Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, a key moment in the history of salvation. Imagine the scene at the Jordan: Jesus descends into the muddy waters, and suddenly, the heavens open. God the Father declares with a thundering voice: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased!” (Mt 3:17).
This word is not only for Jesus; it resounds for each one of us. But in our world so noisy, filled with voices that call to us, seduce us, and lead us astray, and sometimes even the voice of our own heart deceives us, how can we discern and truly follow the baptized Jesus?
Think of our daily lives all over the world. We are surrounded by so many influences that promise happiness but lead us away from the truth. There are politicians with their empty speeches, like those who, before elections, hand out promises in exchange for our votes, making us forget that true justice comes from God, not from fragile alliances. There are our friends who drag us down, like that young man who, to follow the crowd, abandoned his studies and sank into alcohol or drugs, dreaming of an easy life that brought only sickness and regret.
Social media intoxicates us: how many of our youth spend hours on TikTok or Instagram, comparing their lives to illusory villas and star-studded lives, ending up in despair instead of cultivating the gifts God has entrusted to them? Modern music distracts us from what is essential, with its rhythms celebrating money, pleasure, and violence, rather than the praise of Psalm 29 that makes the cedars tremble. And let’s not forget our own ego, that inner liar that whispers to us: “You deserve more; take what you want without caring for others.” These voices promise mountains and wonders, but they pull us away from Jesus, leaving us empty and discordant like an out-of-tune orchestra.
This is where the true challenge of discernment arises, brothers and sisters, a discernment that must become our daily compass.
First, external influences question us harshly: who truly speaks through them? Is it the voice of God calling for justice and love, or the world shouting “every man for himself”? I remember a parish sister tempted by a well-paid night job, where money flowed freely but the soul was drowning in sin; she discerned, prayed, and chose instead to teach catechism to children, finding true wealth.
Next, our daily choices challenge us: do they reflect the humble love of Jesus, or our selfish ambitions? When a husband mistreats his wife after an argument, is it Jesus he is following or listening to? Our deep fears and desires also prompt us to ask: are they aligned with the gospel, or dictated by the fear of lack that drives us to corruption?
Finally, the incessant noise of the world (horns, bars, music, political speeches, and even gossip), does it push us toward God or toward spiritual emptiness? Brothers and sisters, let us dare to ask ourselves these questions today: what noise dominates your heart?
The baptism of Jesus precisely offers us the strength to answer this call, by rekindling the flame of our own baptism. It first reminds us that God loves us infinitely, as He loves Jesus: “You are my beloved child, in you I am well pleased!” Imagine a father, after years of toil, looking at his son with pride; multiply that by God’s eternal love for you! This truth transformed the life of a catechumen I baptized in Malawi: an orphan, abandoned, he heard this word and stood tall, becoming a peacemaker in his community, no longer even counting the wrongs of his enemies.
The baptism of Jesus then encourages us to remain faithful to our own: are we truly disciples of Jesus Christ, or of the discordant world? It also tells us: as I am anointed by the Spirit to serve the poor and oppressed, you too, be anointed to love and serve without counting the cost! Jesus even identified with us, sinners, by descending into the waters of the Jordan; faced with this mad love, how do we respond? Finally, the Holy Spirit who descends like a dove upon Jesus also descends upon us at baptism: are we open to His gentle but firm guidance, or do we repel it through our lukewarmness?
And so, our own baptism is revealed as a burning call to mission, a daily sending into our world. We are all children of God, called to reflect Jesus in our families, our communities, and our workplaces, whether in the city or the countryside. I met another widow: after her husband’s death, she was tempted by the fathers in her neighborhood because she was so beautiful and attractive; she told me herself that she slept with 10 of the 12 who wanted her and was even tempted to abort twins. Her baptism compelled her to forgive the person responsible for the accident that took her husband’s life and to completely change her life; today she prays for him, transforming hatred into light; she changed in a radical way.
Every day, our baptism launches this divine order at us: “Go, love, forgive, serve like Jesus!” Do we truly do it, or do we remain seated in our churches as mere spectators? Our baptism is a missionary sending to share God’s love in a thirsty world, where hunger is not only physical but spiritual. Let us live it as a blazing fire burning within us, ready to illuminate the darkness of despair, to warm hearts hardened by selfishness, and to transform our fractured societies. Are we ready to let Jesus shape us, like clay in the potter’s hands, so that He may act powerfully through us?
Brothers and sisters, the baptized Jesus must be our unique reference, the voice that surpasses all others without exception. May the Lord help us to discern His gentle voice amidst the clamor, to live our baptism fully, and to walk behind Him toward eternal life! Amen.
By: Marcellin Mubalama, M.Afr.