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We begin Ordinary Time in much the same place we ended the Christmas Season last week, focusing on the baptism of the Lord. The designation “Ordinary Time” itself doesn’t come across quite right in English. The phrase in the Latin original is better, “Tempus per annum…” “Time through the year.” There’s nothing “ordinary” about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry after his baptism. Ordinary would better describe the last 30 years of his “hidden life” in Nazareth. The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of his public ministry and this is where things actually get really exciting. The same should be true as a result of our baptism.
Last week I talked about the importance of baptism. This week I focus more on the effects of baptism, beginning with the baptism of Jesus as our example. At Jesus’ baptism, the voice of the Father is heard identifying Jesus as his beloved son. Then, as described in today’s gospel by John, the Holy Spirit comes down and remains on Jesus. Both of these things happen at our baptism as well. We truly become sons and daughters of God where we where not before. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit comes and remains in our souls just as the spirit of God came to remain in the temple in Jerusalem. We call this indwelling of the Spirit “sanctifying grace.”
It always bothers me when people speak of the Sacrament of Confirmation today and say “that’s when you get the Holy Spirit.” No! You get the Holy Spirit at Baptism. And just as the Spirit coming down on Jesus marked the beginning of his public ministry, so the gift of our baptism is meant to empower us for our own mission. Our mission is actually rather similar to that of John the Baptist. We are to point out Jesus and make him known to a world burdened by sin. We are all living in the “time through the year” of our life and the mission entrusted to us at our baptism is anything but ordinary.