Fr. Albertus Herwanta, O.Carm
We know many liberation movements worldwide, such as the movement of Mahatma Gandhi in India, Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States, and Lech Wałęsa in Poland.
Although these movements occurred in different locations and with various motivations, one similar principle or spirit is behind them. That is the spirit of solidarity.
Gandhi practiced nonviolent means in his movement, such as fasting from food and wearing a loincloth. These actions showed solidarity with the Indian people in their suffering.
Martin Luther King Jr. manifested solidarity with his enslaved and maltreated people. Lech Wałęsa became the leader of the Solidarity movement and Poland's second president.
Solidarity appears in unity of feeling or action among individuals with a common interest, mutual support within a group. Marie J. Giblin wrote, "Solidarity includes compassion, but it is more.
Solidarity is not only a spontaneous movement of the heart that responds immediately but also a decision to take action to join with and to form a community with those who are suffering."
On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we celebrate God's solidarity with human beings. In God-made flesh, we see this solidarity.
In the letter to Titus, Saint Paul wrote, "God, our Savior, revealed his eminent goodness and love for humankind and saved us, not because of good deeds we may have done, but for the sake of his mercy" (2 Titus 3:4-5).
Further, he said, "Having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs, in the hope of eternal life" (2 Titus 3:7).
The Gospel of Luke tells the story of Jesus, who came to John the Baptist at the Jordan River. John baptized Jesus with water as a sign of repentance.
Does Jesus need to repent like us? He does not. However, he came to John and was baptized because he was in solidarity with sinful people. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for sinners, to "fulfil all righteousness." Jesus' gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying.
The Spirit, which had hovered over the waters of the first creation, then descended on Christ as a prelude to the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his "beloved Son" (CCC 1224).
This feast reminds us of two essential things for our Christian life. The first is the mystery of God's solidarity with us. By emptying himself, Jesus came to the world and brought us back to heaven.
The second is the meaning and consequence of our baptism. It unites us with the Lord Jesus. Since Jesus takes solidarity with human beings, we, his followers, are called to do the same, meaning to be in solidarity with people, especially those who have not experienced Jesus' solidarity.
We can easily find them around us, such as in our families, workplaces, communities, and society. Are we ready to be in solidarity with them, especially those suffering from physical and spiritual conditions?