Gilderious Khonglah csc –
Readings: Is 40: 1-5, 9-11; Tit 2: 11-14; 3:4-7, Lk 3:15,16, 21-22
The feast of the Baptism of the Lord invites us to do the will of the Father always, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. Jesus began his ministry with a profound lesson in humility. Although his baptism marked the first public revelation of his Messiahship, He came to Saint John, his cousin, and appeared to recognize him as his spiritual superior.
Spiritual life is the path of discovering the truth of ourselves—the affirmation that “Beloved, now are we the sons of God” (1 John 3:2). We are not just sons of God, but beloved sons. No matter how much the divine likeness may have been hidden or distorted in us, it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that, when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. What an amazing truth: when we see God, we see our true selves.
As Pope Francis reminds us, “Baptism is the sacrament of rebirth, which brings us into the family of God and calls us to live as his children, loving one another as he has loved us” (General Audience, April 15, 2015). Baptism grants us the grace necessary to live the life God intends for us. Like Jesus, all that we undertake must flow from who we are—God’s beloved. We are called to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This means that we, too, must humbly submit ourselves to God’s wise and loving plan for our lives.