Homily: January 11, 2026, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Beloved)

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 “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

These words were spoken by God was not meant to be a private revelation. It was heard by everyone present on that day, all who witnessed Jesus being baptized by John. 

These words were blessings from God, springing forth from His heart. Before Jesus preached a single sermon, before He healed anyone, before He suffered persecution and death, His Father in heaven proclaimed the Truth over Him:

This is my beloved Son.

Jesus lived His entire life grounded in that truth. He never struggled with His identity. He never doubted His mission on Earth. He knows who He is and why He has come. His purpose is to do the will of the Father, to reveal to the whole world who God is, to show to all generations how God loves and thus save all of humanity.

Let us look again at where Jesus was baptized, the River Jordan. Its waters flows from near Mount Hermon, in between Lebanon and Syria, runs through fertile land, carrying nourishment for the living, and filling the Sea of Galilee, while sustaining everything around it.

It was there, in those waters, where Jesus stood, when the heavens opened, the Father spoke and the Spirit descended.

This same mystery happens every time at every one of our baptism.

God the Father calls each of us by name and says:

“This is my beloved son.”

“This is my beloved daughter.”

At those moments, heaven opens and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. Our body becomes the temple of God. We are marked forever with an indelible seal, which nothing can erase nor remove, no sin, no failure, no weakness.

We are consecrated priest, prophet, and king. We become members of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. And the doors to every sacrament are then opened to us.

You are not baptized by accident.

You are baptized with a purpose.

You are baptized in love, of love, for love.

After His baptism, Jesus went out to proclaim the Good News. He healed sicknesses, forgave sins, restored lives, He loved souls. He lived and died for the will of the Father. 

Now, look again at the Jordan River. After entering the Sea of Galilee, a part of it continues downwards until it reaches the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. 12,000 feet below sea level. The Dead Sea has no outlet. Water flows in, but nothing flows out. Over time, it becomes lifeless.

And here is a gentle but important warning for us:

Do not become “Dead Sea Catholics”!

If grace flows into us but never flows out; 

if love is received but never shared;

 if faith is gifted but kept hidden, 

then something within us begins to dry up, begins to die and note this, death spreads.

The grace we received in baptism and the sacraments is not meant only for ourselves. It is meant to flow through us.

Jesus tells us clearly: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

This mission is not only for priests and religious. It is for every baptized person.

And yet, so many of us quietly believe lies:

• I am not good enough.

• I don’t know enough.

• My sins disqualify me.

• First I must fix my life, then I can speak.

These are not truths.

They are lies from the evil one.

The truth is this:

You are a beloved child of God.

That is your identity.

And love shared, even imperfectly, is powerful.

Remember the truth: You are a beloved child of God.

This is who you really are. Made of love, with love, for love. Love cannot be stagnant. Love by its very nature is meant to flow from one to the other. Love is powerful.

Your life is precious.

Your baptism matters.

And the world needs the love you carry.

Evangelization does not begin with preaching. It begins with loving.

Love is our Catholic identity, our mission, our purpose and it should be our way of life. Love one another as Christ has loved us.

Amen.


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