Gospel according to Saint Matthew 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.”

Christ and the dolphin

Luis CASASUS President of the Idente Missionaries

Rome, January 11, 2025 | The Baptism of the Lord

Isa 42: 1-4.6-7; Acts 10: 34-38; Mt 3: 13-17

Katrina Simpkins was a girl born with PFFD (proximal femoral focal deficiency), a rare congenital defect that affects the pelvis and hip bone. The defect can affect one or both sides, causing hip deformity and leg shortening. In Katrina’s case, one of her legs was deformed, so she had to walk with an artificial leg. Because of her physical disability, as is unfortunately often the case, some classmates teased her at school, which led her to isolate herself from everyone.

All that changed when she met a dolphin named Winter during a visit to an aquarium in Florida. Winter was a special dolphin. As a calf, she lost her tail when she was rescued from a fishing trap. The aquarium used her as an example to raise awareness about the damage humans can cause to wildlife.

Then, Dr. Dan, at his prosthetics clinic, decided to design an artificial tail for Winter, something that had never been done before. It was that prosthetic tail that made an impact on Katrina. She and Winter began to bond, and Katrina started to believe that she had a place in this world. She went from being an introverted child to a cheerful advocate for Winter. She even said, “It felt good to see that a dolphin was like me.”

And in 2008, Dr. Dan himself also designed a new prosthetic leg for Katrina. An incredible story about how a disabled dolphin helped a disabled girl find her place in this world.

Today, as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, it is common to wonder why he had to do it, being free from all sin. Of course, he wanted to be baptized for our sake, to show that we must use all possible means to draw closer and closer to the Father, and baptism was a common practice, for example as a ritual purification before entering the Temple, as cleansing after certain situations considered legally impure (e.g., touching a leper), or at the time of conversion of Gentiles to Judaism.

If, in the story of that disabled girl, the example of a dolphin changed her life, shouldn’t the testimony that Christ gives us today be even more powerful in awakening our enthusiasm for prayer and the sacraments? Isn’t it this humility that moves the Father’s heart to lead us further?

For further proof, as soon as he came out of the water, the heavens opened and Christ saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and alight on him. And a voice came from heaven, saying: This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased. There is no clearer divine declaration of his satisfaction, his joy at what the Son does, even though he had not yet preached, healed anyone, or performed any miracles. He had simply performed the same action as so many people who came to John to be baptized. In this way, he manifested his desire to live perfection in common, to accompany us on the path to a new life and to share the faith with every human being.

In fact, as the Second Reading tells us, Jesus began his apostolic work from then on, “throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee,” because God was with him.

It matters little whether we were baptized at birth, as young children, or as adults. In any case, whether on our own behalf or through our parents and godparents, baptism means accepting our commitment to God. It is not something individual, strictly private. It is an act that is done in communion, which is why there are godmothers and godfathers; that is why it is celebrated as a family, even if its deeper meaning is sometimes forgotten. And this has permanent effects, in unpredictable and varied ways. What Christ established continues to be fulfilled: If two of you agree here on earth to ask for anything in prayer, my Father in heaven will give it to you (Mt 18:19).

In fact, St. John the Baptist clearly tells us the next step: I baptize you with water, but the one who comes after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

If you will allow me to speak of my personal case, my godfather at baptism was only 14 years old (special permission was required, as the minimum age is 16), but I always felt so grateful for his willingness to take on that responsibility that his memory has stayed with me throughout my life, and a few years ago I had the grace to thank him for his adolescent gesture when I visited him on his deathbed.

—ooOoo–

Some may wonder how it is possible that if Baptism brings such a special grace, to strengthen us in temptation and to actively participate in the kingdom of heaven, why do so many people put their faith aside? Why don’t they become agents of peace, active servants of their neighbors?

Let us remember how Jesus, after his baptism, was tempted by the devil in the desert and that we too are subject to many temptations. But there are distractions (temptations are not always necessary) that can cause us to lose our way, that is, to be morally perverse and remain focused on the tasks that overwhelm us, on inevitable suffering, or on the idols that absorb and enslave us. This is clearly taught in the parable of the Sower; the seed received at Baptism needs care, and if the ground is left unattended, the person becomes indifferent or agnostic or atheist.

֍ Many people who identify as atheists do so not because they have not reflected on the matter, but precisely because they have looked inward and outward and have not found convincing reasons to believe in something transcendent; this usually happens because no one has accompanied them in that search.

֍ In other cases, the rejection of spirituality may be the result of wounds, disappointments, or negative experiences with specific institutions or individuals.

֍ There are also those who, for convenience, avoid asking themselves profound questions about the meaning of life, death, or transcendence. This attitude is not exclusive to those who call themselves “non-believers”; it also occurs in believers who live their faith in a superficial way. It is common to fall into evasion, without questioning the mystery that manifests itself in our lives. In this sense, there is a “spiritual laziness” as a human condition that cuts across all beliefs.

The truth is that grace can be blocked in many ways: temptations, distractions, or some internal or external idol. St. Paul gives us this warning in 1 Corinthians 10:12: Those who think they are standing firm should take care not to fall. We can illustrate this with a historical episode:

Let us recall the battle of Troy, a classic example in the art of war. The Greeks besieged the city of Troy. But they could not defeat the city’s defenders because the Trojans were united in their commitment to their city, so the Greeks decided to use deception.

They pretended to retreat and set sail, but left behind a large horse-shaped structure, which we now call “the Trojan horse.”

The people of Troy, suspecting nothing, brought the Trojan horse into the city as a trophy of war and began to rejoice and celebrate their victory… too soon.

When everyone was drunk with joy and completely off guard, the Greek soldiers hiding inside the Trojan horse came out and opened the city gates to the Greek army that had returned and was waiting outside the city.

This is how Troy fell, all because they lost focus on their security, were deceived by novelty, and gave in to their curiosity. It was a classic example of deception and temptation in the art of war. But it should also serve to remind us of how diabolical intervention in our lives works, based essentially on deception.

Speaking recently with someone who had seriously offended someone who trusted him, I was reminded once again of the power of deception, of lies, for they are not only a tool for confusing others, but they also become a tyrant that makes me believe a version of events that I have instinctively and mechanically constructed in an attempt to alleviate my guilt… a pretense with no chance of success.

—ooOoo—

Let us not lose sight of the fact that the First Reading, in announcing the future coming of the Messiah, characterizes him as a “servant.” And by stating that he will not break the bruised reed or snuff out the smoldering wick, it gives us the key to how he carries out his mission of service.

We have just mentioned how many ways our weakness can prevent the grace we have received from bearing the expected double fruit of perseverance and witness for all.

It is one thing to receive a wonderful gift and another to use it properly. In the case of the grace of Baptism, we are enabled not to be deceived by the Trojan horses waiting at our doors and to shine as a modest and necessary light in a darkened world. We cannot rekindle the flickering wick or restore the broken reed, but we can show where the Master who knows how to do so dwells.

Therefore, we have no reason to be dazzled by the world; as brothers and sisters of Jesus, He tells us: You too are loved by my Father, He also takes pleasure in you.

_______________________________

In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Luis CASASUS

President