Baptism of the Lord - Part I of II

01-12-2025Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

One of the many blessings I have as a priest includes administering the sacrament of Baptism to newborn babies whose parents are presenting them to the Church. So I thought that as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, it would be good to address the importance of baptism.

Today, on the banks of the Jordan, Jesus reveals Himself to John and to the people of Israel. This dramatic scene of Our Lord’s baptism is the first time that He enters the public scene as an adult after leaving Nazareth. Upon reaching the Jordan River, Our Lord is among the crowd that is listening to John the Baptist. He lines up like everyone else, waiting to be baptized by John. John the Baptist sees Our Lord approaching and realizes that there is something unique about this man. John recognizes that Jesus is the One for whom he has been waiting his whole life. John understands Jesus is the One who is greater than he and that he was not even worthy to untie His sandals.

In this moment, Jesus shows His extraordinary humility. He is the Son of God, the One who is without sin. Now He is with sinners, showing God’s faithfulness and mercy in the moments of our lives. Jesus takes upon His shoulders the burden of our sin and all sin. At the Baptism of Our Lord, He begins His mission by putting Himself in our place, in the place of sinners.

In this most dramatic event, Our Lord emerges from the water after His Baptism and the skies open. As we hear from St. Luke’s Gospel: "The heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him" (3:21-22); and words were heard that had never been heard before: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (v. 22).

Pope Benedict once wrote about it this way: “The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit come down among human people and reveal to us their love that saves. If it is the Angels who bring the shepherds the announcement of the Savior’s birth, and the star that conveys it to the Magi who came from the East, now it is the Father's voice that indicates the presence of his Son in the world to human beings and invites them to look to the Resurrection, to Christ's victory over sin and death.”

God, Our Father, calls us to be His children in Christ. Within the sacramental life of the Church, Our Lord gives each of us the beautiful gift of faith. This gift will be sown in those baptized as a seed full of life that is waiting to develop and bear fruit. When infants are about to be baptized in the faith of the Church, professed by their parents, their godparents and the Christians present, who will then take them by the hand in the following of Christ.

To be continued…

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline