The year begins again with Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). His decision to be baptized served two purposes. On a divine level, it was the point at which his public ministry began and God's salvation plan kicked into gear. On a human level, it was the public acknowledgement of his Jewish heritage. Michael Polanyi (1958) wrote that the art of knowledge requires three things. There has to be a sense of a sense of passion, an understanding of purpose and a tradition of thought. Jesus was a man of passion; he understood his purpose as the Son of God and in his baptism he publicly identified himself with the cultural life and tradition of Judaism. The public statement creates a new reality. If, for the first time, you say to someone 'I love you' then the relationship changes and it cannot go back to what it was before. If you are arguing then it is always 'least said soonest mended'. Something is created by the words used. Jesus' public identification with Judaism set in train a course of events that would lead to one conclusion once the radical nature of his teaching began to emerge. In real time he was 30 years old when he was baptized and would be dead within three years. In liturgical time we have 15 weeks until Easter.

Weekly reflections on the Gospel for the coming Sunday are available on request. They will come once a week and will never be more than 200 words. If you would like to receive these emails then please email the Parish Secretary