January 11, 2026 • The Baptism of the Lord
Dear Parish Family:
When we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, as we do today, it offers us the opportunity to take a renewed look at our own Baptism and what it means to us. Baptism is the prime sacrament for the Christian. Through Baptism, a person is welcomed into the company of Jesus and becomes a member of the Body of Christ. The washing that takes place at Baptism cleanses us from sin and makes us a new creation, filled with grace and called to be a witness of the Resurrection of the Lord throughout our lives. Baptism literally gets us going on the road to eternal life.
Our Lord was “baptized” in the Jordan by John. Jesus did not need Baptism. He had no sin to wash away. He had no need for conversion or a change of heart. He didn’t need to be made into a new creation. He is the new creation itself! As we will pray at Mass today: John baptized Christ, the giver of baptism, in waters made holy by the one who was baptized. Jesus is the one who gave us baptism, not the other way around. But, Jesus chose to be baptized in order to give us an example: that through Baptism we are made new – we die to sin and rise to new life in Christ. This is a wonderful mystery and a tremendous gift for us.
Today, let’s think—really think—about what our Baptism means. This Sunday, as we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord, it is an opportunity to remember our own Baptism. Do we know where and when we were baptized? Who are our godparents? What priest or deacon baptized us? Is there a picture of our Baptism? Do we know where our baptismal candle and baptismal garment are?
I asked myself these questions and realized that I knew some but not all the answers. So I contacted the church where I was baptized (Saint Joseph Church on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City) and found out that I was baptized on February 25, 1968, by Father Victor Rattigan. I challenge you to do the same.
The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord brings a close to the Christmas Season. Howard Thurman’s poem, The Work of Christmas Begins, beautifully describes what we do as this beautiful season comes to a close.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among people, to make music in the heart.
As we move into the season of Ordinary Time, let us allow the work of Christmas to begin in each and every one of us.
Grace and peace!
Father Neil Sullivan