The Feast of the Lord’s Baptism was established in 1955 to enhance the mystery already part of the liturgy that day as the conclusion of the Octave of the Epiphany.  The Baptism of the Lord by St John marks, as it were, his emergence on the public scene to manifest the love of God to the world.  The Father sets his seal of approval on the Son by anointing him with the Holy Spirit, who comes down upon him in the form of a dove and by his declaration, “You are my Son, the Beloved, my favour rests on you.”  This action does not so much transform Jesus as to reveal what has been hidden up to now. 

When we are baptised there is a true transformation.  We become by God’s gift of grace what Jesus is by nature.  We are adopted as God’s sons and daughters.  The words the father speaks to Jesus he speaks to us too: “You are my beloved son or daughter – my favour rests on you.”  We are born again through baptism, and as eternal life in God is greater than our natural and limited life on earth it is a day more important than our birthday.  Even if we are not brought up in the Faith or later in life walk away from it no one can take this gift from us and we will remain God’s children all the days of our lives and into eternity.