Living Out Baptism
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
This weekend, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. If you haven’t read this Gospel, you can do that here. In my Theology classes this week, I’ve been teaching about baptism and reflecting on the readings this week leading up to this Sunday’s Gospel. In another Gospel this week, Jesus walked on the sea.
I have been reflecting on the readings and the significance of Baptism and water. This morning, I was walking on my treadmill and watching the rain come down. Where I live in South Mississippi, it is raining pretty hard. This has me thinking about all of the ways that water is essential for life.
The rain is necessary for the growth of plants which affects us because we need the oxygen from those plants to survive. Drinking water is good for our health, and we also cleanse ourselves with water.
Jesus chose to be baptized in water and this is so significant. Of course, we know that He did not need to be baptized, but rather, did this to show us what was necessary for our life with Him. The waters of baptism cleanse us from Original Sin and serve as a sign of our desire to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ (CCC 1272).
What happened after Christ’s Baptism is equally significant. He did not stay in the waters and enjoy the buoyant affects that allow one to feel weightless in water. As a kid, I can remember how much I used to love to float in the pool. I felt so carefree in that moment. Not everyone can float well, but I was pretty good at it.
Immediately after Jesus was baptized, the Spirit led Him into the desert where He was tempted by the devil. Man, He didn’t get anytime to enjoy the effects of His baptism….or did He.
The Catechism teaches that the principal effects of Baptism include “purification of original and personal sin” (CCC 1262) and “new birth in the Holy Spirit” (CCC 1262). One of the gifts that we receive from God through baptism (and participation in all sacraments) is grace. Grace is the “free and undeserved help that God gives us to live according to His will and overcome temptations” (CCC 1999-2003).
After His Baptism, Jesus was tempted by the Devil, and because He was human, He was able to be tempted. Through the grace of the Spirit, He overcame that temptation and went on to begin His ministry.
Jesus is our example of how to live out our baptism. The celebration of the Baptism of our Lord officially ends the Christmas season according to the Church’s liturgical calendar. I find this fascinating to consider how it is all connected. At Christmas, the Light of the World entered the Darkness. We have been basking in this light for the past two weeks. Now, it is time to get up and get to work!
Here are some ways we can live out our baptism:
Worship Jesus as Lord
Our response to God’s life within us is in the way we worship Him. He gave us the Sabbath and made it Holy. Attending and participating in the Sunday liturgy is not optional. It is our life line to Jesus.
Accept His Mercy
Attending the Sacrament of Reconciliation allows us to be cleansed again when we fail to overcome temptation. Sin separates us from God, so this a necessary action to remain close to Him.
Love Others
Once we accept Jesus as Our Lord and Savior and have His life within us, then we must act like Him as much as humanly possible. Jesus met others in their messiness and walked with them in love while calling them to something greater. The best way that we can love others is to tell them about Jesus and how He has worked in our lives.
Spend time with Him
Even though the Christmas season is over, we can still live in His Light and Joy. Spending time in prayer, especially in the Word, or in Eucharistic Adoration are ways to allow His Light to shine on us and help us to stay focused on Him.
Love Yourself
We often forget that by God giving us the gift His life within us means we must take care of ourselves. Prayer, fasting, exercise, and eating right are some of the ways that you can ensure that your body is a temple worthy of carrying Christ’s life within you.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”
As we reflect on the Baptism of our Lord this weekend, let it be more than a reminder of our own baptism as a time that we look back on. Allow the remembrance of your baptism to serve as a calling to something greater…the greatness for which you were created. Pope Benedict XVI once said, “the world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Living out our baptism means answering this call to greatness in our words and actions, so that every aspect of our lives points to Christ.
