  January 12, Feast of the Baptism of Christ  Today we celebrate the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. This is the second epiphany, or manifestation, of the Lord. The past, the present, and the future are made manifest in this epiphany.
The most holy one placed Himself among us, the unclean and sinners. The Son of God freely humbled Himself at the hand of the Baptist. By His baptism in the Jordan, Christ manifests His humility and dedicates Himself to the redemption of man. He takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and buries them in the waters of the Jordan. — The Light of the World by Benedict Baur, O.S.B.
Catholic Culture
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A READING FROM A SERMON BY ST CHROMATIUS OF AQUILEIA
Since Jesus was to give a new baptism for the
salvation of the human race and the forgiveness of sin, he deigned to be himself
baptized first, not in order to put off sins, since he alone had not sinned,
but in order to sanctify the waters of baptism that these might wash
away the sins of believers. For the waters of baptism could never have
cleansed believers of their sins, unless they had first been sanctified by
contact with the Lord’s body. He was baptized, therefore, so that we might be
washed clean of sins. He was immersed in the water so that we might be cleansed
of the filth of sin. He accepted the bath of rebirth so that we might be reborn
of water and the Holy Spirit, for as he himself says elsewhere: Unless reborn
of water and the Holy Spirit, no one shall enter the kingdom of heaven.
While John did indeed baptize our Lord and Saviour, in a
deeper sense he was baptized by Christ, for Christ sanctified the waters, John
was sanctified by them; Christ bestowed grace, John received it; John laid
aside his sins, Christ forgave them. The reason? John was a man, Christ was
God. For it is God’s prerogative to forgive sins, as it is written: Who can
forgive sins, except God alone? This is why John says to Christ: I ought to be
baptized by you, and do you come to me? For John needed baptism, since
he could not be without sin; Christ, however, did not need a baptism,
since he had committed no sin.
In this baptism, then, our Lord and Saviour washed
away the sins first of John and then of the entire world. It is for this reason
that he says: Allow it to be so now. For it is fitting that we should fulfil
all justice. The grace of his baptism had been mystically prefigured
long ago, when the people were led across the river Jordan into the promised
land. Just as at that time a way was opened for the people through the Jordan,
with the Lord going on before, so now through the same waters of the river
Jordan access has for the first time been given to the heavenly path by which
we are led to that blessed land of promise, that is, to possession of the
kingdom of heaven. For the people long ago Joshua, son of Nun, was their leader
through the Jordan; our leader through baptism to eternal salvation is
Jesus Christ the Lord, the only-begotten Son of God, who is blessed forever and
ever. Amen
St Chromatius of Aquileia, Tractatus XII In Math. III, 13-15 (CCL 9A, 244-246),
from Word in Season 2 [Edition 1981]
Since Jesus was to give a new baptism for the salvation of the human race and the forgiveness of sin, he deigned to be himself baptized first, not in order to put off sins, since he alone had not sinned, but in order to sanctify the waters of baptism that these might wash away the sins of believers. For the waters of baptism could never have cleansed believers of their sins, unless they had first been sanctified by contact with the Lord’s body. He was baptized, therefore, so that we might be washed clean of sins. He was immersed in the water so that we might be cleansed of the filth of sin. He accepted the bath of rebirth so that we might be reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, for as he himself says elsewhere: Unless reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, no one shall enter the kingdom of heaven.
While John did indeed baptize our Lord and Saviour, in a deeper sense he was baptized by Christ, for Christ sanctified the waters, John was sanctified by them; Christ bestowed grace, John received it; John laid aside his sins, Christ forgave them. The reason? John was a man, Christ was God. For it is God’s prerogative to forgive sins, as it is written: Who can forgive sins, except God alone? This is why John says to Christ: I ought to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? For John needed baptism, since he could not be without sin; Christ, however, did not need a baptism, since he had committed no sin.
In this baptism, then, our Lord and Saviour washed away the sins first of John and then of the entire world. It is for this reason that he says: Allow it to be so now. For it is fitting that we should fulfil all justice. The grace of his baptism had been mystically prefigured long ago, when the people were led across the river Jordan into the promised land. Just as at that time a way was opened for the people through the Jordan, with the Lord going on before, so now through the same waters of the river Jordan access has for the first time been given to the heavenly path by which we are led to that blessed land of promise, that is, to possession of the kingdom of heaven. For the people long ago Joshua, son of Nun, was their leader through the Jordan; our leader through baptism to eternal salvation is Jesus Christ the Lord, the only-begotten Son of God, who is blessed forever and ever. Amen
St Chromatius of Aquileia, Tractatus XII In Math. III, 13-15 (CCL 9A, 244-246), from Word in Season 2 [Edition 1981]
iBreviary
Sunday, 12 January 2014
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| John the Baptist site in Jordan |
The Baptism of the Lord
Type: Lively - Time: ordinary
SECOND READINGFrom a Sermon by Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, bishop
(Oratio 39 in Sancta Lumina, 14-16, 20: PG 36, 350-351, 354, 358-359)
The baptism of Christ
Christ is bathed in light; let us also be bathed in light. Christ is baptized; let us also go down with him, and rise with him.
