Heaven, a Dove, a Voice [Baptism of the Lord]

Feast of THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

Isaiah 42:1-4.6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3: 13-17

MERRY CHRISTMASTIDE. Throughout the ages, Christians have celebrated Christmas as a season, including the twelve days between Christmas and the Epiphany as one long Christmas "day". The season of Christmas ends with our celebration of the Lord's baptism.

Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan . (Lk 3:23; Acts 1:22). "The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son.'(Mt 3:13-17) This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God." (CCC 535)

Recounted in our liturgy through the proclamation of the gospel of St. Mark, chapter 1, verses 1-11, the baptism of the Lord is "on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.' "(CCC 536)

What is revealed as only a sign of the Lord's coming death in John's 'baptism of repentance' is not merely a sign for the new Christian who rises from the waters of the sacramental font. For each of the baptized, the immersion in, or pouring of, water and the invocation of the Trinity is a real sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"Through Baptism the Christian is sacramentally assimilated to Jesus, who in his own baptism anticipates his death and resurrection. The Christian must enter into this mystery of humble self-abasement and repentance, go down into the water with Jesus in order to rise with him, be reborn of water and the Spirit so as to become the Father's beloved son in the Son and 'walk in newness of life' (Rom 6:4)"(CCC 537)

"Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan . (Lk 3:23; Acts 1:22). The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son.'(Mt 3:13-17) This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God." (CCC 535)

St. Gregory of Nazianzus spoke well of this mystery when he preached: "Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him." (CCC 537) St. Hilary of Poitiers expressed, more poetically, our adoption as true sons and daughters of God in baptism:

“Everything that happened to Christ lets us know that, after the bath of water, the Holy Spirit swoops down upon us from high heaven and that, adopted by the Father's voice, we become sons of God.” (CCC 537)

The greatest of gifts is ours in baptism: God's very own life and love. A life to overcome the death which is our inheritance from Adam's sin, a love to overpower and win us away from love of self to love of God for his own sake and our neighbors for his glory.

Another of the baptismal gifts we receive is the ability, in Christ, to praise and worship the Father in the Holy Spirit, and to be found pleasing to God as we do so. The baptismal font was often placed in the courtyard or near the entrance of early churches, and the practice continues so in many places today. We "entered" the Body of Christ at the moment of our baptism. We became worshipping members of the Son, pleasing and beloved by the Father, through our baptism. This is why holy water fonts are placed near the entrance of our churches.

As you dip your fingers into the font and make the sign of the cross each time you enter the His house to worship the Lord, remember it is by the power of your baptism that you render fitting and pleasing worship to God in your spiritual sacrifice of holiness of life and, most fully, the Eucharistic sacrifice. It is by your bath in the waters flowing from the side of Christ the High Priest in his one, perfect offering on the cross that you have been incorporated into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic body of Christ in the world, his bride the Church.

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Even if you were old enough to know what was going on, you would not have noticed these things. Because they happened spiritually. But they happened nonetheless. At our Lord’s Baptism these things happened visibly and audibly: "The heavens were opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased’" (Mt 3:16-17). These happened at our Lord’s Baptism not because He needed instruction, but because we do. The heavens, the dove, the voice — these teach us about our own Baptism. First, "he heavens were opened for Him." So also heaven was opened for each of us at Baptism. In fact, not until Baptism is heaven opened for us. As children of Adam, we are born in the state of original sin and deprived of the vision of God. We suffer the loss of heaven due to Adam’s sin. Baptism makes us children of God and therefore able to enter heaven. Baptism, and Baptism alone, opens heaven for us. What is more, Baptism opens heaven for us not only as a possibility, but also as a right, as our proper inheritance. Just as children have a right to what their parents will leave them, so also the baptized have a right to what their heavenly Father will give them. The right to heaven, lost for us by Adam’s sin, is restored to us by Baptism into Christ. Second, at our Lord’s Baptism He "saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him." So also for us: at Baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon us and made His dwelling within us as His temples (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Baptism initiates us into an interior relationship with God. In the Person of the Holy Spirit, God Himself now dwells within us as the "Soul of our souls," bringing us His gifts and virtues, directing our thoughts, words and actions. From now on, the Holy Spirit intercedes not just on our behalf, but even from within our very souls (cf. Rom 8:15). So why does He descend "like a dove"? The dove symbolizes peace between God and man. For Noah a dove signaled the end of the flood and the establishment of peace: sinful men had been washed away and God initiated a new covenant with man. Thus the Holy Spirit coming "like a dove" indicates that we who had been cut off from God by sin are now reconciled with Him by Baptism. Sin is washed away, and God establishes with us the new and everlasting covenant. Finally, at our Lord’s Baptism "a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’" Baptism is the sacrament of rebirth. It makes us adopted children of God. But we should not think of that adoption in purely legal terms, as if it makes us "like" His children. God’s adoption differs dramatically from adoption in this world. We are His children in more than just a legal or moral sense. By Baptism He places His life within us. We can truly call Him Father because we now share His divine nature. In turn, He truly calls us His children. Not merely creatures. Not slaves or servants. But children. What a great source of consolation and confidence, to know that God looks upon us as His own children, with whom He is well pleased. Fr. Scalia is parochial vicar of St. Patrick Parish in Fredericksburg, VA. (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)