Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (A)

January 12, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7

Psalm 104 “The Lord will bless his people with peace.”

Second Reading: Acts 10: 34-38 

Gospel reading according to Matthew 3: 13-17

+

Homily:

Jesus was raised up and grew with wisdom, knowledge, and surrendering his will to the Lord God and to his parents, in Nazareth, Galilee. He helped his father Joseph in his trade (carpentry) in their shop until Joseph’s death.  More or less he was thirty years old.  Supposedly, Jesus had already his own family, wife and children; and Mary has companions in her old age.  But he had another destiny.  He was hearing John, his cousin, was baptizing in the River Jordan and making straight the way for the coming of the Messiah (of Christ).  Jesus was discerning if he will go up to Jordan to be baptized by John.  He had some time to discern.  Until such time, in the fullness of time, he decided to go and be baptized by John to do the will of God, His Father.  After asking permission from his mother Mary, he went to Jordan to see and be baptized by John.  Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him (Matthew 3: 13).  He showed himself to John and asked him to be baptized.

When John saw Jesus it seemed he knew that he was the Christ, the anointed One and the Son of the Living God.  For when Jesus asked John to baptize him, he persuaded Jesus that he should baptize by him instead.   John tried to prevent him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?' (Matthew 3: 14).  John barred and disallowed at first to baptize Jesus, but later Jesus was able to convince John to baptize him.  Jesus said to him in reply, 'Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.'  Then he allowed him (Matthew 3: 15).  This should be the case, as part of the will of God; it must be done, in revealing his Son to the people of whom he would be saved. It is not of human caprice or interest but of God's own doing.

Everything has been done according to God's plan.  After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him (Matthew 3: 6).  When the rite of baptism has been performed, suddenly the sky was opened; the Holy Spirit came down in a form of a dove, a symbol of new life, of hope, of peace as in the days of Noah after deluge coming out from the ark, and a symbol of power and strength.  It rested on his shoulder.  All of this was seen and observed by John, and he believed (as when he was still in the womb of Elizabeth his mother, he jumped for joy).  John said that he is the one who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.  

He, John, even heard the voice of God coming from heaven.  And a voice came from the heavens, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'(Matthew 3: 17).  'This is my beloved Son,' God recognized Jesus as His own; this made us also children of God when we received the sacrament of Baptism. Through Jesus he brought us back to the original relation with God; 'with whom I am well pleased,' God is satisfied with Jesus' obedience to him.  He truly does the will of his Father.  And, Jesus taught us so how to become obedient to God, our Loving Father; because of Jesus we are free to call God our Father.