In the Roman Catechism, baptism is the sacrament of initiation into Christianity. This sacrament which is called "the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit" is symbolized with water which represents life, death, cleansing, and growth. In Christian belief, through the sacrament of baptism, persons are freed from their sins, original and actual, reborn as sons of God, and made sharers in His mission.

Today, we commemorate the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, an occasion which closes Christmastide.

In the pre-Vatican II calendar of the Catholic Church, this feast was observed on January 13 while the celebration of Epiphany was fixed on January 6. In our present Roman liturgical calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the day right after Epiphany, which is on the first Sunday after New Year’s Day.

Jesus, coming from Nazareth of Galilee, submitted Himself to John the Baptist in the Jordan River to be baptized. When He emerged out of the water, He saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. And He heard a voice from heaven: "Thou art My beloved Son, with thee I am well pleased." (Mk 1:7-11).

The celebration should not focus on the rite of baptism itself but on the significance of Jesus’ baptism. We should be reminded that with His baptism, He allowed Himself to be one among the sinners. He accepted His mission as God’s suffering servant, anticipated the "baptism" of His bloody death, and consented to His baptism of death for the redemption of our souls from sin.

Let today’s feast be an opportunity for the whole family to be aware of the sacrament of baptism. As children were baptized as infants, parents can explain the baptismal rites with photographs of their baptism as visual reminder of their initiation into the Christian life.

Let us remember that we as children of God were reborn in baptism.