The Baptism of the Lord
I have a confession to make: I am a big Bryan Adams fan and one of my favourite songs is Everything I Do (I Do It For You). The title of the song takes on an extra layer of significance for me this Sunday as we celebrate the baptism of our Lord. God says in this Sunday’s Gospel that His favour rests in Jesus. Why? Because everything Jesus did on Earth was for the glory of God. So it must be for us. We were created by God, for God which means everything we do must be for the glory of God. This involves acknowledging that we are nothing without God; only with God can life have meaning. As baptised Christians, we should only do what pleases God and reject what does not.
It is fitting that we should mark this event at the beginning of the year because baptism symbolises new beginnings, purification and renewals. Christ’s baptism should remind us of our own. Though most of us were baptised as babies, we should still know the significance of it. Baptism is not just a ritual or a tradition. It is not just an excuse for a family gathering or party, or a way of getting into a good Catholic school when the time comes. When I lead a baptism course, I always emphasise the important point that the real celebration is what happens in the church and not at the party afterwards. When we are baptised, we become members of God’s family. We become the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ which means we should be committed to being more like him as well.
So, as Christmas time ends and we return to Ordinary Time, let us do something extraordinary: let us glorify God in everything we do. Everything we do, we do it for Him.
(Image by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)