Today we celebrate the Lord's Baptism by John in the River Jordan. The Baptism of Jesus clearly points to his identity and mission as he begins his public ministry. As Jesus was coming up from the waters of baptism, he heard the voice of His Father saying: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." His identity is that He is the Father's beloved Son.
The mission of Jesus is expressed very well in the first Scripture reading from the prophet Isaiah: "I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light of the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." The mission of Jesus is to serve, to love, and to proclaim the Gospel of Good News to one and all.
As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, may we be recommissioned with the grace of our own baptism. As the community of the baptized, we celebrate our baptismal identity and mission as well. As with Jesus, we are God's beloved sons and daughters. Our mission is to share in the mission of Jesus. We are called to serve, to give of ourselves, and to love as Jesus loved. We are called to give witness to the love of Jesus in our family and in our world.
On this feast of the Lord's Baptism, we ask ourselves what part of the mission of Jesus have we embraced in our daily living? As a parish community, how are we better together in proclaiming and giving witness to the mission of Jesus in our lives?
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