January 12, 2020
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The Father, as Jesus is baptized by John, proclaims that this is His beloved Son in whom he is well pleased. The Father speaks these same words over us on the day of our baptism. We are his beloved daughters and sons and he is well-pleased in us. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, God claims us as his own, a people set apart to do His work as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. This is our mission in life.
As we recall our baptism on this fast, we are reminded of the promises made that day to reject Satan and to accept and believe in One God, Father Son and Holy Spirit. This is our faith and we are honored to profess it and live it out each day. In his Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul writes, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” We are called to live in the newness of life in Christ, turning away from sinfulness in fidelity to the Gospel. Each day, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we renew those sacred promises in every act that leads us closer to God and others.
On this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, I have a tradition where I visit the Church in which I was baptized. I spend a few moments in personal prayer thanking God for the gift of my life, my family and my priesthood. Then, I renew my baptismal promises as a start to a new year. I invite you to renew your promises to the Lord. May we all continue to do His work for the glory of His name and the goodness of all people. Consecrated in Christ, let us continue to fulfill those promises.