💖 HOMILY - JANUARY 8 💖

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 

First Reading - Isaiah 42:1-7

Gospel - Mark 1:7-11

The Christmas season, celebrating the Self-revelation of God through Jesus, comes to an end with the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Christmas is the feast of God’s Self-revelation to the Jews, and Epiphany celebrates God’s Self-revelation to the Gentiles. At His Baptism in the Jordan, Christ reveals Himself to repentant sinners. The Baptism of the Lord Jesus is the great event celebrated by the Eastern churches on the feast of Epiphany because it is the occasion of the first public revelation of all the Three Persons in the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father. It is also an event described by all four Gospels, and it marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The liturgical season of Christmas comes to a conclusion today with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

In the first reading, we hear one of the first of the four 'Songs of the Servant.' This song projects the servant as a prophet, the object of mission and a divine destiny, quickened by the Spirit to teach the entire world the ways of the Lord discreetly and firmly in spite of opposition. However, his mission transcends that of other prophets, since he is himself both covenant and light and performs the task of liberation and salvation. The role of the servant is of lavish self-offering to God for His mission and liberation of the humankind.

In the gospel passage, we hear about the baptism of Jesus. The baptism of Jesus encounters the approval of God in two ways: firstly, by the sign of the descent of the Holy Spirit like a dove, which suggests that no actual bird appeared but that some visible manifestation of the Spirit led observers to recognize that God was revealing himself through those attributes regularly associated with a dove - e.g., superintending over creation (Gen. 1:2) as the loving character of divine life itself. Secondly, the sign of approval by "a voice from heaven." The heavenly voice is often linked with the Hebrew idea of the bath qol (daughter of the voice), the way in which Jews in intertestamental times believed God spoke with them after the cessation of prophecy. More likely the voice is a sign that divine communication with Israel is resuming. As a whole, the baptismal scene of Jesus points out Jesus' role as both divine Son and Suffering Servant, a crucial combination for interpreting Jesus' self-understanding and mission.

Dear friends, the feast of the 'Baptism of Jesus' reminds us today about our baptismal mysteries that we have participated through our baptism. The gospel reminds us that the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus and a voice came from heaven approving Jesus as God's Son (divine sonship of Jesus) so also through our baptism we are marked by Spirit of God and incorporated in God's sonship. This mystery reminds that we enjoy especial privilege through our baptism in our closeness with God. However, this privilege also demands a responsibility from us as sons and daughters of God; the responsibility of evangelization. The first reading reminds us that our role as sons and daughters is to be of a servant who is endowed to perpetuate the works of God. The perpetuation of the mission entails that others are led to faith in Christ. The words of pope Francis fits here perfectly: "Church grows not by proselytization but by attraction." The effort to lead others to Christ or salvation must be done not by force or allurement but by our lives and works that we do and live everyday.