Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. Though sinless, Jesus willingly presented Himself for baptism to affirm His identity as the Messiah and to demonstrate that baptism is essential to becoming a faithful Christian. As He commanded His disciples at the Ascension: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

The catechism teaches that we were born with original sin, which stains the pristine innocence of our soul. Through baptism, God grace cleanses us and disposes us toward a life of holiness. Perhaps it is from the transformative power of baptism that the saying “Cleanliness is next to godliness” takes on a deeper meaning. Baptism restores the image of God in us.

Sadly, modern culture has shifted our focus from spiritual purity to mere physical hygiene. In a sense, this tendency has long been present among Filipinos. During the Spanish colonial period, many missionaries, whose experience of winter made bathing less necessary, viewed the Filipino habit of frequent bathing as vanity and preached against it. But Filipinos, living in a hot and humid environment, bathed frequently, not out of vanity but to refresh their bodies and maintain cleanliness. Even today, we Filipinos place great importance on physical hygiene, making us avid consumers in the booming hygiene industry.

But have you noticed how this industry has redefined the meaning of cleanliness? Modern standards of cleanliness go beyond bathing and washing. We have to soap, shampoo, deodorize, disinfect, and drench ourselves in synthetic fragrances. Bodily cleanliness has been transformed into a marketable, and often costly, commodity.

Advertisers of cleansing and beauty products have played a major role in this shift. They portray cleanliness as the gateway to social acceptance and desirability. By featuring attractive models and celebrities, they tap into our deep longing to be loved and accepted. As one advertisement bluntly declares, “Ang may B.O. hindi kasali! (If you have body odor, you don’t belong!).”

Social media amplifies these messages, persuading us to buy products to save us from pimples, bad breath, body odor, or dark skin. Another soap commercial goes even further, equating good hygiene with having a clean conscience: “Kapag ginamit mo ang sabong ito, malinis pati konsiyensya mo! (When you use this soap, even your conscience is cleansed!).”

This excessive focus on cleansing products coincides with our obsession with physical beauty. Exploiting our fear of aging and death, the combined forces of technology, mass media, and consumerism have fostered a culture that worships flawless skin, attractive faces, and well-sculpted bodies. Many people invest enormous amounts of time and money in attempts to maintain their youthful appearance.

I once read about a middle-aged woman who claimed her body felt as though it were still in her thirties. She rubbed estrogen cream on one arm and progesterone on the other for two weeks each month. She swallowed numerous vitamins and herbal drinks daily. Her doctor regularly injected her with human growth hormone, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex. She wore nanotechnology patches to help her sleep, lose weight, and detoxify. She even underwent chelation therapy to cleanse her blood, and she relieved stress by standing on her head for 40 minutes every night before sleeping. When she suddenly died, her friends lined up before her coffin, muttering: “She is the most beautiful corpse I have ever seen.”

Our bodies are destined to decay. To rebel against this reality is futile. Today’s Feast of the Baptism of Jesus reminds us that while physical cleanliness and beauty have their place, they must never overshadow the greater task of cultivating the moral and spiritual virtues that make us beautiful to our deepest core, and what make us resemble the God who created us. The Gospels enjoin us not just to look good, but to be good.