Fr Antonio Pineda
Assistant Parish Priest

Now that the Advent and Christmas seasons are over, we enter what is known as the “Ordinary Time” of the liturgical year. It is fitting to begin Ordinary Time with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, because when we think of baptism we should be thinking of new beginnings, purification and renewals. Christ’s baptism should remind us of our own. It is true that most of us don’t remember the day we were baptised because, unlike Jesus, most of us were baptised as infants, but we should certainly 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 we were baptised, we became a member of God’s family. Consequently and profoundly, we became the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ which means we should be committed to being more like him as well. We hear in this Sunday’s Gospel that God was very pleased with Jesus. Why? Because Jesus did everything for the glory of God. So must we. We were created by God, for God. What this means is that 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.

So, as we begin Ordinary Time, let us do something extraordinary: let us glorify God in everything we do.