Luke's version of Our Lord's baptism, which we read today, begins with a reference to the expectation of the people: "As the people were expectant, and all were inwardly wondering about John whether he might not be the Messiah."
The people were doubly wrong: John was not the Messiah, and they were wrong about the kind of Messiah they should expect. They wanted a military-political Messiah who would free them from Roman oppression and establish a free political kingdom of Israel. Even today people seek baptism for the wrong reasons: as a mere social convention, to gain access to Catholic education or other benefits.
Faced with his mistake, John responds with humility: "I baptize you with water; but he comes who is stronger than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
This humility is a preparation for baptism. John could prepare people for the superior baptism of Christ because his own soul was good soil receptive to the "water" of grace. This is poured into the souls who receive it as good soil, while others reject it because of their hardness of heart like a rock.
It is also Christ's own humility that allows him to give us the gift of baptism. He allows himself to be baptized by John, although he is far superior to his precursor, and then we see him pray. From his humility and prayer, the grace of the Holy Spirit is poured out on humanity: "Jesus also was baptized; and while he was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily appearance like a dove."
Through humility and prayer, the water of baptism continues to flow in our soul. Baptism is not simply a past event. It is living water, the continuous action of the Holy Spirit in us (cf. Jn 4:10-14; 7:37-39), which transforms us more and more into children of God. When the Spirit descended upon Christ, the voice of the Father proclaimed: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
This baptism is complemented by the fire of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1-4): "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Water purifies and gives growth. Fire intensifies this purification and gives energy and power. But with all this the Spirit brings peace to our soul, and so descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, recalling the dove by which Noah knew that the flood was over and mankind was again at peace with God.
Homily on the readings of the Baptism of Our Lord (C)
Priest Luis Herrera Campo offers his nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
