Reasons For Baptism

Tunc venit Jesus a Galilaean Jordanem... Ecce quo venit. In baculo meo transivi Jordanem istum: et nunc cum duabus turmis regrediar. Quo pulchrior es ? descende, etc. Quanto magnus es, humilia te in omnibus. ...ad Joannem... In quo est gratia. Hic est ecclesiae minister : non haereticus, vel schismaticus, in quo nulla est gratia, quam in forma, ritu et intentione Ecclesiae conferat sacramentum. Omnis homo simili sui sociabitur. ...ut baptizaretur ab eo. Ecce propter quid. Et ideo nihil recepit Christus in aqua baptismatis, sed contulit aquae vim regenerativam, sicut dictum est. Hujus tamen et aliae causae assignantur in Glossa: ut scilicet baptisma Joannis approbaret: ut homo omnem justitiam impleret, et legis humilitatem: et ut aquas sanctificatas per columbam, in lavacro ostenderet: et ut nemo quantumlibet sanctus a baptismo excusatus esset, si baptismi gratiam superfluam sibi judicaret. Sanctus Albertus Magnus Commentarium In Evangelium Mattheum, Caput III Source: Here p321

'Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan...' 1 Behold where He comes. 'With my staff I passed over this part of the Jordan, and now with two companies I return.' 'To whom are you more beautiful? Go down...' 'The greater you are, so be humble in all things.' 2 '...to John...' In whom there is grace. He is a minister of the Church, not a heretic, or a schismatic, in which there is no grace, but in the form and rite and intention of the Church he confers the sacrament. 'Every man will associate with him who is similar to himself.' 3 '...That He be baptised by him.' Behold the reason why. Even that Christ receives nothing from the waters of baptism, but He brings the power of regeneration to the waters, as has been said. However in the gloss other causes are assigned, that is, so that He might approve the baptism of John, so that man may be filled with all righteousness and the humility of the law, so that in cleansing He might show that the waters are sanctified by the dove, and that no one, however holy they may be, shall be excused baptism, even if he should judge the grace of baptism superfluous. Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Matthew, Chapter 3 1 Mt 3.13 2 Gen 32.10, Ezek 32.19, Sirach 3.20 3 Sirach 13.20