MEDITATION TIPS (Episode 286)
The Baptism of the Lord
January 11, 2026

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17)

　These words are not only spoken by the Heavenly Father to Jesus, but now also directed by Jesus to each one of us. Let us receive them as nourishment for our journey of faith in 2026. At the same time, these words have been expressed in various forms throughout the ages.

　One such example is found in the novel The Alchemist by the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, once a worldwide bestseller. Though it is a simple story, it is filled with self-reflective wisdom that makes us think about human destiny. One day, Santiago, a young shepherd and former theology student from Spain, is told in a dream by a child, “If you go to the pyramids of Egypt, you will discover a treasure.” Believing this, the boy sets out on a journey. Along the way, he meets various people and faces many hardships, but through these experiences, he learns the wisdom of life and grows as a person.

　Before starting his journey, the boy meets an old man. Without even hearing about the dream, the old man tells him that a treasure lies near the pyramids. He advises, “To find the treasure, follow the signs. Do not overlook the words the signs speak. Above all, never forget to follow your destiny to the very end.” When the boy asks what destiny is, the old man answers, “It is what you have always wanted to do.” The old man repeatedly uses the word “signs.” He teaches the boy that these signs are the power that appears when one seeks to fulfill destiny, and grasping them firmly is what attracts good fortune. The old man also often advises the boy, “If you desire something, the entire universe will cooperate to help you achieve it.” These words are also a rephrasing of Jesus’s words to those about to step toward their dreams: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.”

　As the boy travels through the desert with a caravan, he eventually meets an alchemist. This alchemist teaches the boy many things about life, but refuses to teach him the “art” of alchemy itself. When the boy pleads to be taught alchemy, the alchemist counsels him: “You already know alchemy. It is about connecting with the great soul and discovering the treasure set aside for you.” This treasure is not gold as a material substance. Alchemy is the realization of the spiritual essence of the soul in a visible form, and it is a treasure far more precious than gold.

　At His birth, Jesus received gold as one of the gifts from the Magi from the East. This gold symbolizes the love that is most precious in the eyes of God. Jesus’ way of life was the realization of that invisible treasure called “love” into a visible form. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, the dove that appeared was an “sign” of his destiny. As the alchemist told the boy, alchemy is connecting with the great soul and discovering the treasure set aside for oneself. In this sense, Jesus—who through baptism discovered His own treasure, the Father’s will, and through His ministry brought about the Kingdom of God—was truly the “Alchemist of Love.”

 　　　　　(Contributed by Father Yutaka Akabae)