Homily for the feast of the Baptism of our Lord - 01-10-10

A Reading of the holy Gospel according to Luke: 

"As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their
hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, John
answered them all, « I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier
than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. »

"Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been
baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit
descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from
heaven, « Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased. »"

Homily:

Today, we attend a really exceptional event of the life of the Lord: He
is going to meet John Baptist and be baptized by him! What could be
the significance of such a meeting? If we can discover a sense
of the baptism of the Lord, it remains in the fact of this meeting
between the Christ and John Baptist. Jesus, indeed, did not need
baptism: He is without sin, He is the one who is holy and pure by
Essence, being the very Son of God. Therefore, the important fact to
consider in this episode of the life of Lord is his meeting with John,
the Baptist!

Saint Luke says to us: "All men questioned in their hearts concerning
John, whether perhaps he were the Christ." Why? Because John made
what Christ alone might make: "to baptize"! Through baptism indeed,
the person who is baptized could receive the remission of all his sins.
Now, only God may forgive sins. Baptism is unique to Christ, and
to him alone. That is why, under the moving of the Holy Spirit, the
people asked if the one whom they saw baptizing was perhaps the Christ,
the one whom God sent in his Name in order to announce the Good News of
Salvation!

"« I baptize you with water; but He who is mightier than I is coming,
the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and with fire. »"

John the Baptist knows it: he acts, he baptizes as he was the
Christ, the one whom he waits for with all the people, the one of whom
he prepares the coming in the world! John the Baptist knows that the
Christ will baptize: "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with
fire." John the Baptist follows the Holy Spirit who does not leave him,
because he was sanctified before his birth. John the Baptist always
remained faithful to this very special grace which was in him!

John the Baptist follows the Holy Spirit who guides him. He baptizes
like the Christ. He acts before all the people as if he was the
Christ, in order to announce to all that the days are near, that the
hour is imminent when the Christ in person would manifest himself to the
world! The Christ is coming soon: John the Baptist announces it to
his contemporaries, baptizing as if he was the Christ in person!

"Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been
baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened."

Behold the Mystery of this day is unveiled! "All the people were
baptized, and Jesus also had been baptized." Jesus wanted to become
only one thing with his people, the People of God! If John baptized,
it was to become only one thing with the Christ, acting in such a manner
as if he was the Christ in person. If the Christ was baptized by John,
it was in order to become only one thing with the people. He desires to
save the people at all costs, carrying on Himself all the sins of his
people that he chose. This is the Mystery of today: the union of
Christ and His people, the union of Christ and the Church, the new
People of God on earth! Behold also the Mystery of the baptism which
we have received: the union to Christ in the love of God!

"The Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a
voice came from heaven, « Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well
pleased. »"

Baptism is indeed the Sacrament of the union to Christ in the
love of God! As soon as the Christ was baptized by John, the heaven
was opened and the Holy Spirit bodily appeared descending on Jesus!
The Father revealed then His presence saying overtly: « Thou art my
beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.»

What a Mystery! It is the Mystery of our baptism! The Father loves
us in His beloved Son, by the strength of the Holy Spirit! Now, today,
we have to answer faithfully to this love daily to the end of our life!
The Love of God is all-powerful: let us allow ourselves to be
attracted by Him! Do not resist the strength which is in us by the
sacrament of our baptism! Move toward Jesus! Let us answer to His
love by receiving Him with dignity in the Eucharist! Let us ask Mary
to help us on this sometimes difficult way of the life in God!

Canon Dr. Daniel Meynen

http://meynen.homily-service.net/
._,_.___

Posted via email from deaconjohn's posterous