Baptism of the Lord

           With the feast of the Lord’s Baptism we fast-forward nearly thirty years from Christmas.  Before Jesus begins His public ministry He approaches John the Baptist to be baptized Himself.

            I have been to the site of Jesus’ baptism on the Jordan River.  It’s nothing like you would expect, or at least was nothing like I would have expected.  I had pictured a bluish-green luscious river teeming with life.  Actually, it looks more like a ditch in northern Minnesota.  It is cloudy brown in color and has less water than ever.  The site of Jesus’ baptism doesn’t even have water in it anymore.

            I sat there looking at a glorified mud puddle with some broken pillars and even some trash.  How simple, I thought, yet how profound.  This is where God was manifested as Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the Son came to be baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and the Father spoke to His Son.

            Earlier this week I came across an insightful quote about Jesus’ Baptism.  One of the Church Fathers stated that we may wonder why Jesus was baptized—indeed it was not necessary.  He stated that Christ was not baptized to be purified by the water, but to purify water itself.

            I thought this was cool as I love water.  In addition to needing it like every other life form, most of my time is spent hunting, fishing, ice fishing, camping or relaxing by this great gift from God.  Jesus took this simple element of the universe and elevated it to the supernatural level.

            It is in these same waters that we have been baptized into Christ.  We have been sealed as God’s for all eternity, freed from original sin, welcomed into the Church and filled with the Holy Spirit.

            As we close the Christmas season we celebrate Jesus’ last act before His public ministry—His baptism.  We pray that we may be faithful to our mission to bring others to Christ and give God thanks and praise for the great sacrament of Baptism.