Our Brotherhood in Christ

The Baptism of the Lord today brings our Advent/Christmas Cycle to an end.  In this past week, we have already seen Jesus at work in his ministry, cleansing lepers, healing the blind, but today we look at the root of his mission: his role as the "beloved Son" in whom the Father is "well pleased." (cf. Lk 3:22).  Jesus will go to the desert for 40 days to clarify this role, through prayer and the three temptations he will experience. He will emerge focused on the reason he came into this world: to give his life for the forgiveness of our sins and to give us the opportunity to enter into the God Family as his brothers and sisters.  Jesus did not have to be baptized by John, but chose to do so for our sakes, that we would submit ourselves to the Father, to be his adopted children, and sharers in the mission of Jesus.
As we so often receive communion with our minds elsewhere, planning the day, mulling in self-pity over all that we have to do, so too do, etc., so too we ignore the profound privilege of our own baptism and the special relationship it gives us with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as with each other. We share a common Father now, we share a real relationship with one another. May take time to reflect on our baptism today and often,  and may our words, actions, our lives, reflect it as we move forward into Ordinary Time.
Bro. Rene