When we were baptised as babies, or as children, or as adults, did anything change in our lives? Some of us may think that baptism means we become adopted children of God, but do we really know what that means?
In today’s Gospel, we see John baptising. His baptism is a baptism of repentance, and with repentance we need to be totally changed, totally converted and transformed anew. Total conversion means we can no longer be partial, we need to discard any form of prejudice, discrimination and intolerance. In the First Reading, we see how all creatures live in peace and harmony. They do no hurt, no harm,
on all God’s holy mountain. In the Second Reading, we are reminded that “It can only be to God’s glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you.”
Seeing how we are supposed to behave as baptised Catholics and as adopted children of God, let us then examine ourselves. Do we treat others fairly and justly? Do we consider ourselves united as Catholics, and not just focused in a particular ethnic group or language? Are we able to care and love others without looking at skin colour, language, or appearance? When we sing, “They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love,” do we realise the significance of what we sing and do we really mean what we sing? If we consider ourselves as adopted children of God, then perhaps we should make more effort to treat others as part of God’s family, and not as strangers.