“This is my beloved son; in whom I am well pleased” (Mk 1/11)

Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

When Christ was baptized in the river of Jordan by John then Jesus left behind the hidden years of life and begun the public ministry. The heaven approved the divinity of the begotten son as the Holy Spirit was poured upon Jesus in the form of a dove and a voice came from heaven “you are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Baptism of the Lord entails a shared responsibility of the father who has sent his son to redeem the humanity. A greater sense of integrated purpose of God the father is revealed in his son through sending his own son to the world with a dual nature of human and divine, to pacify the coexistence of mankind which was essential for our understanding. To be sure, Jesus has taken his very birth and a sustainable comprehensive life he led, underwent the passion and death to identify himself with human beings but his resurrection is above all the Godliness that is our faith. Every believer is God’s miracle. St Augustine says “Sound faith is the beginning of a good life, of a life deserving of eternal life.” Now faith is to believe what we do not see. The reward of such faith is to see what we believe. Faith is the only key to universe. It keeps focusing on God’s promises. The plus quality of having faith and hope is that it discerns if we are to be victors and not victims.

In the Baptism of Jesus, we find a few essential elements are involved like waters of Jordan, dove appears as the sign of the holy spirit, Voice of the father identifying Jesus as “This is my son.” above all being God our redeemer humbled himself and received baptism at the hands of John. water helps to purify our body and mind, it quenches our thirst and keeps us holy by His baptism in the springs of water and gives a hope that all will be purified by water and Holy Spirit. We witness what Is 61: 1 is fulfilled the Baptism of Jesus. “The spirit of Lord God is upon me because the Lord anointed me to bring good news to the humble, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to those in prison, to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favour”.

Hence I would readily encourage everyone to promote profound faith in the revelation of God. If we acknowledge the invisible God who holds our life is omnipotent; our contribution is to contemplate on the baptism of Jesus, marvel in the light of the creative work of the Father and redemptive work of Christ, who by his very birth, life, death and resurrection has reconciled with God in all things. Let us accept the Lordship of Christ and sing a Hymn to Christ.

Fr. James Banu Bodula SAC.