There is an old parable about a tiger cub raised by goats. The cub learned to bleat and nibble grass and behave like a goat. One night a tiger attacked the goats, which scattered for safety. But the tiger cub kept grazing and crying like a goat without getting frightened. The old tiger roared, “What are you doing here, living with these cowardly goats?” He grabbed the cub by the scruff, dragged him to a pond, and said: “Look how our faces are reflected in water! Now you know who you are and whose you are.” The tiger took the cub home and taught him how to catch animals, eat their meat, roar, and act like a tiger. The tiger cub thus discovered his true self.
Catholics celebrate this weekend the baptism of the Lord. The baptism of Jesus is described in all the four gospels. Gospels seem to suggest that Jesus received from Heaven a fresh affirmation of Who, and Whose, He was (His identity), and of what He was supposed to do (His mission), on the day of his baptism in the river Jordan. It marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus’ baptism by John was a very important event in the life of Jesus.
“By Baptism, we become sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus”
First, it was a moment of identification with us sinners. Sinless, Jesus received the baptism of repentance to identify himself with his people who realized for the first time that they were sinners. Some saints and great people like St. Damien, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Gandhi, Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr, who identified themselves with the people whom they served.
Second, it was a moment of God’s affirmation of His identity and mission: that He is the Son of God and His mission is to preach the Good News of God’s love and salvation and to atone for our sins by becoming the “suffering servant.” God the Father’s words, “This is my beloved Son,” (Ps 2:17), Jesus’ identity as God’s Son, and the words “with whom I am well pleased,” (Isaiah 42:1; referring to the “suffering servant”), pointed to Jesus’ mission of atoning for the sins of the world by His suffering and death on the cross.
Third, it was a moment of equipment. The Holy Spirit equipped Jesus by descending on him in the form of a dove, giving him the power of preaching and healing.
Fourth, it was a moment of decision to begin public ministry at the most opportune time after receiving the approval of his Heavenly Father as His beloved Son.
The significance of the celebration of the baptism of Jesus in our lives today is that:
It reminds us “of our identity as to who we are and whose we are”. By Baptism, we become sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of heaven, and temples of the Holy Spirit.
It reminds us of our mission: a) to experience the presence of God within us, to acknowledge our dignity as God’s children, and to appreciate the Divine Presence in others by honoring them, loving them, and serving them in all humility; b) to live as the children of God in thought, word, and action. c) to lead holy and transparent Christian lives and not to desecrate our bodies (the temples of the Holy Spirit and members of Jesus’ Body), by impurity, injustice, intolerance, jealousy, or hatred; d) to accept both the good and the bad experiences of life as the gifts of a loving Heavenly Father for our growth in holiness; e) to grow daily in intimacy with God by personal and family prayers, by meditative reading of the Word of God, by participating in the Holy Mass, and by frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
It is a day to thank God for the graces we have received in Baptism, to renew our baptismal promises, and to preach Christ’s “Good News” through our transparent Christian lives of love, mercy, service, and forgiveness. May the baptism of Jesus help us to transform our lives and keep us focused on Christ and His Mission.
May God bless us all!
Fr. Tomy J. Puliyan, MSFS
“ Holiness and Happiness through Wellness and Wholeness!”