Hey Deacon!

This weekend we bring the Christmas season to a close with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. While many of us remember when Epiphany marked the end of this season, the Church – since just after Vatican II – extended her celebration of Christmas to today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Ending the Christmas Season with this celebration reminds us that the same Jesus who was born as a child in the manger chose to be baptized and to make baptism one of His holy sacraments.

 As we have heard time and again over these past Christmas days, the Savior of the world did not come with any sort of fanfare or grandeur. He came quietly into the world as a baby, the lowest and the least of humanity. Then, after spending 30 years in an obscure, out of the way village, he appeared quietly, in the company of sinners who were receiving John’s baptism of repentance. This revelation, however simple and unobtrusive it might seem, is why our Catholic Tradition places the Baptism of the Lord alongside the visit of the Magi and the Wedding at Cana as part of the mystery of the Epiphany—the manifestation of God’s power and presence in Jesus the Christ.

 Baptism and Epiphany go hand-in-hand as both are about new beginnings.

 There is a good reason for the first Sunday after the Epiphany to focus on Baptism. Many churches will baptize children this Sunday as it is one of the most appropriate days for baptisms. In fact, my wife and I were blessed to have our first-born child baptized during Mass on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The key point here is that Baptism is all about beginning. Jesus began his ministry with his own baptism and today Christians see Baptism as beginning a committed journey with Jesus. 

The season after Epiphany, as a whole, has much to do with new beginnings: the beginning of Jesus’ life, the start of his ministry, the calling of the disciples, and his first miracle. All of this helps us see Baptism as an important beginning, both for Jesus, and for us.

 Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany. We began to unfold the story of Jesus’ identity. The magi identified Jesus as a king… and because the magi are from foreign lands, they identify Jesus as a king for all people. This Sunday we recall Jesus’ baptism story. Jesus is also identified, but in this case His identity is the beloved son of God. Thus, we can connect the magi story with the baptism story by saying that these Epiphany stories work together to show us who Jesus is… revealing the fullness of His identity. The Magi show us one part of Jesus’ identity, the baptism shows us another part.

 One of my favorite teaching points for the Baptism of Christ involves the Trinity. The moment when Jesus is baptized is one of the only times in the Bible that the entire Trinity appears together. Consider the passage (Luke 3:21-22): the Son stands in the river, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father speaks from heaven. This Epiphany moment reveals yet another aspect of Jesus’ identity: His place as the second person of the Trinity.

 As we give thanks for the grace that has been revealed to us in the Christmas season, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a time for us to reflect on the gift of our own baptism: In this sacrament, we are united with Christ and have been lifted up above our broken human nature. We become sharers in God’s divine nature. Let us rejoice and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Author Bio:
 Deacon Dan Vaughn