“After Jesus was baptized, he came from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased’ ” (Mt 3:16-17).

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. We know that — since Jesus was born without sin — he did not really need to be baptized. And yet, Jesus welcomes his own baptism as an example for the rest of us and as a sign of his true identity. He is God’s son, the living presence of God on earth. When we renew our baptismal promises, we proclaim our belief in the waters of baptism and our new and ongoing life in Christ.

Take some time this month to talk to your kids about their own baptism (even if you’ve told the story before!). Talk about who was there, how their godparents were chosen and the celebration after the ritual. Our kids love to hear fun details — our oldest dropped his pacifier in the font and our youngest howled loudly throughout the blessed event. What a great time to share that Jesus is with us always, even when things don’t go as perfectly as planned.