO BE BAPTIZED BY JOHN THE BAPTIST? If John the Baptist’s Baptism was for sinners as it washed away sins, why should Jesus, the Son of God and a sinless person, have to go through it? Indeed, Jesus was not a sinner who needed to be washed away of his “sins” through John’s baptism.
However, Jesus allowed Himself to be baptised because He was both God (Divine) and Man (Human). As a human, he underwent baptism and even death as only humans could. As God, he lived a sinless life and rose from the dead as only God could. Indeed, Jesus’ baptism was another step in His identification with us, sinful people.
The opening of the heavens with the descent of the Spirit like a Dove, followed by the heavenly voice, signifies God revealing himself as Trinity while approving of Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah and therefore people should listen to Him (Also Cf. The Transfiguration). The baptism equipped Jesus to start work. At His baptism, Jesus’ ministry was inaugurated to begin walking, preaching and healing the sick in the dusty roads of Israel.
Baptism is one of the Sacraments that we receive once and this washes away our Original Sin as well as our personal sins, making us holy to attain the status of sons and daughters of God. It is a doorway to the rest of the Sacraments.
Every baptised person, who is a child of God on account of his/her baptism, should do things pleasing to God, keep God’s commandments, do God’s will, and do good works (cf 2nd reading). Every baptised person should demonstrate God’s love and righteousness and be the light of the world by revealing a character of love for God and neighbour, gentleness, encouragement, justice and truth. The person should endeavour to be righteous.
These days, it is rather unfortunate to discover in the world so many baptised people who, instead of demonstrating the love and righteousness of God, are on the side of Satan, and they become darkness instead of light to the world. They reveal a character of idolatry, adultery, pride, discouragement, injustice, dishonesty, wickedness, jealousy and envy, etc.
One bishop, one time, addressing a group of priests, said that a lot of Priests (and of course, religious and Christians in general) need to be baptised again before they can become Priests. Of course, this did not go down well with the Priests – they were not happy to hear this seemingly prophetic statement. A lot of evil things we experience in this world are indeed caused and committed by baptised people, religious leaders and some so-called “born-again”.
A lot of people have been hurt, disappointed, depressed, tortured, etc by baptised people. Victims of any of these areas mentioned above are encouraged to remember that you have a Saviour, Jesus Christ, who understands what you are going through because he himself became one like you, except sin. Therefore, he calls and invites you every time to come to him and be fed freely with everlasting bread. He also assures you of wine and milk together with living water that will quench whatever is making you thirsty and hungry in your life.
Those of us who are the scoundrels and the wicked should forsake our evil ways and thoughts and seek the merciful Lord our Saviour, repent today and accept him as our personal Saviour and Lord, who paid the price for our disobedience and sins. He is indeed generous in forgiving (cf. 1st reading).
If baptism is a sacrament we receive once in our lifetime, why do we these days hear a lot about the fact that one must be baptised or born again in order to be saved? This is more pronounced in some Charismatic, Spiritual and Pentecostal Movements and Churches. Now we see a lot of Christians from Traditional Churches flocking to such Spiritual Churches to be born again, as what?
A critical look at and study of this phenomenon of “born again” reveals the love and quest for material and earthly things, not things of Heaven. In such churches, material prosperity and wealth are seen as a result of being born again, and poverty is the vice versa. In this vein, Poverty is a curse.
Therefore, people in these churches are told: if you want to be rich, if you want a wife/husband, if you want to pass your examinations, to have powers in the world, to be promoted at you work place, if you want a child etc, then come to so and so church(es) and be born again and your blessings will come “yafo-yafo”.
Dear friends in Christ, it is true that what most of us do after baptism as Christians does not befit our status as Christians. We therefore need to be “born again”, we need a rebirth, not in the spirit of materialism but a rebirth with the Holy Spirit and with Fire from Jesus Christ: a complete baptism (change of heart) that will empower and equip us to obey God’s Commandments and do his will; baptism that will empower and equip us to do good works on earth and by our good works we will be approved as God’s beloved children. Such is a baptism that will give us courage and strength to persevere in our faith journey even when we meet challenges and difficulties.
There is therefore the need to identify areas within us that need rebirth (born again). Is it my hand, mouth, eyes, ears, mind, heart, etc that need to be baptised again, born again? Jesus is waiting to do that today, and this is the opportune moment, the appointed time for me and for you to come to Jesus.
Today, refuse to be like the soldier who accepted his whole body except his hands to be baptised. This soldier refused his hands to be baptised because if his hands are baptised, he can no longer use them to shoot his gun and kill.
Have a fruitful renewal of your baptismal promises and stay blessed by the Good Lord.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SUNDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
PRAYER: “NOURISHED WITH THESE SACRED GIFTS, WE HUMBLY ENTREAT YOUR MERCY, O LORD, THAT, FAITHFULLY LISTENING TO YOUR ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WE MAY BE YOUR CHILDREN IN NAME AND IN TRUTH. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.
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