Often, we have a narrow understanding of baptism. We see it merely as a means of washing away our sins. This was probably the understanding of John the Baptist, that is, the baptism of repentance and for forgiveness. So, we often see baptism as a "spiritual washing machine" that makes us cleaner and worthy to approach God. It is true that baptism cleanses our soul and removes the consequences of our sins. But it's not only that, and that's why Jesus, although he had no sin, wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist.

Through his incarnation, the Son wanted to become like us so that we might become like Him. Jesus wanted us to experience the gift of his own unity with the Father, the beautiful communion that is always present in the Trinity and which is precisely the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the bond of love that unites the Father and the Son in the Trinity. God did not want to enjoy this communion of love only within himself, but wanted to share it with all of us. And Jesus accepted baptism because he wanted to reveal or unveil that we too are capable of experiencing the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is precisely the relationship with the Father and the access to this heavenly unity. A fundamental fruit of baptism, then, is the awareness that we, like Jesus, have access to communion with God. Baptism makes us also discover that, in Christ, we are children of God, precisely because of the same gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 4:6). This is a grace that goes beyond the mere forgiveness of our sins! It is the discovery that we have a great dignity: we are children of our heavenly Father.

At the baptism of Jesus, a word was heard from heaven: "You are my beloved Son". This is the same word heard at the Transfiguration of the Lord (Mt 17:1–8, Mk 9:2–13, Lk 9:28–36). In fact, the word "beloved" is not just a sweet appellative, like the words "my dear friend" or "my beloved wife"... The word "beloved" shows us Jesus' deepest identity and his awareness of being always loved by the Father. It was a constant trust and perception for Jesus. That's why Jesus says: "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30; cf. Jn 15:9). And the awareness of this unfading love becomes the foundation of his person. Saint Augustine said that the Son is the "loved one", while the Father is the "lover", the Divine Spirit is "love".

The message of this Gospel is of vital importance for all of us. Psychology has made it clear that the lack of perception of love received from parents or other fundamental persons in the early stages of a baby's life often inflicts wounds that dramatically affect the further psychological development of the person. Without the awareness of being loved and recognized, a person is unable to make the spiritual and human journey towards full maturity. For this reason, baptism becomes a healing spiritual remedy, because in our baptism we restore the awareness of being loved, despite any lack of love we may have experienced in our lives. Then the words from the heart of our heavenly Father: "You are my beloved child" become crucial for beginning our personal journey. They can heal our deepest wounds. Even when we feel weak, insecure, unworthy, wounded, afraid, sinners... these words remind us of our divine dignity as children. We are not holy and pure, and no one is fully mature and strong enough, but we can rely on this infinite love of the Father for us to walk the path of our lives.

On several occasions the Pope has chosen to celebrate Maundy Thursday with prisoners. He washed their feet and kissed them. Their response was amazing, to the point of bursting into tears of joy. Of course, their souls and hearts were not clean. They had probably committed many sins and even crimes. But through the love of the Holy Father, they felt the love of God in their hearts. Before that they were just sinners. But after experiencing the caring love of the Pope, they realized that they were beloved children of God. They discovered that they had a Father who loves them immensely. Love transformed them into new people.