“Welcome to the Christian World!” This greeting is one of the most essential and unforgettable events for Christians, as they receive the Sacrament of Baptism during their infancy days.
This simply means that as the holy water is poured on their heads, together with the blessing of the priest, they officially become Christians. This also signifies their being one with Christ and the journey to fulfill their mission as followers of the Lord. Baptism is also said to be the “gate to heavens” and serves as a pass in order to receive the rest of the sacraments.
Week after the Epiphany of the Lord, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus Christ is celebrated. As Christians are baptized by priests today, Jesus was baptized by His cousin, John. But before that, John the Baptist, who was performing the “baptism of repentance,” felt that he was not worthy to be the one to do what Jesus asked him to do, which is to baptize Him. John wondered why He needed to be baptized, for a reason that He was sinless and doesn’t need cleansing at all. John told Jesus that he needs to be baptized by Him instead. But Jesus replied, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” In His statement, to be baptized is necessary for Jesus in order to accomplish God’s will and an important part of His mission in coming to Earth.
Do you ever feel being worthy of the task given to you by God? For John felt unworthy of His mission but Jesus told Him that he was the greatest of all prophets. Even though we feel unqualified or unworthy of Him, The Lord will not ask us to do something that He knows we cannot do well, for He made us the best in His own image and likeness.
