Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: Baptism of the Lord

Jan 10th, 2026

Piero della Francesca - The Baptism of Christ

11th January 2026

Though our Liturgy has its structures, its rubrics, its scriptures, poetry, prayer texts and its chants, it can never really be tidied up according to human desires, because perfection is not something we, as humans, will ever achieve in this life. And that is all for the good, because the messiness of our worship, the untidiness of each one's vocation of prayer and Christian life, points to an adventure where the challenges of our existence are found in the encounters of a living relationship with the Christ whom we seek each day. The fact that these encounters are many, varied, and different, is precisely why we cannot tidy up the Christ, why the Spirit cannot be pinned down, why our faith life is a journey into discovering the many ways the presence of the Christ comes to us.

But to hold us together through the messiness of life, we have been given a great gift through our baptism and confirmation, our initiation into a common faith and a sense of oneness no matter who we are, or what we do, in the family of God, made for us visible in the community called Church, that is part of the Kingdom of God. This is a great and wonderful reality that marks us out as those adopted by the Most High, born again by water in the name of the Triune God, into the life of Christ and signed and sealed by the Holy Spirit and calls each one of us to ministry and mission as the disciples of Christ, our good Lord, friend, and brother.

Taking up my thought about the Liturgy as living and slightly messy encounter, I just wanted to reflect on the bodily messiness of our Rites of Initiation. Jesus' baptism in the Jordan was not a tidy event, nor was it private. Matthew tells us that before he was baptised there was an altercation between him and John, it might not have ben a quarrel but it certainly seems to be a robust exchange of views. What then follows is hardly a private occasion, nor is it tidy. Jesus defends his decision to ask for baptism by John. Matthew tells the story: 'Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me? "Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him'. (Mt 3:13-15)

The reluctance of John is because he does not want to include Jesus amongst the sinners whom he baptises for the forgiveness of sins, yet in Jesus response we understand that in order for salvation to be given to us all, the Christ must become totally like us-and like us be baptised for the forgiveness of sins, in order that the ritual of our own initiation may be completed. After this catechetical exchange in which Jesus points out why John must perform the baptism, he descends, naked, into the waters of the Jordan presumably with others doing much the same, but in his case something more occurs, after the water baptism as he comes out of the river, a theophany occurs, an interruption by God that takes over the encounter between John and Jesus and in which the voice of the Most High and the descent of the holy Spiritmarks this moment. For the baptism of Jesus is the occasion on which he is equipped for his ministry by the holy Spirit and proclaimed to be the Son of God, but for us it is also the prototype for all sacramental rites of baptism and Confirmation (called Chrismation amongst Eastern Catholics). It is also messy as many liturgies are, particularly one associated with new birth and growth, we too are naked, traced by the sign of the cross on our foreheads, we are marked by the pouring of, or immersion in, water. We are clothed in the garment of salvation, and then anointed on our body with the oil of gladness, signed, sealed and delivered as a child of `God and member of the Body of Christ, ready to grow and work for the coming of the Kingdom and proclamation of the Good News!

What do we do with this feast? I would tentatively suggest three things. Firstly to look up the date and place of our own baptism and confirmation as well as the priest ( for baptism) or bishop ( confirmation) unless we are Eastern Catholics in which case we received these sacraments in one ceremony celebrated by a priest. Thenknowing these facts, honour each year the date of our adoption into the family of the Living God perhaps lighting our baptismal candle and saying a specific prayer of thanksgiving. Secondly, many of us have Christian names and also a confirmation name, and again learn more about them, making them in our prayers part of our friends in the Kingdom. It is good to celebrate our name/feast day and to include our saints as intercessors for us as part of our own Christian journey, maybe keeping an image or icon of them in our domestic prayer space as a visual remembrance. Thirdly perhaps we can allow ourselves time to reflect on a gift that we share with all human beings, that of being made in the image and likeness of God in which all are equal, for as the writer of Acts puts it:' Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,* "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.jRather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him'".(Acts 10:34,35)

The fact that these encounters are many, varied, and different, is precisely why we cannot tidy up the Christ, why the Spirit cannot be pinned down, why our faith life is a journey into discovering the many ways the presence of the Christ comes to us.

This is a great and wonderful reality that marks us out as those adopted by the Most High, born again by water in the name of the Triune God, into the life of Christ and signed and sealed by the Holy Spirit and calls each one of us to ministry and mission as the disciples of Christ, our good Lord, friend, and brother.

