Sunday, January 11, 2026 - Sunday after Epiphany: The Baptism of the Lord - ABC
[Isa 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matt 3:13-17]
Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit...[Isaiah] "You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power." [Acts] After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." [Matthew]
The liturgical seasons of Advent/Christmas/Epiphany all come to a dramatic end today with Jesus' "baptism" by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. The emphasis throughout this time has been on the revelation of Jesus Christ as God's sign of love and mercy becoming flesh and dwelling among us. The baptism of John was aimed at conversion of life in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Jesus' participation was not for conversion but to show his commitment to the mission for which he was sent. It becomes a moment of revelation in which the voice of God the Father is heard and the Holy Spirit testifies to the power of God in Jesus of Nazareth: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." These same words will be heard at Jesus' transfiguration in the Gospel According to Matthew. [Mt. 17:1-18].
From a youngster under the care of his parents, we are now presented with an adult Jesus who comes out of the crowd and begins to fulfill his mission in obedience to his Father. The early Christian community would adopt the practice of baptism and give it a new significance in which a person is identified with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and becomes a member of his Body, the Church. Original sin, the heritage of all humanity, is "washed away" and salvation comes to the one who is baptized. The sacramental sequence of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist developed from this and we see it ritually presented every year at the Easter Vigil.
But things don't stop with the rituals. There is life to be lived and we are called to "put skin on" what those rituals signify. Tomorrow the liturgy will return to "Ordinary Time" in which Jesus' ministry and witness are presented to us to be lived out daily as "missionary disciples." Jesus' obedience challenges us to a similar one of fidelity to the mission we have each received! AMEN
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