How would you feel if God said to you; “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased” or “This is my beloved daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” You may think that this is impossible for we are not the Son of God. No, we are not the Son of God but each of us have been given a wonderful gift through Jesus Christ.
Jesus establishes this gift with his baptism. Jesus states he must be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness,” which is Jesus’ desire to fulfill the earthly purpose his Father has given him. Our righteousness can only start with the washing away of original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve that we are all born with. Without this cleansing we are barred from all the other graces God wishes to give us.
Recall the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John “Unless one is born of water and Spirit, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God". Later Jesus further confirms the importance of baptism when He tells the Apostles; “Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
The words of Jesus should be enough for us to realize the importance of baptism. The Church recognizes this importance and teaches us that through baptism all our sins are forgiven; original and personal sins. The Catechism also tells us baptism is the gateway to the Spirit, the door to the other sacraments and is the foundation upon which the entire Christian life is built.
We become God’s adopted children through baptism. This is the gift Jesus has given us and by it we are brought into God’s family. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults states that Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people. Hence we are called and indeed are the children of God.
Live your baptism to its fullest. We are the adopted sons and daughters of God. Make God well pleased.
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