The Baptism of the Lord

(this meditation is from the Word Among Us magazine)
The Gospel of St. Mark 1:7-11. Today's Gospel can leave us with a puzzling question: Why did Jesus allow himself to be Baptized? He hadn't sinned, so he didn't need to repent. On one level, we can see that Jesus' baptism marked the beginning of his public ministry. We can also see how it showed that Jesus was completely submitted to his Father's will - even if it meant embracing the " baptism of fire" that was to be his death on the cross. Another dimension of Jesus' baptism: it marked his entry into the community of those awaiting the kingdom of God. When Jesus was baptized, he joined a community of Jews who believed that repentance had the power to bring them into a new time of God's favor and blessing.
But Jesus just didn't enter this community, he transformed them. He showed them that the new era they were awaiting was one of closeness to him. It was an era marked by the power of God active in their lives. And it was an era filled with the promise of a new heart and a new mind.
Jesus wants us to live in community, united with one another and empowered by his Spirit. Baptism into Christ means baptism into his church. So let's pray for each other in our parish, and let's commit to loving each other in Christ.