Remembering our baptism
Today we remember the Baptism of Jesus. The whole Church all over the world is prayerfully reflecting on this moment. Jesus came to John the Baptist and was baptized in the Jordan river. Together in amazement we imagine the Holy Sprit descending on Jesus like a dove and the voice from heaven declaring ”this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 4:17)
How incredible it must have been for those who were there to hear those words of God the Father. On this day it is good for us to echo back to the day we were baptized. How incredible it is that we too can hear those words when we are brought into God’s family, the Church, through receiving the Sacrament of Baptism.
Most of us do not personally recall our baptism. Most of us were baptized as infants. We entered the Church through no effort of our own. Our parents brought us to be baptized and through their faith and the faith of the Church we became sons and daughters of God. To look back on our baptism we have to rely on pictures and stories told by loved ones.
Yet there are many who enter into this family as adults. They can remember that special day when God welcomed them into the family. They can bring to mind all of the people who gathered to share in the to mind all of the people who gathered to share in the joy of their baptism. They can probably bring to mind specific details like the date and time. They can recall a particular reading or hymn during the Mass that really touched them deeply.
Whether we were baptized early in life as infants or later in life as adults, it is good to remember our baptism. It is in fact necessary. We need to remind ourselves that we are members of God’s holy family. By grace we have been washed from the stain of sin. By grace we are born into a new life in Christ. He promises to transform us and to make us ready to spend eternity in heaven. Let us pray that we always remember this and ask for the grace to live a life that is worthy of that promise.