Baptism of the Lord (Fr. Simham)
REMEMBER YOUR OWN PROMISES
Today we celebrate the feast of the baptism of the Lord. It is the only Sunday of the year that belongs to two seasons. It marks the end of Christmas season and the beginning of ordinary time. In the life of Jesus too, Baptism at the Jordan marked the end of his hidden life and the beginning of his public life or ministry. That is the ministry of teaching, preaching and healing.
In other words, when Jesus thought that it was time for him to start the mission for which he has come into the world, he began it with the baptism of John; as baptism is a perfect initiation for a life of mission. And His mission was two fold. One, to make people to renounce Satan or evil and Two, to make people believe in God, in Good. And baptism for him was a commissioning ceremony for this mission. And baptism for every Christian, apart from all the graces it offers, is call or a commissioning for this challenge or mission. The mission of rejecting Satan and believing in God. This is what we see in the life of Jesus. After He was baptised, he was taken to the desert to be tempted by the devil. That is where he rejects Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises of kingdoms and popularity. He testified to his belief in God and his providence alone. And that is what exactly Christian life is all about. That is the promise every Christian makes when he is baptised.
Look at the wonderful six promises we make. We were so young and small when we were baptised that we don’t remember making these promises. But that is not an excuse because every year during Easter vigil we are asked to renew our baptismal promises. So we do know them. We are asked?
- Do you reject Satan?
- And all his works?
- And all his empty promises? For which we answer ‘I do’.
What I like in these is the phrase ‘empty promises.’ All Satan’s promises are considered empty. How true it is? Satan promised to the first parents that they will be like God if they eat the forbidden fruit. That was empty. They never did become one and they never can. Satan promised all the kingdoms of the earth to Jesus. He knew that was also an empty promise, because kingdoms do not belong to Satan. They belong to the Lord. And even today all what the world, representative of evil promises are empty. Have you not heard of world’s most successful people telling that they are not able to cope up with emptiness they feel in their life. The promises of this world are empty like Easter egg chocolates. Only one thin lair of chocolate and whole lot inside is empty. We are fooled that it looks so big. So also from down the ages Satan’s works were futile and his promises were empty. And Christian call is to reject these.
And the second part of our baptismal promises is to believe in God and in all what he has done for us and in what he promises for us. Be it the redemption which he won for us in Christ, be it the catholic church he established for us, or his promise of forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. We are called to believe in all these things. Because they are life and they give life eternal.
Christian call to holiness is this; to reject Satan and to believe in God constantly in ordinary events of our daily life. If is not ‘once- and that is finished’ affair. No, it is an everyday affair. A farmer who planted the good seeds cannot just relax and wait for the fruits or harvest. He needs to be constantly at work removing the weeds and watering the plants. Then only he can see the fruits. So also a Christian has to constantly reject Satan or evil and water the faith in him to grow everyday. Then only he can bear the fruit. This was the message St. Peter was presenting to the first Christians. ‘Once you were no people but now you are god’s people. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart.” All this dignity is because of your baptism. And because of this great dignity that is conferred to you what you need to do? ‘Put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. (This is what rejecting Satan means) Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,(That child-like faith in God and his promises) so that by it you may grow up to salvation. (Read 1 Peter 2:1-2,9-10) In other words as St. Paul says ‘lead a life worthy of your calling.’ (Ephesians 4:1).
This is what it means truly to be a baptised follower of Christ. So today as we are celebrating the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let us understand the importance of our own baptism, the importance of our baptismal promises and the challenge we have undertaken by becoming a Christian. Remember the promises you made to the Lord in baptism and live those promises daily. Amen
Fr. Showreelu Simham