At noon this Sunday, January 11, Pope Leo XIV presided over the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace, in St. Peter’s Square, on the occasion of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which marks the beginning of Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. Before the faithful and pilgrims gathered, the Pontiff offered a reflection centered on the meaning of Baptism as the foundation of Christian life and the mission of the Church.
In his words, Leo XIV emphasized that Baptism is not a symbolic gesture, but a real event of salvation by which man is freed from sin and made a child of God by the action of the Holy Spirit. Recalling the Gospel episode of the Jordan, he highlighted the manifestation of the Most Holy Trinity in Jesus’ Baptism and pointed out that Christ, by being baptized among sinners, reveals God’s mercy and His will to save, not to condemn. The Pope finally encouraged the faithful to renew the memory of their own Baptism and to live it as light in difficulties, reconciliation in conflicts, and door of hope for eternal life.
We leave below the message of Leo XIV in the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
The feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which we celebrate today, marks the beginning of Ordinary Time. This period of the liturgical year invites us to follow the Lord together, to listen to his Word and imitate his gestures of love toward our neighbor. In this way, we confirm and renew our Baptism, that is, the sacrament that makes us Christians, freeing us from sin and transforming us into children of God, by the power of his Spirit of life.
The Gospel we heard today describes how this effective sign of grace emerges. Jesus, when he was baptized by John in the Jordan River, «saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming toward him» (Mt 3,16). At the same time, from the opened heavens a voice was heard from the Father saying: «This is my beloved Son» (v. 17). The entire Trinity becomes present in history: just as the Son descends into the waters of the Jordan, so the Holy Spirit descends upon him and is given to us as a force of salvation through him.
Dear brothers and sisters, God does not look at the world from afar, on the margins of our life, our afflictions, and our hopes. He comes among us with the wisdom of his Word made flesh, making us part of a surprising plan of love for all humanity.
That is why John the Baptist, full of astonishment, asked Jesus: «Do you come to me?» (v. 14). Yes, in his holiness the Lord is baptized like all sinners, to reveal the infinite mercy of God. The only begotten Son, in whom we are brothers and sisters, comes, in fact, to serve and not to dominate, to save and not to condemn. He is the redeeming Christ; he takes upon himself what is ours, including sin, and gives us what is his, that is, the grace of a new and eternal life.
The sacrament of Baptism realizes this event in every time and place, introducing each of us into the Church, which is the people of God, formed by men and women of every nation and culture, regenerated by his Spirit. Let us then dedicate this day to remembering the great gift received, committing ourselves to witness to it with joy and coherence. Precisely today I have baptized some children, who have become our new brothers and sisters in the faith. How beautiful it is to celebrate as one family the love of God, who calls us by name and frees us from evil. The first of the sacraments is a sacred sign that accompanies us forever. In dark hours, Baptism is light; in the conflicts of life, Baptism is reconciliation; in the hour of death, Baptism is the door to heaven.
Let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, asking her to sustain our faith and the mission of the Church every day.