The Baptism of Jesus: A New Exodus Begins

Join me this December on a Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to Rome & Assisi: kptz.io/rome /// Jesus begins his public ministry at a location rich with history for the Jewish people. The site of the famed Promised Land crossing, the Jordan River is a symbol of homecoming and covenant faithfulness. Exploring our Gospel within the context of the lectionary, we see Jesus’ Baptism as not simply the fulfillment of Jewish hopes, but a hope for Gentiles as well. In this one act, Jesus recalls creation, the flood, the Exodus, and the expectation of a new covenant for all peoples, momentous occasions that he will fulfill in his own public ministry. (Mass Readings for Jan 12, 2025)