Baptism of the Lord, Year A – Homily (2026)
Baptism of the Lord, Year A
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10, (11b)
Acts 10:34-38
Matthew 3:13-17
January 11, 2026
Seventeen days ago we began our celebration of the birth of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Knowing that the Nativity is too important to celebrate with a single day, we have continued our Christmas season till today.
During our Christmas season, we celebrated Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the Holy Family. They are an example of what it means to be a family.
We celebrated Mary’s role as Mother of God, recognizing that Jesus is human and divine.
We celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord when the Gentile Magi brought gifts to Jesus showing that He is king to all people.
Today we conclude our Christmas season by celebrating the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus was baptized as an adult. Why do we celebrate his Baptism as part of celebrating his birth?
To properly celebrate Jesus’ birth, we need to remember why He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb. He did not become incarnate in the flesh simply to experience “birth.”
Jesus became incarnate in the flesh to bring us to eternal life. He came to teach the good news and to give his life as a sacrifice on the Cross.
When the time came for Jesus to begin his public ministry to teach, He began it by going to John the Baptist to be baptized. “John tried to prevent him.” John knew that Jesus was greater than him. John knew Jesus had something greater to offer in Baptism.
John baptized for one purpose, for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus had no sins. So, there must be another reason Jesus told John to “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Jesus took the baptism and made it a Sacrament, an experience of grace.
When John baptized others, through water they were made clean of their sins.
When Jesus, who is without sin, was baptized, Jesus made the waters, the waters with which we are baptized holy. Jesus wants us to follow his example of receiving Baptism as He began a new stag in his life, his public ministry.
When Jesus was baptized, “the heavens were opened for him.” When we are baptized, eternal life is opened to us so that we can enter Heaven.
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down upon him. In Baptism, we are given the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus was baptized, God said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” In the Baptism, we are made children of God.
In the Nativity of Jesus, many prophecies were fulfilled, like Bethlehem as the place of his birth (see Micah 5:1) and the birth of a child through a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). In Jesus’ ministry that began with his Baptism, He fulfilled the suffering servant oracles like the one in today’s reading from Isaiah. Jesus is God’s servant, his “chosen one,” on whom God put his Spirit.
Jesus, formed in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit, came to bring “justice to the nations” and to be “a light for the nations…those who live in darkness.” Knowing Jesus changes our lives. His Light changes how we see the world.
Jesus came so that we might no longer be prisoners to sin. In his ministry Jesus, as Paul writes, “went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Jesus healed many people of physical illnesses but his greatest healing is when He heals us of our sins.
How do you respond to what God gives you in the Sacrament of Baptism? Do not take the grace for granted. In Baptism we are each given a vocation to follow in which we serve our Lord.
When we truly accept the grace and answer our Lord’s call to service with the gift of the Holy Spirit, our Lord will bless us his people with peace.
Today we end our Christmas season but our lives as children of God have just begun. Follow him.