Sunday, January 11, 2026, 10:00 AM Mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fresno.
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord | Do you want to rise with us from the depths of an abyss?
In Jesus' time, many religious sects practiced baptism. The rite had many meanings, but one was of particular importance: (their past life was erased, as if swept away by the current) and with the immersion came the birth of a new man to whom, naturally, a new name was given.
John performed this ceremony to welcome all those who wanted to become his disciples. He baptized those who decided to change their lives to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, announced as imminent. The first condition for receiving baptism was to recognize oneself as a sinner; it was for this reason that the Pharisees and Sadducees, who considered themselves righteous and without sin, felt they did not need it.
If this was the meaning of John's baptism, it is not clear why Jesus received it; He did not need to change his life, and his gesture could give the impression that John was superior to him. To clarify this difficult point, much debated among the first Christians, Matthew introduces into the episode the dialogue between the Baptist – who refuses to baptize someone superior to him – and Jesus, who insists that "all righteousness" be fulfilled. John must adapt and collaborate in the realization of God's plan of salvation (this is righteousness), even if it presents mysterious and incomprehensible aspects for him.
Even a spiritually mature person, like the Baptist, finds it difficult to accept God's Messiah: he is surprised when he sees the holy one, the righteous one, side by side with those sinners who, according to human logic, should be annihilated.
It is the new and disconcerting "justice" of God. It is the "justice" of Him who "wants all men to be saved." The author of the letter to the Hebrews will evoke this comforting truth in moving terms: Christ is not ashamed to call sinful men "brothers." This is an invitation addressed to Christian communities today, to review the attitudes that reveal arrogance, presumption, and complacency in their own righteousness, and to correct language that might give the impression of wanting to judge, condemn, or marginalize those who have erred or are erring.
After this original introduction, Matthew, like Mark and Luke, describes the subsequent scene with three images: the heavens opening, the dove, and the voice from heaven. He does not intend to recount prodigious events that he personally witnessed. He uses images well known to his readers, and their meaning is not difficult for us to grasp today either.