The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
When I was 18 years old, during my senior year of high school, my dad wrote me a letter. Possibly sensing my life, attitude, or demeanor shifting, he gave me some words of wisdom. Nearly the entire letter consisted of uplifting words of affirmation. He told me how proud he was of me. He told me how successful I had been in my studies, pointed out my accomplishments on the baseball field, and reminded me that if I continue to work hard that I would certainly be successful. Great letter, right? What more could I ask for? But my dad closed his letter with words that I would never forget. After his declaration of all of my present and future successes, the very last words of the letter were, “But, Ryan, never forget that if you lose your relationship with Jesus, you will be a failure. Sincerely, Your Dad.” That last sentence is the one that I hold close to my heart and the one that I will never forget. In one sentence my dad reminded me that whatever I had, I should consider it “a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (1 Phil. 3:8)
God has blessed my life with an amazing Father- a strong Catholic man, knowledgeable of Scripture, possessing great fear of the Lord, passionate about his relationship with Jesus, and, more than anything else, a doer of the word- characteristics that I deeply try to emulate. In my life, I’ve seen great father/son relationships, but I’ve also witnessed father/son relationships that were less than great. I’ve learned that the words of a father to his son can make or break a son. And this can certainly be true for fathers and daughters, as well. No matter what our relationship with our fathers may be like, I’m sure we can all agree that the words of our father (or lack of words in some cases) can shape us, define us, or leave a lasting impact.
Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, an event which Mark recounts in today’s Gospel reading. We read how John the Baptist, the voice of one crying out in the desert, baptizes Jesus at the very beginning of His public ministry. As the Catechism points out, by submitting Himself to a baptism intended for sinners, Jesus empties Himself (CCC 1224). At the end of His public ministry, Jesus would again empty Himself, but this time on a cross intended for sinners- for our sake! As Jesus arises from the water after His baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon Christ and the Father speaks the words, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." By beginning his Gospel in this way, Mark leaves no doubt in the minds of his readers who Jesus is. With such indescribable love between the Father and the Son, it’s hard to imagine exactly what these words must have meant to Jesus or the impact they made on His public ministry. Perhaps a better question would be, what do these words mean to us? What impact does it leave for us to know that Jesus is the Son of God? Our entire faith is built upon this truth- Jesus, the begotten Son of God. How does this truth shape us? How does it define us?
Today’s first reading from the book of Isaiah prophesizes the coming of Jesus Christ. Once again, we hear Jesus referred to as one with whom God is “well pleased.” But in this reading, Jesus is not referred to as the Son of God. Rather, God says regarding Jesus, “Here is my servant.” In beautiful language, the remainder of today’s first reading describes the extent and manner to which Jesus would serve. We too are called to serve in this way. From today’s readings we see a link between sonship and servanthood. To live as a son of God is to live as a servant of God, as Jesus was.
By God’s grace, and through our baptism, we too are invited to live as sons and daughters of God. Jesus shows us the way in His baptism, which we celebrate today, and gives us this grace which flows from His cross, which we remember every day. “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.” (1 John 3:1) What does it mean for us to be children of God? How does it change us? How can we live these words as disciples?
The words of a father can shape and transform the lives of his children. In Scripture, let us not forget that the words of God our Father are made known to us. The Word of God in Scripture is powerful and has the ability to change us as Christians into the image of Jesus, who is the Word made flesh. Today, let us surrender our work, relationships, and very lives to Jesus, the Word made flesh- the Word that has the power to transform and shape our identity as adopted sons and daughters of God. Let us pray that we may empty ourselves as Christ did for us and live as servants of the Lord, so that we may authentically live as sons and daughters of the Lord! Amen.
- Ryan J. Mahle