Sunday, January 10, 2021 - The Baptism of the Lord - Seeing Jesus coming to him, John said, "Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1, 6b-11
Dear Christians! The Church today celebrates the baptism of the Lord. This event concludes the Christmas season and brings us to the ordinary time of the liturgical year. Already an adult, Jesus was baptized before beginning to proclaim the Good News. For us, baptism is received from childhood, the reasons are explained to us in the catechism.
Jesus coming to John to be baptized is for us a teaching according to the theme that the Church inspires in us today: "Jesus being baptized: a symbol of our baptism" because John is not greater than Jesus according to John himself in the Gospel: "Here comes behind me who is stronger than me; I am not worthy to stoop to undo the strap of his sandals". John was right and by his humility, he shows us one of the great principles of the Christian life. Normally, it was Jesus who was to baptize John, but He let it happen because this is God's plan. Baptism is essential for us believers, and it should not be taken lightly because our entire future as Christians depends on it. Besides that baptism is a beginning, Jesus teaches us that He Himself who is God must go through baptism, all the more so, we have, as believers, the duty to be baptized if unfortunately it is not. still the case, or otherwise, exhort and help others to access it. The fusion of the baptism of John and that of Jesus makes our baptism perfect today and makes us enjoy the many graces that flow from it.
Baptism is a beginning. Jesus begins the mission entrusted to him by his Father, being baptized to reveal his divine sonship; and just as God manifested his loving fatherhood in Jesus, He will also make us his sons by receiving baptism. At the same time, the Father draws our gaze to his beloved Son, because as Pope Francis has often taught us, contemplating Jesus, the Son of God, helps us to desire eternal life.
