REFLECTIONS TODAY Today’s Feast of the Lord’s Baptism is celebrated not because Jesus needed to be cleansed. Rather, Jesus allowed himself to be deemed sinful as an act of solidarity with sinful humanity. St. Paul is even more shocking when he says that for our sake God made Jesus who knew no sin to be “sin” that we might become the righteousness of God. This is parallel to the “curse” of the cross, as it is said, “Anyone who is hanged is a curse of God” (Dt 21:23). Jesus Christ had no stain of sin and yet submitted himself to the cleansing waters of baptism; he was the beloved and blameless Son of God and yet submitted himself to be hanged on a tree. There are reflections of the said acts of Jesus in day-to-day life. Why do some people choose to bear a seeming injustice instead of fighting for the truth, for justice? Ultimately, it can only be explained as love, self-emptying love. Jesus, like the Father, loved the world so much he was willing to be deemed sinful by submitting himself to baptism. And because of this, we hear his Father’s approval from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (v 17). FIRST READING • Is 42:1-4, 6-7 Thus says the Lord: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the Lord, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. Second READING• Acts 10:34-38 Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Gospel • Mt 3:13-17 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.