Baptism of the Lord Year A: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima
Theme: We are collaborators in Christ’s mission
January 9, 2023
Readings: 1st Is 42:1–4,6–7; 2nd Acts 10:34–38; Gosp Matt 3:13–17
Dear brothers and sisters, today, the church celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. It is a celebration that wraps up the Christmas season and inaugurates the ordinary time of the Church’s liturgical year. The baptism of Jesus was an event that inaugurated the public ministry of Jesus Christ. According to the accounts of the gospels, Jesus stayed in Galilea for thirty years in preparation for His ministry of saving mankind. On the day of His baptism, as we read in the gospel of today, Christ’s mission was inaugurated by the Father and the Holy Spirit in the presence of the crowd that gathered to be baptized by John.
However, something dramatic happened at the baptism of Jesus according to the gospel account of Matthew which we read today. This account tells us that John the Baptist refused to baptize Jesus because he knew that Jesus was the Christ and had no sin in Him. But, as Matthew told us, Jesus insisted that he be baptized by John to fulfil all righteousness. Dear friends, Jesus insisted to be baptized by John so that he will identify with us sinners whom He has come to redeem. Thus, through his baptism, Jesus made the sacrament of baptism a special point of contact between him and those He has come to save. At baptism, Jesus washes away the sins of those He has come to redeem and makes them heirs of the kingdom of His father as well as disciples who will continue the mission given to him by the Father. So, our baptism not only makes us heirs of the kingdom of God, it also make us cooperators in the mission of Christ. We take up this task of becoming cooperators in the mission of Christ through our baptismal promises.
Let us say something about this mission of Christ which we have inherited through our baptism. In the first reading of today, the prophet Isaiah carefully outlined the mission of the Servant of God who is Jesus Christ. He said he is the Chosen One who will bring forth justice to the world and will not relent in this mission of bringing forth justice. He will be meek and humble in his work for ‘a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.’ He will be a light to the nations, he will open the eyes of the blind, and he will release prisoners and those who sit in darkness.
Then, in the second reading, St Peter told us how Jesus carried out his mission when he was with them. He said Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, and that he showed no partiality.
Dear friends, as we enter the ordinary time of the church’s liturgical year, the Church reminds us of the mission of Christ as outlined by Isaiah and Peter in the first and second readings, a mission which we have inherited through our baptism, so that our project this year will include that of fulfilling Christ’s mission wherever we go and in whatever we do.
Thus, looking at the mission of Christ, the Church reminds us that it is our vocation — the vocation of all the baptized — to fight for justice in the world and to ensure that people do not suffer injustice under our watch. Dear friends, how faithful have we been in this fight for justice? Have we allowed people to suffer injustice under our watch? Do we keep quiet in occasions that demand us to defend justice? Do we still speak for those who have no one to speak for them? Innocent people suffer anytime those who are supposed to speak for justice prefer to close their mouths. Our challenge this year is to speak for justice.
Again, looking at the mission of Christ, the Church reminds us that we have to be meek and humble in our services in the society, shunning all manner of pride and arrogance. We have to work conscientiously. Then again, looking at the mission of Christ, the Church reminds us that God has anointed us to be bearers of the light and teachings of Christ to the whole world, beginning from our friends and our families. The church also reminds us that our mission this ordinary time of the year — as the baptized — includes that of helping the helpless in our midst and doing good to whoever we encounter. In the second reading, Peter said that Jesus went about doing good. So, as collaborators in the mission of Christ, we are also supposed to leave traces of goodness in the life of anyone we encounter and in any place we go this year. St Peter reminded us that in our services to humanity, we should do good to everyone, that is, we should work without showing partiality/favoritism.
Dear friends, as we enter the ordinary time of the year, let us be faithful to the mission we have taken up as those who have been baptized in Christ. Let us pray that our own baptismal promises will be rekindled by the remembrance of the baptism of Christ as we enter the ordinary time of the church’s liturgical calendar.
Peace be with you.
Fr Isaac Chinemerem Chima