Baptism - God's grace is free, but not cheap!

+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year C

Jesus first appeared in silence, gently, quietly, noticed only by a few. A lot of time has passed, so to speak, since the events of last Sunday’s Gospel… roughly 30 years! With Epiphany, the Magi arrived to pay Jesus homage shortly after His birth, and this Sunday we remember Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist, His cousin. However, these two events, along with Jesus’ first miracle at the Wedding Feast of Cana were understood together by the Church Fathers as all part of the Epiphany… which, again, means manifestation. The Magi recognizing Jesus, the Father acknowledging Him at the baptism, and His first miracle at Cana together express the beginning of His public ministry, God’s presence in the world becoming visible. We know as a matter of faith that God is always and everywhere present in all things… but that does not mean that His presence is always obvious or visible to us.

One of the great mysteries of this feast is the very fact that Jesus chose to be baptized. John the Baptist recognizes that Jesus is greater than He, and yet, mysteriously, Jesus is baptized by him.

What is baptism? It is the first, the primordial, sacrament, and the gateway to all the other sacraments. We baptize, at the most basic level, in obedience to Jesus’ very clear command, “Go and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus told Nicodemus that, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Baptism is an integral part of how God intends us to be saved and sanctified.

What does baptism do? Like all the other sacraments, the outward sign expresses and brings about an inward reality. Three effects result from baptism. The person, normally a child, is welcomed at the door of the Church, a sign that they are being welcomed into the Living Body of Christ, the Church. They are washed with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and this effects a cleansing of their soul of the stain of original sin, and any actual sins they may have committed. Finally, by baptism we become the adopted sons and daughters of God, and we are to live as priests, prophets, and kings in our world. That is, we are to sanctify, teach, and serve our world so that it may be brought to eternal life. From our baptisms there flows an intrinsic call to holiness; to be holy as the Lord our God is holy. At baptism we are also given the gift of the Holy Spirit in an initial way… this is signified by the anointing with the chrism on the crown of the child’s head.

Note well, the person who is baptized is incorporated into the very life of God, and called to respond completely. However… baptism is the beginning, not the end, of the journey. God calls us to continual and ongoing conversion, and thus baptism opens the door to our being continually nourished and healed by the Eucharist and Confession. It would be nonsensical for someone not baptized to approach either sacrament, and at the same time, it would be very unwise for anyone baptized to absent themselves from either sacrament. Baptism is a free gift, unearned, and thus we can see how it can be given freely and lovingly even to babies and small children. But God doesn’t save us without us, without our cooperation and participation. Paul’s letter to Titus captures this beautifully:

The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ,

God’s grace comes sweetly, gently, unearned… but then it immediately calls us, trains us, and empowers us to live temperately, justly, and devoutly.

We see here why the promises of the parents and godparents made at baptism are so important, and why the Church can’t in good conscience admit someone to be a godparent if they aren’t attempting to practice their faith. An infant or small child can only learn of Jesus Christ and respond to the gift of baptism if they are taught, and most importantly, if they are given a good example! Without this, they have indeed received the gift and become sons and daughters of God, but they have little opportunity to respond and learn and grow. Indeed, the Church very clearly instructs me as a priest who baptizes that I must have some founded hope that the child will be raised in the faith, or I must not baptize them. Baptism is not magic, nor is it merely a nice ceremony, but it is a gateway and door to a lifelong journey of growth and conversion.

With that foundation, though, how could Jesus, God and man, free from sin, how could He have sought out baptism from John? What possible reason or need could He have to be further purified, or further united with the Father? We see John the Baptist himself struggling with this mystery! Jesus, though, in His great humility, wisdom, and power, takes on the whole human condition, and is like us in all things but sin. He never sinned, but on the Cross He would bear the whole terrible burden of sin, and as He was baptized with John’s baptism of repentance, He took upon Himself our guilt and our repentance. How the Lord lowered Himself, How He humbled Himself, How He came among us as one like us! This is how much He loves us, How much He respects our precarious freedom, How much He invites rather than coerces! Long long before the Prophet had foretold such a Savior:

Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.

Jesus shows us the way that we might follow, and by His grace and victory enter into His sonship. God the Father said of Jesus, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” and He desires to say that of each of us as well: “You are my beloved son, you are my beloved daughter.” He offers us infinite grace and mercy so that we may respond and live in such a way that He is well pleased by Faith, Hope, and Love at work in our lives. God has come, He has humbled Himself mightily, He has offered Himself to us, and will offer Himself to us once again at this Eucharist. May we respond generously and with joy!