Baptism wakes us to the true road of life!

Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. This feast belongs to a trilogy of epiphany moments in the life of Christ. Epiphany comes from the Greek epiphaneia, which means “appearance” or “manifestation.” In the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), and the Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22), God reveals himself to the outsider, to the outcast, to the world.

Here are three meaningful insights from the Baptism of the Lord. These insights are divine truths that anchor the soul in unshakable joy!

First, Jesus opens the breach for us. His baptism commits him to our human state. Jesus wants to walk with us and to be near us in the heart of our mess. His baptism marks the beginning of his public ministry among the poor, the estranged, and marginalized. He has gone ahead of us, and we must follow him. Pope Francis states this well when he said,

Jesus is not a distant God, and he cannot be so. Incarnation revealed him in a complete and humanly unthinkable way. Thus, inaugurating his mission, Jesus places himself at the forefront of a people of penitents, as if charging himself with opening a breach through which all of us, after him, must have the courage to pass.

Second, his baptism foreshadows his dying and rising. Many historical baptismal fonts are shaped like tombs. It is in these places where the body was fully immersed in water. The ritual revealed the dying and rising from the tomb. As the baptized, we are marked by the Cross. Baptism means we can endure all kinds of suffering and recognize that we are never alone. Jesus is with us. He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) because he has first gone through that valley.

Finally, as the baptized, recognize your identity. All gathered around Jesus and heard the Father call him his Beloved. All of us baptized in Christ are “a chosen race, a holy priesthood, a people belonging especially to God” (1 Peter 2:9). We are marked for Christ to share in his life, dying, and rising in glory. Set before us is a life in Christ that gives us the roadmap to eternal life, to true peace and joy.

The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord is the conclusion of the Christmas Season. We tuck away the festive garland and ornaments. We wrap up the holiday lights and move into Ordinary Time in the heart of winter.

What now? Dan Frost’s arrangement of that beautiful poem The Work of Christmas gives a hint. Take a listen …

For the final time: Merry Christmas, everyone! May Christmas not only be a season, but a way of life. A way of life in Christ. That is the only wild, extravagant life.