“Allow it now,
for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.”
The
Gospel Reading: Matt. 3:13-17
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| The altar where the image of St. John the Baptist is enshrined. | Tabaco City |
This Sunday the church celebrates the
feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Marking
the end of the Christmas season in the Roman Liturgical calendar. Whenever, I go to some of our churches, I
always notice in some baptistery the image of
St. John the Baptist , pouring water on the head of Christ. An iconographic depiction of the Baptism of
the Lord in the river Jordan. But the
thought never came to me until it was pointed out to me that what we see from
this passage is the Baptism of John. And
here our Lord was telling John that this was an act of obedience to the Will of
the Father, that even if He were the messiah, he wanted to demonstrate to us
the fact that we all need to fulfill the righteousness required from us. The baptism of John the Baptist is different
from the Baptism of Jesus. What we
receive in the sacrament of baptism is the Baptism of Jesus not the Baptism of
John. John’s baptism was a baptism of
repentance. St. John was called by God
to prepare the way of the messiah. To reform
the conscience of the children of Israel so that by repentance and forgiveness
they might prepare the way for the coming of the messiah. On the other hand Baptism of Jesus is the
baptism of fire and of the spirit. It is
the sacrament that initiates us into the life of the Church and of God.
What lesson can we derive from the
gospel this Sunday? It is a lesson of
obedience. There is nothing more
important than obedience as far as religion is concerned. No matter how good our intentions are, but if
it does not fulfill the requirement of God, then it is nor pleasing to God. In the Old Testament we read about King Saul,
who was ordered by God through the prophet Samuel to destroy all livestock
coming from the Canaanites. But fearing
his men, he set aside the fatted cows and made the intention of keeping them to
offer as sacrifice to God. But God’s
anger was kindled against Saul. It was
said that to obey is better than sacrifice.
For what material thing could we offer to God? God does not need of any of these, what He
seeks from us is a voluntary obedience to Him and to His voice. The same also with Naaman, the Syrian. He said why he would dip himself in the murky
waters of the Jordan when there are huge rivers in Syria. But it took his humble maid-servant to remind
him to obey because it was the only way for him to be cleansed from
leprosy.
Today many of us have many good
intentions. Intentions to do good and
intentions to be good. But have we
reflected on the will of the absolute good which is God? Many today disregard the sacrament of penance
because they think that it is too humiliating to confess to a priest who is
also a sinner. [But they do not understand that the priest is just the minister
and he does it in the name of the Church and of Christ who so commanded that
this be done.] Today there is nothing
more pressing in our spiritual life than to fulfill the requirement of God. Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden
light. Why don’t we come to this great
teacher who will show us the will of God?
Faith comes from hearing and that is hearing the Word of God. May God
show us the light and give us the strength to do His Will. For “hearts shall never be at rest until it
finds itself in God.” (St. Augustine of Hippo).
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