The Baptism of the Lord

 Getting clean

Parents often say to their children to go outside and play. 

And at the end of the day when they come home they are a mess

Covered with mud

And need to take a bath. 

Our Heavenly Father

Has told us to go outside and play in this world. 

And at the end of the day when we come home we are a mess. 

Covered with greed; envy; lust; and anger; 

We did not get along with everyone we played with. 

Often fighting and arguing and excluding others. 

And we need to take a bath. 

We need to go down to the river Jordan and be baptized. 

Baptism washes us clean. 

But after we have been baptized, 

we go out in the world and play. 

And get covered all over again in the dirt and grime of the world.   

So we need to go to confession to be washed clean again. 

For confession is a renewal of our Baptism

Where we are washed clean again from all the dirt that we got into. 

Just imagine not taking a shower for one year and what our bodies would be like?

Just imagine going months and years without going to confession and what our souls are like?

When was the last time you took a shower?

And when was the last time you went to confession? 

Our souls need to be kept clean just like our bodies. 

When they are not

That is the reason the world and our lives are in the mess they are. 

In  baptism and confession, 

Jesus has the water to make us clean again.