Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Anthony Brankin
Today is the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. We celebrate the moment when John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, the Prophet who finally announced the coming of the Messiah, baptized Jesus in the River Jordan. Of course, this was a symbolic baptism. Jesus did not need baptism. He was God and Man—and therefore utterly sinless. He allowed John to baptize Him as an example of something that we must do. He wanted to teach us how necessary Baptism is for us. In fact, Jesus told us that Baptism is so necessary that unless we are born of water and the Spirit we shall not enter into the Kingdom of God.
This means that in a true baptism, that when the water is poured over the head of the person and the words of Jesus are spoken, that is Baptism of water and the Spirit because in that sacrament—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit pour themselves into the empty, hopeful soul of the person—Original Sin is washed away and the Blessed Trinity begins to dwell within. When a person is baptized something actually happens in their soul. The person is really and truly changed deeply and forever. They are marked—by Baptism—as Christians—for all eternity. They are now identified with Jesus—and can not ever lose that mark. They are reborn—literally—and truly. Where they were dead—before Baptism because of the Sin of Adam and Eve—they are now—by means of the waters of Baptism—given new Life—the Life of God in their soul—and the hope of heaven at the end of their earthly life.
God owes us nothing
Every single human being—since Adam and Eve is conceived with their sin—sort of the original Absence of God in which we come into this world—apart from God—separated from Him—empty of His life. Strangers to Him. God owes us nothing—just because we were born we have to be saved? Not at all. If we—as babies—should die unbaptized—we then have a problem: Where do our souls go? Think of all the children that die in utero or before their parents can take them to church for Baptism—or even those who are killed in abortions in the United States alone. If Jesus said, “Unless you are born of water and the Spirit, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” then what happens to the soul of a child who dies before Baptism?
The truth is: We do not know. We can be sure they don’t go to hell. They have done nothing wrong. But are we sure they go to heaven? They have done nothing good either. Remember that God—in justice—owes nothing to the children of Adam and Eve. We have no reason to assume that the souls of children who die before being baptized go to heaven. Maybe they go to Limbo, a place of perfectly earthly happiness. All of this is to say that we do not know the fate of children who die before Baptism. And that behooves us to baptize our babies as soon after birth as possible. Children should be baptized at least within a month of their birth. We should not wait until the first birthday of the baby—or the second or third birthday. That is not right. It is in fact dangerous.
First of all—by delaying Baptism, we deny the child all those extra months of God’s grace in their souls. If they are born into our human families, why should we prevent them from being born into God’s family? Secondly, by baptizing that child as soon as possible after birth, we are guaranteeing that child a place in heaven if something—God forbid—should happen. The baptized baby is a child of God now, and nothing can hurt him. People might complain they need the extra months or year to prepare for the Baptism. They need to choose the godparents. They need to get ready for the party. They need to tell their place of work. Excuse me. Don’t we already have nine months to prepare for a Baptism? Nine months to choose godparents? Nine months to get everything ready for time off and for the celebration? And this business of having the first birthday and Baptism on the same day? I think it is unfair to the child. I think that baby deserves two parties. And we must remember that the Baptism is more important than the birthday because God has now saved that baby’s soul—and that is all the reason in the world to celebrate.
What a beautiful opportunity to think about our own baptisms on the Feast of Our Lord’s Baptism.