Today, we celebrate a great Feast – the Baptism of the Lord.
This weekend marks the pivot point between the Christmas season and Ordinary time. As you’ve noticed for the last 2 and a half weeks, the priest has been wearing white or gold; starting on Monday, he will again wear green.
We started the Christmas season with readings from Christ’s Nativity; in the last week, the Mass readings have described Christ’s manifestation (or Epiphany) to the world – first the manifestation to the Magi, and now the manifestation at the Jordan River - with the dove and the voice from Heaven. The Baptism is an important pivot point – it marks the start of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus is no longer the quiet carpenter in Nazareth, but instead the outspoken preacher and healer.
The Baptism of the Lord is thus a truly important feast. Indeed, some of the Early Church Fathers thought this feast could be considered greater than Christmas itself. According to St Maximus of Turin: [quote] “Today, then, is another kind of birth of the Savior… Clearly the second birth is more excellent than the first. The one brought forth Christ in silence and without a witness. The other baptized the Lord gloriously with a profession of divinity.”
St Maximus highlights today’s critical moment, when the Father and Holy Spirit reveal themselves. Indeed, today is particularly special, because in the Baptism we celebrate the first time in Salvation History that the Holy Trinity was explicitly revealed. We have the Son being baptized, the Father speaking from the Heavens, and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. We behold the Holy Trinity – the love between the Father and the Son which manifests as the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Trinity is a great mystery, but there are smaller mysteries that arise from from our Gospel today. We can focus on two questions: first, why was Jesus the God-man baptized at all? Second, why did the Holy Spirit appear like a dove? I'd like to consider these two questions, then close with a few take home points.
Why was Jesus baptized by John? Recall that John preached a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”… but Jesus was sinless. Thus, in Matthew’s version of the Baptism account, we read [quote, Jesus] ‘tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?”’ But Jesus insists, and he is baptized. Why?
Theologians - including Bishop Barron - have identified two important reasons why Jesus was baptized. First, by being baptized - by plunging into the muddy waters of the Jordan - the Son of God humbly plunged himself into our broken, sinful humanity. Jesus’ humility is amazing – he is even more humble than the holy John the Baptist. John rightly said that he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals, “he is the bridegroom, I am the best man.”; and said that ‘He must increase, I must decrease.’ This would be a good life motto. that ‘God must increase, I must decrease.’ But more humble still is the Almighty Son of God, who was born in a stable, raised in poverty, and --as his first public act—baptized in the mud with sinners. By stepping into the muck, Jesus is forever able to identify with us sinners when we hit ‘rock bottom’ – he has been there – he allowed himself to hit rock bottom as well, including feeling complete psychological abandonment on the Cross crying ‘my God, my God, why have you forsaken me.’ Jesus humbly took on the full force of sin and its consequences – and defeated them.
So first, Jesus was baptized as an act of humility, to enter into our brokenness and lift us out.
Secondly, Jesus was baptized to sanctify water itself. Water is usually seen as a symbol to cleanse the sinner… but in this case, Jesus was not cleansed or sanctified by the water, rather, he Himself sanctified the water. St Gregory Nazianzus and other Church Fathers make this point. By plunging his sacred body into the Jordan River, he sanctified this water – and all water on our planet by extension. Think of the geography: the Jordan dead-ends into the Dead Sea, where it evaporates… and becomes clouds and precipitates elsewhere… thus it spreads throughout the Earth. After Jesus’ baptism, water everywhere now has a special power that it did not before… his followers now are able to baptize in His Name and With His Power. This water, within the Sacrament of Baptism, can now wipe away sins and graft us to Christ’s body – the Church.
So it makes sense that Jesus allowed himself to be baptized. But the question remains: why did the Holy Spirit appear like a dove? Why did the eternal, all-powerful Third Person of the Holy Trinity choose to make His debut appearing like a gentle, cooing bird?
Why not an eagle, or a lion?
The Church Fathers point to the story of Noah and the ark. As we recall, after the rain stops, Noah three times sends out a dove – on the second occasion, it returns with an olive branch – the ancient symbol of peace. So ever since the time of Noah, the dove was a symbol of hope and peace for Jews.
In Scripture, the Holy Spirit stands in contrast to the flood, the deep waters. The great flood of Noah was God’s way of wiping out sin, of starting afresh. Similarly, in the first creation in Genesis we read that ‘in the beginning’ “ darkness was over the surface of the deep waters”, and “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”. Thus, at all times the Holy Spirit has a proximity to water. Our Psalm today echoes this, with the words: the ‘voice of the Lord is over the waters.’
