My brothers and sisters, as Dominicans, we are seekers of Veritas—Truth. And today, the liturgy presents us with a paradox that demands we look past the surface and gaze into the deep Truth of God. We must ask the hard theological question: Why was Jesus baptized?

We know that John’s baptism was a ritual of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus is the Word made Flesh, the sinless Lamb of God. He has no past to clean up, no darkness to wash away. So, why did the All-Holy God wade into that muddy water?

The Truth is this: He did not go down into the water to be sanctified by it; He went down to sanctify the water for us. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us that in this moment, Christ touched the waters of the earth and made them holy, preparing them to be the vehicle of our salvation. He enters the river not to stand above us on a pedestal of moral superiority, but to stand next to us in our humanity.

This is the heart of the Gospel we preach here in the Unified Old Catholic Church. Jesus stands shoulder-to-shoulder with sinners, tax collectors, and soldiers. He enters the “mud” of human existence. And this sets the standard for our community. We are not called to be judges sitting on high; we are called to be brothers and sisters in the river. We do not judge the “mud” on our neighbor’s feet; we stand with them in solidarity, pointing them toward the hope of grace.

When Jesus emerged from the water, the heavens were torn open, and the Father spoke: “You are my beloved Son.” In that moment, the Trinity was fully revealed—Father, Son, and Spirit. For us, this reveals our ontological reality—our true being. In a world that is obsessed with temporary labels—what you do for work, how much is in your bank account, your rank, or your political party—Baptism brands you with an eternal mark.

Dominic, our father, preached that we must know who we are to know what we must do. Before you are a parent, a worker, or a retiree, you are a Beloved Child of God. That is a status that cannot be earned by human effort, and it is a Truth that cannot be lost by human failure. It is the bedrock of your soul.

However, we must remember that Baptism is not a graduation ceremony; it is a commissioning. The Holy Spirit descended as a dove not merely to comfort Jesus, but to empower Him for the mission. The Spirit is the breath of the Preacher. We are not baptized to keep this Truth to ourselves. We receive the grace of God so that we may hand it on to others.

Today, the Christmas decorations will come down. We will return to “Ordinary Time,” and the vestments will turn green. But for the Christian, for the follower of Truth, there is no such thing as an “ordinary” day. We are called to be extraordinary preachers of the Gospel in ordinary places—in our homes, in our workplaces, and in our city.

Go from here, contemplating the love of the Father, and hand that love on to everyone you meet.