In the gospel, we find Jesus baptized by John. John at first did not want to baptize Him, as John knew that he would be baptizing the Messiah, and that this Messiah should rightly be baptizing John. Jesus however knew that it was proper for Him to do what the Father wills. So John had to accede and baptized Jesus. After the baptism, the sky opened up from above Jesus and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him. Then a voice from heaven said, "This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him."
In this gospel scene, we witness the presence of the Holy Trinity. God presents Himself to us as Father, Son and Spirit. It is a scene which invites all to see God as three Persons and also how they are related to One another in a relationship of love. When we recall our own baptism, we are reminded that we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In our baptism, we are therefore, also called to a relationship of love and service in the Church - where the presence of the Holy Trinity indwells and guides us. Baptism in the name of God as Holy Trinity reminds us to a life of commitment to serve our brothers and sisters in the manner of Jesus.
Our Lord's baptism signifies His solidarity with our humanity. In the Incarnation, He took upon Himself all of our humanity (with the exception of sin), and through the baptism of John, He took upon Himself the way that all of us should go through - a life of repentance from our sins and turning back to God (a lifetime of conversion and growing more and more into the Spirit of Christ). In this Solemnity of the Lord's baptism, we are called to "enter more readily into the Lord's service" and to "commit ourselves everyday into a life of generous service to the Church." This was the example that Christ wanted to convey to us by His Baptism. Though He had no sin, He generously entered into our human condition and showed us the way to God - through a life of genuine service and charity.
