Gospel accounts of Jesus’ Baptism are quite brief, but behind them is a lot of history and imagery. Prior to Jesus’s entry, people were going to John in the wilderness and were being immersed by him in the river Jordan, from which they emerged as “baptized.” This action evoked memories of the “baptism” which the Jewish people experienced in the time of Moses when they first entered the Promised Land. Doing so, they emerged from slavery and homelessness and were re-established in their identity as God’s Chosen People.
In St. Luke’s gospel, we hear John the Baptist assert that it is not he but the Christ who is coming who will baptize with true authority and power. Then, almost as an afterthought, we are told that Jesus was among those who submitted themselves to John’s baptism. We are also told that as Jesus participated in this ritual of re-entrance into the vocation of Israel, the divine Spirit came upon him, and a heavenly voice named him as the beloved and favored Son.
The celebration of the baptism of Jesus is in large and practical sense the celebration of the Spirit of Jesus in which we his followers are called to live, today, right now. As Jesus comes forth from the water, he undertakes a mission that will be fulfilled ultimately through others… and that includes us! It is a mission to bring the justice and peace, the love and mercy, of God to the peoples of the earth. It is practiced by bringing those gifts to the people I encounter here and now, in my work, in my play, in my family, in the store, etc.
As we again thank God for the gift of the Savior and his saving mission, we might consider two questions: (1) In what ways do I know myself as beloved of God, the object of God’s delight?; and, (2) Experiencing myself as “favored,” what gifts is the Spirit prompting me to use to foster the mission of Jesus, his Beloved Son, among those whose paths will cross my own today?
-Fr. Frank Reale, SJ
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