Sr Helen shares a reflection for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, 12 January 2025. 

Your Baptism, My Baptism – what does it mean?

We go in spirit to the peaceful and loving home of Nazareth. We somehow know that Joseph would have died, and Mary and Jesus are living their ordinary lives as part of the Nazareth community. Jesus was a man amongst men.

In those days, the Jews were suffering greatly from Roman occupation, unbelievable persecution, corruption of their own leaders, materialism and a lack of faith. John the Baptist and his preaching was becoming prominent.

In the humble House of Nazareth, the Spirit that brought about Jesus’ conception is very present… almost tangible! The Calling of Jesus to leave the comforts of his Nazareth home – and his mum – and move to the desert to discern John’s preaching of repentance, has loomed large in the heart of Jesus, given the Signs of the Times.

St Luke doesn’t tell us about the actual baptism but does tell us about ‘the Holy Spirit descending upon Him in bodily form like a dove’, and the voice from heaven stating: ‘You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:22)

Luke wants us to understand that God is consecrating Jesus as God’s Messiah. [1]

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the source of God’s Work in the world with us. Jesus’ baptism is calling to each one of us today to be aware that we too live in a world filled with God’s grace, for this is God’s World.

Albert Nolan [2] calls us to take very seriously about our calling, and rightly so. Nolan names just a few of the Signs of Our Time for our attention… Individualism, Global Warming, Spiritual Hunger. The daily news bulletins sadly place before us the negative aspects of the signs of our own times.

Kevin O’Brien challenges and pleads with us by spelling out in simplicity that ‘God wants to communicate ALL of who God is with us: God keeps waving at us like trees swaying in the wind.’ [3] The world is indeed crammed with the beauty and magnanimity of God.

Can we accept the invitation to live as Jesus did and ‘participate in God’s Work, as He did’? [4] Even God cannot do more for each one of us… we see it in the saints who have gone before us… in the ordinary good people today who have kept their eyes on Jesus and are able to recognise ‘The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ Spirit.’ The Baptism of Jesus is the ‘Banner’ that continually hangs in the background for each of us.

Your Baptism/My Baptism… the turning points in our own journey of Faith – may we take seriously that we are in ‘God’s Work Force of Love.’ Alleluia Alleluia.

Helen Sullivan rsj

Footnotes:
[1] © Michael Fallen msc, The Gospel According to St Luke, Chevalier Press NSW, p. 75
[2] See © 2006 Albert Nolan, Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, Double Storey.
[3] © 2023 Kevin O’Brien, Seeing with the Heart: A Guide to Navigating Life’s Adventure, Loyola Press, p. 39.
[4] © 2006 Albert Nolan, Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, Double Storey, p. 190.