Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. What does Baptism mean to us? Baptism literally means immersion. It is a sacrament that transforms us from creatures into children of God. Traditionally, baptism is done when we are still babies, since it was feared that children dying without baptism are not considered children of God and consequently not going to heaven. When we are more grown up and being aware of our actions, we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, in which we claim to be fully aware of our divine affiliation, as well as of our responsibility arising from that affiliation.

In Jesus' time, Baptism was performed in adulthood and it meant something that we must reflect upon: the cleansing of sins. Remember that people went to John the Baptist to confess their sins and receive baptism through the gesture of immersion through the River Jordan. It was like a rebirth. The immersion washes away physical dirt and takes the person back to the mother's womb, which is the place where no one had sinned.

But why did Jesus was baptized even if He had no sin? Does He need a baptism even if He is the Son of God? Baptism wasn’t just something Jesus commanded his followers to do but an experience he also underwent. He was baptized to set an example for us. He made himself humble enough to put himself in the line of sinners. The episode of Jesus' baptism puts us face to face with a God who accepted to identify with man, to share his humanity and fragility, in order to offer man a path of freedom and fullness of life. After Baptism, Jesus began a new stage of his life. He began His public ministry.

In the Baptism of the Lord, we are also reminded of our own responsibility as baptized. We are called to be serious and committed enough to our calling as followers of the Lord, as children of God. May we truly be Christ-like, in our attitude, words and deeds.