There is a ridiculous story about a priest who was about to baptize a young child. He approached the father of the child and said solemnly, “Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?”

“I think so,” the young father replied. “My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our guests.”

“I don’t mean that,” the priest responded. “I mean, are you prepared spiritually?”

“Oh, sure,” came the reply. “I’ve got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey.”

I’m not sure this is what the priest had in mind when he asked the young man if he was spiritually prepared.

Today we are celebrating the baptism of our Lord. You know the story. A man named John was baptizing people out in the wilderness in the Jordan River, which means he was se…