The Baptism of the Lord
(Isaiah 55: 1-11; I John 5: 1-9; Mark 1: 7-11)
We can see "ofertas” or
“offers" on the streets of any Latin American city. These are bargains to
buy meats, clothes, soaps, and almost anything. However, we cannot take
advantage of all of them. We have a limited amount of money. We want to buy
only what is worth the most to us. For this reason, the offer in the first
reading interests us.
The prophet Isaiah presents the new
covenant that God makes with his people as a street offer. God will grant us
what we need to live truly well. He says the benefits of the covenant are more
desirable than "rich fare." He describes these benefits as if they
were bread, wine, and milk. But they are really spiritual helps: His love, His
protection, and His Holy Spirit. Best of
all, they won't cost us anything. It is an offer that we should not overlook.
We will not have to pay money, but we will
have to repent of prejudices and forbidden secrets. Through the pandemic of
this past year, God has left us traces of these faults. The difficulty of
staying home has taught us how we have distanced ourselves from our families.
The spread of the virus by associating freely has shown us the risk of our
independence. Perhaps the hardest lesson has been the proximity of death. We
may not have as much time as we thought to reconcile ourselves with both God
and neighbor.
We find it difficult to fulfill the terms
of this covenant until we consider its greatest asset. God will send us His own
Son to enlighten our minds and strengthen our wills. The second reading lists
three testimonies to his presence. First, his baptism in water has taught us
that he has really come as a human. His attention to the poor will guide our
way to justice. Second, his bloody crucifixion has gained for us forgiveness of
sins. There is no reason to worry about past misdeeds since they are abolished.
Finally, the Holy Spirit has been released to us through his resurrection. Aided
by the Spirit, Christians perform works of mercy testifying to Christ’s
presence in his Body, the Church.
The baptism of Euphemius, a boy who lived
in the fifth century, can help us understand the new covenant. It is the morning of Easter before dawn.
Euphemius and other catechumens are in the vestibule of the baptistery.
Although it is cold, they are told to undress. Then Euphemius and his companions
are directed to face the west where darkness consumes the sunlight. Each one says
forcefully that he denounces the king of shadows and death. Then they turn to
the rising sun. Each professes their acceptance of Christ, the king of light
and life, whose resurrection has conquered death. After being covered with oil,
they enter the interior of the baptistery. They look up at the mosaic of Jesus
standing in the Jordan with John pouring water over him. The mosaic shows the
hand of God the Father pointing to the dove-like Holy Spirit hovering over
Jesus. Seeing this, Euphemius and his companions realize that they are being
formed in the living image of this mosaic.
Each one individually gets into the warm water.
The bishop asks the one standing in the water if he believes first in the
Father, then in the Son, and finally in the Holy Spirit. Each time the person
answers “yes,” the deacon pushes him backward into the water. After the three
immersions, the baptized person comes out of the water and fragrant oil is lavishly
poured over his head. He is then dressed in a white tunic and waits for the
others to finish the rite. When everyone finishes, the baptized enter the
church together. People are singing: “Christ is risen from the dead. By his
death he has crushed death and has given life to those who lay in the tomb.”
None of the baptized could deny these words because they have just felt the
force of their reality.
Today our baptisms are not as dramatic as that of Euphemius and companions. But the reality is the same. Baptism forms us in the likeness of Christ so that we may reflect his love in the world.
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