Sunday - 11 January 2026 – Baptism of the Lord (A)- Feast
Mass Readings: Is 42:1-4.6-7 Ps 29
Acts 10:34-38 Mt 3:13-17
Key Verse to Meditate: "I need to be
baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (Mt 3:14).
My dear
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the
Baptism of the Lord, thus bringing the Christmas season to a close. This event
in the life of Jesus is recorded in all the Gospels (Mt 3:13–17; Mk 1:9–11; Jn
1:29–34; Lk 3:21–22), as it marks the beginning of his public ministry. Today’s
readings reveal the universal mission of Jesus Christ and God’s loving
affirmation of that mission. They also remind us of our special calling as
Christian disciples.
Like Christ, we are chosen and anointed by God
for a specific mission. The call and mission of Jesus, as presented in today’s
liturgical readings, also point to our own vocation. We are invited to
understand, like Peter, that God shows no partiality, but offers salvation to
all. It is Christ the Lord who leads us forward in our work of sanctifying the
world and its peoples.
The baptism of our Lord also reminds us of our
own Baptism and of the transformation brought about by the descent of the Holy
Spirit upon each one of us. To the extent that we allow the light of Christ to
penetrate our lives, we ourselves become a light to the nations.
The First and Second Reading
Through the prophet Isaiah, Jesus is presented as
the light to the nations—one sent not only to Israel but
to all peoples, to open blind eyes, to free those imprisoned by darkness, and
to restore dignity and hope. This Servant is not self-appointed; he is chosen
and upheld by God, in whom the Lord delights.
This prophetic promise finds its fulfilment in
today’s Gospel at the baptism of Jesus. As Jesus humbly enters the waters of
the Jordan, the heavens open and the voice of the Father declares: “This
is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” With these words,
God publicly confirms Jesus’ identity and mission. The delight expressed in
Isaiah now becomes a living reality in Christ.
The second reading from the Acts of the Apostles
shows how this saving mission extends beyond all boundaries. In the house of
Cornelius, a Gentile, Peter proclaims the life and ministry of Jesus -beginning
with his baptism by John and his anointing by the Holy Spirit. As Peter speaks,
the Holy Spirit descends upon the Gentiles, marking a new Pentecost and
affirming that salvation is offered to all, without distinction.
The
Gospel Reading
The Gospel reading of today presents to us
the scene of Jesus coming from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John the
Baptist. We see the profound humility of the Baptist in his admission of his
own lowly status when Jesus comes to be baptized by him in the Jordan.
Initially, John the Baptist objects to Jesus’ request for baptism, saying, “I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus replies, “Let
it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.”
Then John consents (Mt 3:13–15).
The Gospel passage paves
the way for us to understand the character and mission of John the Baptist, the
forerunner of Christ Jesus. Earlier, when the priests and Levites came to
question John, he bore witness to Jesus with humility and conviction. He did
not claim to be someone great or a prophet simply because he was administering
a baptism of repentance. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are
neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I
baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is
coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal” (Jn 1:25-27;
cf. Lk 3:16).
The prophet Isaiah makes a
significant reference to John the Baptist: “A voice cries out: ‘In the
wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway
for our God’” (Is 40:3). Indeed, the symbols of water and Spirit are signs of salvation.
Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
In the Old Testament, fire
is understood both as purgative cleansing (Is 4:4) and as a means of judgment
(Is 11:4; 29:6; 30:28; 57:13; Ez 13:13; cf. Is 40:24; Jer 23:19; 30:23). The
purifying and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer
is emphasized here. The Spirit is given to those who repent.
Although the images of
Spirit and fire recall the Pentecostal event and its subsequent manifestations
(Acts 1:5; 11:16), they primarily signify the purification of the soul through
the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit strengthens our relationship
with God (Acts 2; 10:46) and empowers us to be witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8;
4:31; 5:32; Lk 12:12; 24:48–49). Fire, as a biblical symbol of God, both
purifies and strengthens the soul.
We know
that John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of
sins (Lk 3:3). Jesus was sinless, yet he too stood in line to be baptised by
John. What humility! This scene is beautifully captured by St Matthew in his
Gospel: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by
him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and
do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper
for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented (Mt
3:13–15).
Jesus’
baptism at the hands of John also foreshadows our own baptism, in which we are
washed by the waters of grace at the hands of a priest. Here, Jesus’ submission
foreshadows his baptism of bloody death on the Cross. This image is also
recorded by the prophet Isaiah: “He was numbered with the transgressors; yet he
bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Is 53:12;
cf. Lk 22:37; Mk 15:28). Jesus indicates that this submission is a sign of
fulfilling all righteousness and the will of God the Father in his life.
The Humility of Jesus
From this
exhortation we know that John had invited the people to prepare for the
imminent coming of the Messiah. He must have been deeply disturbed to see Jesus
standing in line to be baptised by him. Jesus is the Lamb of God who has come
to take away the sins of the world. Yet, though he had no need of a baptism of
penance, Jesus asks John to baptize him for the manifestation of the Holy
Trinity, which he came to reveal.
John
perceives the presence of the Holy Trinity in this event. The Father reaffirms
his love for the Son, and the Holy Spirit descends upon the Son to strengthen
him for his public ministry. John sees the Son, the eternal Word of God, and
already points to him as the Saviour. He hears the Father—whom no one can
see—testify and affirm that this is truly his Son (Lk 3:22; Jn 5:36–37).
