Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
January 9, 2023
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Matthew 3:13-17
Today we have Matthew’s account of the baptism of Jesus. We know of course that Jesus was sinless, and so the idea of “washing from sin” does not apply here. But in the Jewish tradition baptism was also used as a moment in which something new and major is taking place in a person’s life. In Jesus’ case, he is no longer just a carpenter from Nazareth. Once the Holy Spirit comes upon him in the form of a dove, his life and future were changed dramatically. With his preaching ministry, the journey of his life would lead in just two-and-a-half years to his death and resurrection.
This event can lead us to ask ourselves, what direction are we going in our journey on this earth? There is no other question in each of our lives that is more significant. We were not created by God by chance. He chose each person deliberately–even though that is an impossible truth to fully comprehend. There is no unimportant person on this earth. Each of us has the same value in God’s heart. He can love each of us only one way: and that is infinitely.