Thus, it is fitting that in this moment of Jesus’ baptism that the Holy Spirit would reveal himself as a Dove descending from heaven down to the waters.
God is going to destroy sin – not by sending a flood to drown sinful humanity, but by becoming man, submerging himself in the water, and eventually dying – offering himself as expiation: the innocent for the guilty. This dove does not fly away from the ark, but abides with the Church-the ship of Peter- forever.
When Jesus is baptized, the “heavens were opened”, meaning that our pathway to Heaven was opened – by the forgiveness of sins and membership in Christ’s family.
The Holy Spirit does not come as a powerful eagle or a lion – but as a dove. Doves are gentle, pure, even soft. Jesus tells us to be as “shrewd as serpents but innocent as doves.” When the baby Jesus was presented in the temple, his parents brought the sacrifice of two doves (the same Greek for 'dove' is used as in the Baptism) - denoting their poverty, as this was the sacrifice prescribed for the poor. [We also note that, when Jesus cleansed the temple and overturned the tables, he did not release or otherwise disturb the doves being sold - perhaps he had a soft spot for doves?]. God appearing as a dove accords with the famous Old Testament story of God appearing to Elijah waiting in the cave. God was not in the earthquake or the fire, but in the gentle whispering sound. Doves coo, they do not roar or shriek. God -the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit- does not shout.
We heard in the First Reading that God’s servant will come: “not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench”
If you bump into a bruised reed, it will break. If you blow on a smoldering wick, it will go out. Jesus did not do this. God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – comes in humility.
Think of it: the Eternal God has chosen to come to us in a simple unleavened piece of bread – which we will soon witness here on the altar. Similarly, his Holy Spirit appeared as a dove – a gentle, lowly animal.
Thus, it makes sense why the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove.
Hopefully we have a better understanding of our Gospel today… but perhaps you’re asking: ‘so what?’ Are there any take home lessons from this Gospel?
First, we should try to imitate the humility of God. I’ll be the first to admit that I spend way too much time thinking about my CV, about climbing the ladder, and tooting my own horn. Instead, I should pray: “He must increase, I must decrease.’
Second, we should try to be intentional when we bless ourselves with the sign of the Cross, especially when we use holy water - like in the church entrance. We all do this automatically, but we know that this act recalls our baptism – this momentous occasion that joined us to Christ. Thank you Lord, for allowing me to be baptized.
Third, we should hold the Sacrament of Baptism in the highest regard. Baptism is the primordial Sacrament. So if your child was on a desert island and they could have receive one sacrament – you would want them to have Baptism. When Jesus sent his apostles to preach the Gospel, he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Or similarly, Jesus says ‘unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ Baptism seems important for salvation. Similarly, in our second reading, Paul writes to Titus: “He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”. Baptism and salvation are closely tied.
Of course, we can have a nuanced theological conversation about how non-baptized people can still be saved, and the possibility of baptism of desire… but these seems an exception to the rule set by our Lord– that baptism is a huge help in us entering Heaven.
Thus, we should encourage our Christian families and friends to have their children baptized ASAP.
We try to practice what I preach: we've had our children all baptized within the first month or so of life. A Catholic Baptism is not about the fun party or the cute dress or the photos – but about becoming joined to God’s family as children of the Father - entering the same water that Christ himself sanctified for us. It’s the best thing we can give our children for the only life goal that really matters: getting into heaven and becoming a saint. So we should choose our godparents accordingly – someone who can pray for and inspire our children in their journey to become saints. My wife and I try to pray a Hail Mary for our godchildren every single night. As they get older, I’d love to buy them a subscription to Formed, the Catholic Netflix, so they can watch the wonderful series on Baptism called ‘Reborn’.
Baptism is our moment of rebirth- So we should celebrate our own day of baptism every year. Do you know what day you were baptized? If not, get a copy of your baptismal certificate from that parish, and find out. When each of my children was baptized, I knew this would be perhaps the most important day of their life. We celebrate baptism days in our family with a cupcake and candle, just like a birthday. I’d encourage you to do the same for the loved ones in your life.
To recap: Jesus was baptized because he wished to humbly enter into our sinfulness, to lift us up. By entering the Jordan, he sanctified water forever, so that through the power of the Holy Spirit, who is like a peaceful, humble dove, we might be saved. Let us rejoice in this great feast, and thank God for the gift of baptism through which we entered his Body and --Lord willing-- will one day enter Heaven.
Amen.
