Baptism: One Bread, One Body

By Sister Catherine Cleary, OSB

On Sunday, the Church celebrates the Baptism of Jesus Christ.

Why, we might ask, would Jesus need to be baptized? He was sinless!

Baptism is not for the forgiveness of sin (as we were taught before Vatican II). Rather, it is a sign of our incorporation into the Body of Christ.

The baptismal water is a sign of the Holy Spirit gathering or swooping us all up into ONE BODY.

It is through the grace of the Holy Spirit that we are all made members of the body of Christ.

We are not alone; we are members of this wonderful, huge community of Christians, following the same Leader, bathed in the same grace, living and working toward the same goal, to become what we are: One Bread, One Body.

As we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, let’s be conscious of the reality of the sacrament.

Ask yourself, Who do I resonate as one body with? Who do I not feel a oneness with? How can I change that? Because, in baptism, we are called to do so.