Charity registration No. SC002876
Sunday January 10th. 2010
Baptism of Our Lord - and our baptism
Baptism was the way in which Jesus presented himself
to his people at the outset of his mission. By the banks
of the Jordan we see him, who was sinless, joining the
crowds of sinners, taking his place in the long
procession of people who were turning towards God
through the pathway of repentance. That marked the
beginning of his public ministry and the start of a new
life as a travelling preacher, By identifying himself with
us, he took upon his shoulders the tremendous burden
and responsibility of our sins and began gathering all
people into the one family of God. It was such an
important moment that the Spirit of God took possession
of him in a very special way, and the heavens rang out with
approval: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
The baptism of Our Lord was the event which mankind had been
looking forward to because it brought God's light into a world of
darkness and opened up the possibility of a new relationship for
people with their creator. It so intimately unites us with Christ that
we too can be called God's children.
Our baptism
Today's feast reminds us of our own baptism and presents us with
an opportunity to reflect on how we should be of leading a true
life of a Christian. This feast also marks our spiritual birth - the
beginning of Our Lord reaching down, touching our lives,
claiming us for his own and adopting us as his children.
Our parents and godparents were speaking on our behalf when
they introduced us into God's family as infants, but now as adults
we have to make that faith our own and show it by our actions.
Through baptism Jesus introduces himself into our lives with the
message that we are free from the debt of original sin which we
inherited from our first parents - that we are restored and
reconciled with God whose love is for us. We are now part of his
family and can call God our Father. Belonging to God's family
involves obligations to be undertaken and decisions to be made
about how we are to lead our lives. By our baptism we are invited
to answer Jesus' call to do good, to follow in his footsteps by
being honest in our dealings and kindly in our conversation. This
requires strength of character as it often calls upon us to stand
apart and be counted. But a committed follower of Christ will
lead a worthy life and make the original sin our first parents - that
we are restored and reconciled with God whose loves so
personally. We are now part of his family and can call God our
Father.
Belonging to God's family involves obligations to be undertaken
and decisions to be made about how we are to lead our lives. By
our baptism we are invited to answer Our Lord’s call to do good,
to follow in his footsteps by being honest in our dealings and
kindly in our conversation. This requires strength of character as it
often calls upon us to stand apart and be counted. A committed
follower of Christ will lead a life worthy of him and make the
world a better place for his presence. Only when we are doing
God’s will are we behaving like beloved sons and daughters in
whom the Father is well pleased.
