Christ Is on Our
Side
(The Baptism of the Lord)
Dear Sisters
and Brothers in Christ,
Today, as we
celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, we get a very important message about how
much Christ loves us sinners.
But let me
first remind you of the difference between the Baptism performed by Saint John
and the Sacrament of Baptism founded by Christ our Lord and entrusted by Him to
the Church.
The Baptism
by Saint John was merely a rite of washing to help people expressing their
repentance of the sins which they committed, in preparation for God’s mercy and
forgiveness. Together with other rites,
such as the wearing of sackcloth, the putting of ashes, the fasting of
delicious food, the washing for repentance of sins were well practiced in the
Old Testament times.
The
Sacrament of Baptism, the rite of washing in water and in the Holy Spirit, is a
sign of the saving power by Christ our Lord, which first cleanses us from our
sins, both original—meaning to say, the sin committed by our first Parents,
Adam and Eve—and personal, that is, the sins which we ourselves have
committed—and which next gives us a new life, pure, holy, forever happy,
forever enduring in friendly relationship with God the Father.
Christ
declares the truth that “no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born
by water and Spirit.”[1]
Now let me
tell you this essential teaching of today’s feast.
The Gospel
story tells us that when Christ our Lord came to the Jordan River where Saint
John the Baptist was baptizing people, He was solemnly introduced to the big
crowd by the very words of John: “Here comes the person mightier than I. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of His
sandals.”
Before
Christ appeared on the stage of the social activities, Saint John had already
gained powerful influences over the people.
They thought that he should be the savior whom generations had been
waiting for. But Saint John kept
insisting the truth that he was not the Christ and, pointing at the new comer,
he strongly told them, “It is He.”
Was that not
a golden opportunity for Christ to steal the show from Saint John to rise
brighter and enjoy greater glory? He
would came forward, stood in front of the crowd, and addressed them as the true
master giving instructions to devout disciples greeting Him with thundering
shouts of joy and support.
What Christ
our Lord did tells us the contrary. He
instead stayed with the throng of people patiently waiting for their turn to be
baptized by Saint John. He was tantamount
not only to showing solidarity with us sinners, but also to taking responsibilities
for our sins. He did this with
determination in spite of Saint John’s repeatedly asking Him to do the
opposite, “I need to be baptized by you.”[2]
By so doing,
Christ clearly teaches us the truth that He is on our side as one among us in
all situations, rain or shine, to plead for our causes before God the Father,
to comfort us in times of crisis and loss, to guide us out of confusion and
falsehood, to suffer with us , and even to die for us.
The celebration
of the Baptism of the Lord is sending us the message of the Divine Mercy of
which Christ our Lord Jesus Christ is really the visible loving face.
Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
