Baptism of the Lord Homily given at NSA Naples Navy Base

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
By: Rev. Deacon Ronnie P. Floyd

Throughout the history of warfare, great military leaders have used two different styles to lead their troops
Some lead from the front, and some from the rear.

Napoleon for instance would set up his headquarters on a high point, like a hilltop or nearby cliff, overlooking the battlefield.
• surrounded by a dozen or so messengers.
• when the battle started, his role was to issue orders by sending messengers to the captains of different units.

His genius was in seeing the overview, and identifying exactly the right time to execute each step of his battle plan. And he inspired awe and respect in his troops because he led them well, even though from a distance, above the sweat and bullets of the battle.

Alexander the Great on the other hand would set up his headquarters right in the middle of the camp.
• The night before a battle he would gather his officers in his tent, and together they would make their battle plan - paying special attention to timing and placement of the cavalry charge.
• Then when the time came to fight, Alexander would mount his horse and actually lead the charge - right in the forefront of his troops, risking his own life along with his soldiers'.
• Alexander inspired not only awe and respect among his followers, but also love.
• His troops knew he was their leader, but they felt that he was also their brother.

(Above example taken from www.epriest.com)

Christ wants to inspire this type of love in our hearts. That's why he became man,
pitching his dwelling among us, taking his place with sinners by his baptism.

Today we celebrate the Lord’s Baptism and along with it our own Baptism.

Most all of us here, especially those born Catholic were Baptized as little Children. And though most of us have seen Baptisms I think today is a good opportunity to think about what exactly Baptism is.

So what is it? Central to Baptism is the natural symbol of water. Baptism is not uniquely Christian, as we read in the Gospel John was Baptizing even before Jesus began his ministry and even some pagan cults baptized.

They baptized because in water people saw a great symbol of metamorphisis and change.
In Baptism we are plunged into water. a symbol of Life and Death:

Life because we need water to live. And death because even today, water, when it comes too slow or too fast, is deadly. Water falling from the sky or flowing in the worlds great rivers and oceans has always been one of the most powerful forces on earth. And I am sure I don’t have to tell sailors how turbulent once peaceful waters can get.

And so since the beginning of time water has always had a eeligious significance to man as a symbol of the ebb and flow of life.

Water is a symbol of the Battle that we call life a battle between good and evil, and between life and death, and so today Jesus enters into the fray, he enters into the waters of Baptism to show us that our God is not just the man with the answers quarterbacking from a heavenly armchair but rather he is Emmanuel, God with us.

He wants to fight right beside us, every step of the way. He leads from his throne in heaven above, inspiring awe and respect. But he also leads from beside us, by his Cross and through his Church,

You see, Baptism is a central symbol of our faith and the key to understanding the whole of Scripture:

In Baptism, Jesus enters the arc with Noah and humanity to ride out the turbulence and destruction of the storms of life with us and to remind us that the destructive power of the waters, also bears the promise of a new beginning, a new life in a world cleansed from evil.

In Baptism, Jesus passes with us through the waters of the Red Sea, with us, leading us from slavery into freedom, and destroying our enemy the devil and all his allies.

In Baptism Jesus travels and dwells with and in us as we wander through the deserts of life, all the while providing us with bread and water.

In Baptism, Jesus unites us all to His Cross, washing us clean in the water that poured from His side and feeding us with His Body and His Blood.

Through his Eucharist, our God is with us In our midst, leading us, as our General, but also as our Brother, our Friend, inspiring love.

Today we end the season of Christmas. But we can’t forget its central mystery
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, we prayered in Advent, and he came! And by his Baptism and Cross he remains with us always Emmanuel, God with us. Through all life’s struggles.

Our Baptism, is our enlistment into the Army of our King a king who loves us and treats us like brothers a king who is in the trenches with us.

Just as the great military leaders who led from the front inspired not only obedience but love so too must we, who bear the name Christian, be not only obedient to His commands, but faithful to Him in Love.

Our Baptism requires a response. It requires discipline and self-sacrifice and trust.

First and foremost we must trust our God. We must trust that He wants only the best for us! This trust can only be learned by getting to know Him by prayer, study, and the witness of others.

When we trust our God, it becomes possible to follow his commands freely and even to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good, out of love for our God and for our neighbor.

Final, Just as the symbol of water reminds us, life is turbulent, life is a battle.
Just as in a battle things can be confusing and communication can be difficult
So in life things can be unclear, this is where discipline comes in.

We need to discipline ourselves to keep the lines of communication open, even in the heat of battle, amidst all the distractions of life so that we receive the right intelligence and the right commands for the right circumstances.

To do this we need to keep our eyes on our Kings Standard, on the Cross because in the cross we are reminded of the fact that our God is with us, where ever we go.

Ultimately, in Baptism we are promised victory. In Hoc Signo Vincit—in this sign, the sign of the Cross we already have won the battle, even before it begins.