Taking up my thought about the Liturgy as living and slightly messy encounter, I just wanted to reflect on the bodily messiness of our Rites of Initiation. Jesus' baptism in the Jordan was not a tidy event, nor was it private. Matthew tells us that before he was baptised there was an altercation between him and John, it might not have ben a quarrel but it certainly seems to be a robust exchange of views, in which What then follows is hardly a private occasion, nor is it tidy. Jesus defends his decision to ask for baptism by John: Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me? "Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed him'. (Mt 3:13-15)

The reluctance of John is because he does not want to include Jesus amongst the sinners whom he baptises for the forgiveness of sins, yet in Jesus response we understand that in order for salvation to be given to us all, the Christ must become totally like us-and like us be baptised for the forgiveness of sins, in order that the ritual of our own initiation may be completed. After this catechetical exchange in which Jesus points out why John must perform the baptism, he descends, naked, into the waters of the Jordan presumably with others doing much the same, but in his case something more occurs, after the water baptism as he comes out of the river, a theophany occurs, an interruption by God that takes over the encounter between John and Jesus and in which the voice of the Most High and the descent of the holy Spirit marks this moment. For the baptism of Jesus is the occasion on which he is equipped for his ministry by the holy Spirit and proclaimed to be the Son of God, but for us it is also the prototype for all sacramental rites of baptism and Confirmation (called Chrismation amongst Eastern Catholics). It is also messy as many liturgies are, particularly one associated with new birth and growth, we too are naked, traced by the sign of the cross on our foreheads, we are marked by the pouring of, or immersion in, water. We are clothed in the garment of salvation, and then anointed on our body with the oil of gladness, signed, sealed and delivered as a child of `God and member of the Body of Christ, ready to grow and work for the coming of the Kingdom and proclamation of the Good News!

What do we do with this feast? I would tentatively suggest three things. Firstly to look up the date and place of our own baptism and confirmation as well as the priest ( for baptism) or bishop ( confirmation) unless we are Eastern Catholics in which case we received these sacraments in one ceremony celebrated by a priest. Then knowing these facts, honour each year the date of our adoption into the family of the Living God perhaps lighting our baptismal candle and saying a specific prayer of thanksgiving. Secondly, many of us have Christian names and also a confirmation name, and again learn more about them, making them in our prayers part of our friends in the Kingdom. It is good to celebrate our name/feast day and to include our saints as intercessors for us as part of our own Christian journey, maybe keeping an image or icon of them in our domestic prayer space as a visual remembrance. Thirdly perhaps we can allow ourselves time to reflect on a gift that we share with all human beings, that of being made in the image and likeness of God in which all are equal, for as the writer of Acts puts it:' Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,* "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.j Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him'".(Acts 10:34,35)

Lectio

Psalm 29

1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly powers,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;

bow down before the LORD, majestic in holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD upon the waters, the God of glory thunders;

the LORD on the immensity of waters;

4 the voice of the LORD full of power;

the voice of the LORD full of splendour.

5 The voice of the LORD shatters cedars,the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon;

6 he makes Lebanon leap like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild-ox.

7The voice of the LORD flashes flames of fire.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness,

the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh;

9 the voice of the LORD rends the oak tree and strips the forest bare.

In his temple they all cry, "Glory!"

10 The LORD sat enthroned above the flood; the LORD sits as king forever.

11 The LORD will give strength to his people, the LORD will bless his people with peace.

Third Century Baptism

Taken from the Apostolic Tradition

When the one being baptized goes down into the waters the one who baptizes, placing a hand on him, should say thus: "Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?"

And he who is being baptized should reply: "I believe."

Let him baptize him once immediately, having his hand placed upon his head.And after this he should say: "Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the son of God, who was born of the Holy Spirit and Mary the virgin and was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was dead [and buried] and rose on the third day alive from the dead and ascended in the heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father and will come to judge the living and the dead?"

And when he has said, "I believe," he is baptized again.

And again he should say: "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit and the holy church and the resurrection of the flesh?"

And he who is being baptized should say: "I believe." And so he should be baptized a third time.

And afterwards, when he has come up from the water, he is anointed by the presbyter with that sanctified oil, saying: "I anoint you with holy oil in the name of Jesus Christ."

And afterwards, each drying himself, they shall dress themselves, and afterwards let them go into the church. And the bishop, laying his hand on them invokes, saying:

"Lord God, you have made them worthy to deserve the remission of sins through the laver of regeneration: make them worthy to be filled with the Holy Spirit, send your grace upon them that they may serve you in accordance with your will; for to you is glory, to the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit in the holy church both now and to the ages of the ages. Amen."

After this, pouring the sanctified oil from his hand and putting it on his head he shall say: "I anoint you with holy oil in God the Father Almighty and Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit." And signing him on the forehead he shall give him the kiss and say: "The Lord be with you."

And he who has been signed shall say: "And with your spirit." And thus he shall do to each. And thenceforth they shall pray with all the people; they shall not pray with the people until they have performed all these things. And after they have prayed they should give the kiss of peace.