The Baptism of the Lord - Revealing God’s Loving Presence

Christ’s Baptism, as described in the Gospel of Matthew in today’s readings, represents one of the Theophanies: a manifestation of God Himself. During this Christmas season and the week after, we celebrate four theophanies: (i) The birth of Christ on December 25, which revealed Christ to Israel; (ii) The visit of the Magi on the Epiphany, which revealed Christ to the Gentiles; (iii) The Baptism of the Lord, which revealed the Trinity; and (iv) The miracle at the wedding of Cana, which revealed Christ’s transforming power to the world.

In today’s Feast, the Trinity is revealed in the final verses of our Gospel:

“…[Jesus] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’”

Jesus the Son of God is physically present for the Baptism; the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove; and God the Father speaks from Heaven, proclaiming His joy and the fact that Jesus is indeed His Son.

We are not told who else hears this voice – maybe it is only Jesus – but the message is for all of us. It is the declaration of a Father’s love for his Son. As we know, Jesus has an incredibly close relationship with God, calling Him alone “Abba”, “Father”. The Father of Jesus, however, is also Our Father, as we dare to pray time and time again, reminding ourselves of that intimate relationship of love to which we have been called through our own baptism and adoption as God’s children.

The theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar, once wrote: “after a mother has smiled for a long time at her child, the child will begin to smile back; she has awakened love in its heart, and in awakening love in its heart, she awakes also recognition. In the same way, God awakes Himself before us as love. Love radiates from God and instils the light of love in our hearts.”

Our heavenly Father speaks to us, declares his love for us, time and time again, as he smiles at us, His children, for all eternity: This is my child, whom I love and on whom my favour rests. We are the servants whom the Lord upholds, the chosen ones in whom His soul delights! In a sense, our entire Christian life is a response to the God who first loves us and who awakens love in our hearts so that we may shine forth the light of His love in the darkness of our world.

‍

Today the Font could be decorated and the Easter Candle lit by it and the Mass could begin with the person celebrating processing to the Font instead of to the Altar and during the singing of the Kyrie sprinkling the people with water from the Font.

After the greeting at the Font the person presiding at the Mass might introduce the Penitential Rite with something like the following:

Pr. We have been celebrating Christ coming among us in our flesh and blood.

     As we come to the end of the Christmas season today

     we remember how before he began his ministry

     he went down into the waters of the river Jordan with all the people

     to be baptised by John and there he showed himself to be truly one of us.

    As we are sprinkled with water from the Font

we are reminded that in our Baptism we have become truly one with him

    and we ask forgiveness for our failings

    and to be anointed again with his Spirit

   so that we may follow him more faithfully.

‍

Note: These hymns have been chosen from different sources.

‍

Hail to the Lord’s anointed (CFE241, L102, LHON314, TCH3)

Jesus the Word has lived among us (CFE331, L161, LHON401)

Oh living water (CFE566, L931, LHON527)

Open your ears, O Christian people (CFE582, L472, LHON546)

Send forth your Spirit, God our Father (CFE634)

Songs of thankfulness and praise (CFE661, L172, TCH47)

When Jesus comes to be baptised (L171)

When John baptised by Jordan’s river (CFE804, L173)

‍

Key

CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone

L – Laudate

LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)

TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)