Celebrate Your Baptism: Homily for Sunday, January 11, 2026

By understanding the context for the baptism of Jesus, we are provided the means to celebrate our own baptism, and live out the promises made. Readings for Today.

Celebrate Your Baptism

For Dominicans, the concept of God’s providence is a key and important theological concept. Providence is the belief that God intervenes in the lives of individuals. 

God is intimately interested in our lives. In each one of us. In fact, God has been intimately interested in us from all eternity. And time and again God has helped us to become what He always knew we could be. 

Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Let’s consider the context of the baptism of Jesus. Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River. Why did this matter? What is the significance of the Jordan River?

The most significant encounter involving the Jordan River concerns the Chosen People crossing this river to enter the promised land. And this event in the Old Testament is a powerful foreshadowing of today’s event when Jesus is baptized. 

Jesus was did not need a baptism of repentance, for he did not sin. It is not surprising that Saint John the Baptist was reluctant. His baptism was a sign of commitment on the part of sinners to repent, to convert. He knew that Jesus needed neither of these.

When we consider Jesus and the Jewish Law, Jesus turns everything upside down. When a human came in contact with something or someone unclean, the human became unclean. But Jesus makes the unclean clean.

Jesus interacts with lepers, and does not need to separate because he is unclean, but rather Jesus makes the lepers clean. Jesus hangs out with tax collectors and sinners, and it is the lives of tax collectors and sinners that are changed.

So Jesus, by being baptized in the Jordan River, Jesus first shows he is not afraid to stand with the sinners seeking repentance. It is Jesus, by being baptized in the Jordan River by John, it is Jesus who makes the waters holy, the waters of baptism.

Since Jesus makes the waters of baptism holy, we need to take a moment to reflect on what our own baptism means for us. By looking at some key elements of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. 

First, when the Israelites crossed the Jordan, they crossed from the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of the promised land. Our baptism is a crossing over from the slavery of sin to the freedom of redemption.

Second, the Israelites were led in crossing the Jordan by Joshua. Joshua. The name Jesus is the Greek version of the name of Joshua, which is Hebrew. So as Joshua lead the Israelites across the Jordan to freedom, it is Jesus who leads us into freedom through our baptism.

So just as the providence of God shows us how God planned for our salvation, God has also planned, through his providence, to bring us to this moment.

But what does it mean for us to be baptized? What does it mean to live out the promises of our own baptism? For to celebrate the Baptism of the Lord is more importantly the celebration of how Jesus saves us if we live out the promises of our own baptism. 

God freely saves us. It doesn’t cost us, there is no price to pay. But the free gift of salvation from God opens up a question for each of us. Will we accept this gift with gratitude, or will we refuse this gift of salvation?

What does it mean to accept God’s gift of salvation? Let’s get quite concrete and specific by asking what our baptism calls us to do at St. Dominic Parish. For as I said at Christmas, we need you.

There are many of you who come to Mass every weekend. Why not consider becoming a lector, or an altar assistant, or being a member of the choir? Serve as one who helps with taking up the collection, or participating in our church changeover?

Living out our baptism here at St. Dominic’s is to be ready to serve. As Pope Leo mentioned in Dilexit Te, we cannot authentically worship God if we do not in some way serve the poor.

How do we do that? Maybe consider volunteering at the Saint Margaret of Castello center on Wednesdays. Or help there on Tuesdays when things are made ready. When you see the blue bags with gift ideas, consider taking a bag and filling it. And everyone can pray for all involved. 

How is it we grow spiritually? You could join us for Adoro Te, adoration and confession on Monday evenings from 7pm to 9pm. Or maybe coming to confessions on Saturdays at 3 or Sundays at 11? Consider coming to daily Mass at 7:45? Maybe join the friars in prayer at the priory, 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

You could commit to learning more about your faith. Faith Formation for Everyone is the first Thursday of the Month. There is the new women’s bible study, the Saint Albert the Great studium. 

If you would like to deepen your faith by the reception of the sacraments, consider joining the OCIA which meets on Wednesdays. If you are already baptized, and have not received Confirmation, it is possible to prepare for that as well.To celebrate the Baptism of the Lord is simple. Live your baptism. Believe in the gospel. And share the gospel with others.

On the friar, you can listen to our homilies (based on the readings of the day) and reflections. You can also ask us to pray for you or to pray for others. You can subscribe to our website to be informed whenever we publish an update.

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