When Jesus was baptised, two things happened:
- God
the Father spoke with delight, saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with
you I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17; Lk 3:22).
- The
Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove.
The
opening of the heavens also speaks of the appearance of grace in the person of
Jesus. If the season of Christmas can be summarised in one sentence, this verse
is most apt: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all”
(Tit 2:11). The heavens were opened, and the waters of baptism were sanctified
by the immersion of Jesus. Thus, baptism becomes not only a sign of
purification but also a sign of salvation.
1. The Father’s Delight
A second
aspect of the baptism of Jesus that we see here is that he begins from the
Father and not from himself. “This
is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” These are the
words heard from heaven immediately after Jesus receives baptism. By analogy,
these words are also true for us. One may ask whether our parents can say the
same about their children. In Jesus, however, the Father finds true delight
because Jesus places himself in the last place—among sinners, the outcasts, the
despised, and the forgotten.
Jesus
does not seek self-affirmation; rather, in obedience, he seeks the affirmation
of the Father. This event of Jesus’ baptism, together with the Father’s
confirmation from heaven, reveals to us that we are loved not because we are
good, but because we are children of God.
This
becomes possible when we listen to the words spoken about the only Son of God,
as testified by the Father: “And
a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well
pleased’” (Mt 3:17). Behold, we rediscover that we have a Father
who always loves us. Holding on to his hand, we are forgiven because he always
forgives us; we do not lose hope, and we begin to walk again with him—because
this Father never abandons any of his children and loved us so much that he
gave his only Son.
2. The
Spirit of God
We read
in the Book of Genesis that at the beginning of creation, the Spirit of God was
hovering over the waters, the source of all life (Gen 1:2). It is the same
Spirit who descended upon Mary, generating both human and divine life within
her (Lk 1:35). It is also the same Spirit who later descended upon the
apostles, strengthening them to carry forward the message of Christ with
courage (Acts 2:4).
Jesus
told the apostles that they too would receive the same baptism that he
received: “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which
I am baptized, you will be baptized” (Mk 10:39). We too have been baptized “in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). As a
result, and in accordance with the promise, the Holy Trinity has come to make
its dwelling in our lives (Jn 14:23).
Jesus
Entering and Coming Out of the Waters of the Jordan
The
presence of the Spirit of God transforms our lives, entrusting us to God and
drawing us ever closer to him. St. Titus in his letter expresses this grace in
the following manner: “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness
that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5). Thus, everyone who is baptised becomes a
new creation in Christ Jesus, as St Paul clearly tells us: “We were buried
therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness
of life” (Rom 6:4).
In this
way, the sacrament of Baptism—symbolised by Jesus’ entering and coming out of
the waters of the Jordan—signifies his death and rising to new life. So too, in
baptism our original sin is washed away, and by receiving the gift of the Holy
Spirit, we become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Sanctified by the
outpouring of the Spirit upon us, we also receive the gift of faith in Jesus
Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism
of Jesus at the Jordan: Faith Lessons from Jesus
John
preached a baptism of conversion for the forgiveness of sins, and the people
came to be baptised by him in the River Jordan. Jesus also came to be baptised.
In his baptism, Jesus places himself on the side of sinners. He, the innocent
Lamb, lines up with sinners and fulfils what a sinner was required to do.
This
choice of Jesus to stand with sinners reveals God as full of compassion for
each of his creatures. What does the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan teach us as
Christians? Jesus had a clear programme for his mission: to welcome sinners and
help them feel at ease in the presence of God. It is the mercy of the Father
that Jesus invited them to experience through his presence among them. He never
condemned sinners; instead, he welcomed them and invited them to embrace a life
of freedom from sin and death.
Evil lies
within us. Only when we enter the water can our bodies be washed and made
clean. So too with our spiritual lives: only when the Spirit of God descends
upon us and cleanses us can we become new creatures. The justice of Jesus is
this: he sees our sins but does not accuse us, does not turn away from us as
sinners, but makes himself one with us, so that we may become one with him.
Points
for Personal Reflection
The
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord inspires in us a profound and challenging
reflection. As Pope Francis reminds us, the world urges us to seek power,
money, and success; in contrast, the humble act of Jesus entering the waters to
be baptized by Saint John invites us to embrace humility, love, and a readiness
to serve others. This feast also reminds us that the Spirit who animated the
life and ministry of Jesus is the very same Spirit who continues to guide our
Christian existence today.
Today,
we are reminded that Christ is the light given to the whole world, and that
through our baptism we share in his mission. Like Peter, we are called to bear
courageous witness, to cross barriers, and to proclaim that God shows no
partiality. May we allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit, so that our
lives may reflect the Father’s delight and bring the light of Christ to those
who still dwell in darkness.
These
reflections invite us to examine ourselves: Do I recognize the sanctifying mark
of my baptismal day? Do I listen attentively to the voice of the Lord? Do I
acknowledge the presence of the Spirit of God in my life? Do I entrust myself
fully to the will of God in every aspect of my life, just as Jesus did?
Christ’s humility in submitting to baptism by John should become our model of
Christian living—approaching the sacred ministers with obedience and love in
order to receive grace and new life.
