Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Through his baptism Jesus is awakened to his fundamental identity as God’s beloved. His task is to awaken others to their identity as God’s loved ones. In enabling people to realise that they are already sons and daughters of God, Jesus awakens them to the truth of their identity. If only we could all grasp this!
Today’s Feast marks the beginning of Ordinary Time. Besides the times of year that have their own distinctive character, there remains in the yearly cycle 33 or 34 weeks in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated. Instead the mystery of Christ itself is honoured in its fulness, especially on Sundays. This period is known as Ordinary Time.