The Baptism of the Lord
Today’s Gospel describing the baptism of Jesus starts out by talking about John the Baptist. What an interesting figure! He had spent years in the desert, preparing himself for his mission. He will point out Jesus. “One mightier than I is coming after me.”
He is a man of the desert. What does the desert symbolize? Spending time in a desert (it doesn’t have to be literally a desert) challenges us to admit our sinfulness. It is a time to look honestly at one’s dark side. Do I need to reorder the priorities of my life?
John the Baptist had the chance to be considered the Messiah, the Christ. For a while, he could have had all of Israel at his feet. Of course, eventually, the truth would come out and people would call him a fake.
How often do we compromise our principles to get glory and power for a day? Do I inflate my own importance? Do I pretend to know more than I really do?
St. John the Baptist was quite clear and honest. He served God and was true to his vocation by serving God. He knew who he was and never pretended to be something else.
We too can be true to our vocation. We can make Jesus present to others only if we have gone through some desert purification.
What made John the Baptist’s message effective is that he didn’t just preach a message; he was a message. He preached penance, but first, he lived it, going out into the desert and living an ascetic life. He baptizes with water, but first, he himself gets into the water.
If we want to make Jesus known to others, we first must know him ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have. We can’t share Jesus’ message of love if we don’t live love in our daily lives.
Reflection by Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections