BAPTISM IS A SACRAMENT OF GRACE!
Baptism is a sacrament of grace! It is a sacrament which cleanses from original sin and actual sin (if baptized as an adolescent or adult), make us children of God and members of the Church. It is one of the sacraments of Christian initiation into the divine life with the Trinitarian Godhead in Jesus Christ, through the action of the Holy Spirit.
This sacramental life flows into the ecclesiastical life thereby enriching the Body of Christ: the Church with the seal of the Holy Spirit and its gifts to the baptized soul. It is not just an increase of the members of Christ’s body: the Church. It calls for full activeness and participation in the Church´s life.
OUR THEME
The readings of this Sunday invite us to remember our baptism and its implications for our Christian commitment. The readings focus on the essence of baptism as a free and abundant grace of God given to the soul forever. It is a commission to propagate the good news of God´s kingdom on earth. Equally, it is a filial adoption of our sonship in God through Jesus Christ. As well as ours as adopted sons and daughters of God. This is why it is a sacrament of grace: an unmerited grace!
FIRST READING. ISAIAH 55:1-11
The prophet Isaiah invites to the free-living water that symbolizes the gracious water of baptism. At the same time reminding us of the one essential condition for baptism: repentance of sins and the willingness to live a gracious life. While assuring us to God´s infinite and unending grace, goodness and mercy to fulfil his divine plan through his Word.
Our responsorial psalm or hymn taken for the Prophet Isaiah 12:2-6 encourages us to draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. The fountain of God´s grace, goodness, mercy and salvation.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 10:34-38
St Peter´s baptismal sermon to Cornelius and his household spell out the meaning of baptism for all. It is a sacrament of participating fully and activeness in the life of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. An invitation or commission like Christ to preach, to heal, to witness, to overcome evil, and to doing good to all.
THE GOSPEL: MARK 1:7-11
Jesus’ baptism is a little problematic to explain. Since John the Baptist was baptizing for the repentance of sin and Jesus Christ is the sinless one. Why was he baptized?
Mark´s gospel gave us very little detail or description of the baptism of Christ. However, he did tell us about the confirmatory Sonship of Christ, like the other synoptic gospels. It also became a moment of John´s testimony or presentation of Jesus to the world.
According to many biblical scholars, baptism of Christ is a very important moment in his ministry as well as in the life of sacramental Church.
1. It was a moment of decision. After thirty years of silence life in Nazareth, Jesus decided to go public through his baptism by John the Baptist who merged to present or reveal him to the waiting world. Our preparation to celebrate and receive the sacrament of baptism either as infants or adult is a very decisive moment when we opted fundamentally for God and God alone.
Our baptism is not a social, cultural or traditional feast. It is a spiritual celebration of dignity, of rebirth and transformation forever.
2. It was the moment of identification. Jesus was identified by John the Baptist, by those around, and ultimately by God the Father who declared upon him as the Holy Spirit descended in form of a Dove. “This is my Son”. Our baptism is a moment of identity too. Identity with the indelible mark of God as his children of God and members of the Christian community: the Church.
3. It was the moment of approval. Jesus’ person, life and mission were approved by the Holy Trinity. The Father spoke of him “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you, I am well pleased.” And the Holy Spirit manifested himself to him. Jesus’ mission was also the Trinitarian mission of salvation to save the world.
4. It was the moment of equipment. When the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. It was a moment of preparedness but God´s Spirit of love, grace, mercy, and with all its gifts and fruits to fortify Jesus’ personality, life, and ministry. Hence, after baptism Jesus had the desert experience of praying and fasting, overcoming Satan´s temptations and initiating his public ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing.
5. It is a moment of grace! A sacrament of grace, in facet, our baptism, is a grace unmerited given to us in Christ Jesus by God the Father through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are always baptized by the Trinitarian formula of the God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is not to make us an idle member of the Church or inactive sons and daughters of God. It is not sacramentalizing our lives without being spiritualized to live and to bear witness to the divine life of God in us. We receive the sacrament of baptism to be fully active in the life of grace while bearing witnesses to God and the Christian life.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you were baptized by John the Baptist and later presented by him to the waiting world for your coming. Make us aware and conscious of our baptism when we or our parents or godparents rejected Satan and its evil and professed faith in Trinitarian Godhead and the Church. May our baptismal renewal help to live the life of grace and be witnesses to your Kingdom in the world. Amen
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