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Baptism of the Lord

Baptism of the Lord: The Last Day of Christmas 

“I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Since Jesus is God and, therefore, sinless and perfect, he didn’t need to be baptized, but by being baptized, he gave us a sacrament for adoption into his family—a means to become children of God. What makes the Sacrament of Baptism important? (1) Baptism claims us as children of God, forgiving us of our sins, (“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”), it is the first sacrament of initiation into the Church and Her mission, and through Baptism, God gifts us with grace. What exactly is grace? The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines it as: “Grace is favor, the free undeserved help that God gives us to respond to His call to become children of God...Grace is a participation in the life of God. The Grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of His own life, infused by The Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and sanctify it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, II. Grace). 

So as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord today, let’s reflect on the awesome reality that we have been freed from original sin, chosen and adopted by God into his family, and been graced with grace! “Holy baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the spirit, and the door which gives access to other sacraments.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church). At my family’s parish, after a child is baptized, we sing, “You have put on Christ. In Him you have been baptized. Alleluia. Alleluia.” 

Thank you Lord for being baptized so that we could receive baptism in you!

Celebrating Through Prayer and a Craft:

Today is a perfect opportunity to renew your baptismal promises. The website, “Catholic Culture,” has great step-by-step instructions for doing this together as a family. If you don’t have a small holy water font at home, today is also a good day to consider incorporating one into your home. My children bless themselves with holy water, making the Sign of the Cross, every night before they go to bed. Doing this is a great reminder of their baptism and adoption into God’s family, as well as a wonderful prayer.

(This is my family’s holy water font that hangs in our hallway by our bedrooms)

For a craft, make white yarn or string bracelets to remind you of the white garment you wore/received at baptism and to remind you that you are a child of God. Make your bracelet using three strands of yarn or string to symbolize the Holy Trinity. 

Celebrating Through Drink:

To somewhat illustrate how through baptism we are infused with the Holy Spirit and made new and better, make fruit infused water. You can discuss with your children how water is one of the symbols of baptism. You can then explain how at baptism God changes us, forgives and removes our original sin, and we are given new life in Him. We are like the water when infused with fruit, it is changed into something else, water with flavor. It is still water, but the infusion adds to it, making it into new water and even better tasting water. Taste of Home has a variety of infused water ideas you can check out for inspiration. 


Additional Resources:

Below is a beautiful video, from Ascension Press, about the symbols used during the Sacrament of Baptism that you and your family can watch today. 




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