The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord opens Ordinary Time. It is not only about the Baptism of Jesus as administered by the Baptist, it is also about our own baptism. As Jesus is presented to us by the Father as "Son", so we too are invited to consider our own baptism and see it as the basis of our own life with the Trinity. Read the article here, and use the following as your guide for study and reflection.
1. The Baptism of the Lord is one of the events of the Epiphany, the Manifestation of the Lord. In the narrative account itself of Mark, Jesus is presented to us not only as the Messiah but as the Servant of Yahweh. From the Christmas Liturgy, we already know that the Lord is the Anointed One, the heir of the Davidic throne. The voice from heaven presents him to us not only as King but also the one who will be man's redemption.
Exercise: Try to make an inventory of all that you know about Jesus Christ, including the fact that He is Mediator, King or High Priest. List all that you know about Him on a piece of paper and once finished, label each idea (e.g. Great Shepherd) as either "For Himself" or "For Others". After labelling each idea, count how many are "For Himself" or "For Others". What do you notice?
2. At the baptism of the Lord, the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended and a voice from heaven was heard. The opening of the heavens in such a violent manner (they were torn open) anticipates the tearing of the temple veils later on at the death of Jesus. With these two-fold "tearing", the barriers that separate man from God are torn asunder. What we have left with the reestablishment of the commerce between men and God is the Holy Spirit, the Voice (of the Father) and the one presented as Son: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity together, just before Jesus begins his ministry.
Reflect: The Father gives His Son, the Holy Spirit anoints the Son, and the Son, after showing his solidarity with sinful humanity, now prepares to bring the wages of sin upon himself as the Servant of Yahweh. Consider the way the Trinity is involved in the redemption of humanity in the picture that Mark paints for us. When you were baptized, the fruits of Jesus' work of redemption was applied to you: How do you see your own redemption as the work of the Trinity?
3. The Baptism of the Lord is meant to remind us of our own baptism. We who were baptized into Christ and who have received the Holy Spirit in our hearts -- the same Spirit that anointed Jesus -- are meant to hear the voice of the Father telling us "You are my Son/Daughter... In you I am well pleased."
Reflect: When you were baptized, you were not fully aware of what the priest did to you or what it meant. But from the time you gained consciousness and understanding -- from your first communion to your confirmation -- the Church has been instructing you through the liturgy of the Easter Sunday and the whole liturgical year about your baptism and the meaning it should hold for you. How much have you gained from these Sunday liturgical "instructions." How have you made your baptism your own?
