THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
12 JANUARY 2020
Last
Sunday, we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord.
Epiphany is a Greek word that
means “to manifest”. Saint Matthew tells
the story of the Magi led by a star to encounter the newborn king of the
Jews. Through their human eyes, the Magi
see an ordinary child wrapped in swaddling clothes. Through their eyes of faith, they recognize
God manifested in that child. Their
gifts speak of the child’s identity:
gold for a king, frankincense for God, and myrrh for a suffering servant
who will sacrifice his life out of love.
On this
last Sunday of the Christmas Season, Saint Matthew tells the story of another
Epiphany, another manifestation. Jesus asks
John to baptize him in the waters of the Jordan. John is reluctant, because his baptism is one
of repentance. John baptizes people who need
to change their lives and turn toward God as a sign of their repentance. John knows that Jesus does not need to
repent, because he is the promised Messiah.
But he gives in to the insistence of Jesus, who argues that his baptism
fulfills all righteousness. Once Jesus
emerges from those waters, the heavens are opened, the Spirit of God appears as
a dove, and the Father’s voice manifests his true identity. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased.”
With this
Epiphany, this manifestation, Jesus begins his public ministry. He is the servant promised by the prophet
Isaiah. He will become a light for the
nations. He will open the eyes of the
blind. He will bring out prisoners from
confinement. He will free those who live
in darkness. Jesus allows himself to be
baptized, not because he needs to repent, but because he shows his solidarity
with us sinners in everything except sin.
Tomorrow we
leave the Christmas Season and return to Ordinary Time. We will hear from the Gospel of Saint Matthew
on most Sundays. Matthew insists that
Jesus Christ fulfills all promises and expectations of the Old Testament. He will use the word “righteousness” fifteen
more times to remind us that Jesus Christ has ushered in the Kingdom of God, giving
us a right relationship with him and the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is
at the heart of our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ. Whether we baptized as infants or as adults, we
were immersed with Christ through those waters.
With our Baptismal Font, both adults and infants can be immersed,
signifying that they enter into the tomb with Christ and rise with him to new
life. Then they pass through the
courtyard to enter the church, representing their union with the Mystical Body
of Christ. There is a reason why we dip
our hands into the holy water fonts and sign ourselves with the cross when we
enter the church. It is a way to manifest our own identity. We are living witnesses of our faith. We proclaim the Lord’s death and profess his
resurrection with our very lives.
We call
this first year of our parish strategic plan the “year of evangelization.” We
evangelize best by living our baptismal promises.
·
We too are called to become a light to others
when we allow the light of Christ’s love to shine through us in loving others
without conditions.
·
We too are called to open the eyes of the blind
when we are honest enough to admit that we don’t always see the Lord’s presence
in other people.
·
We too are called to bring people out of
darkness by sharing a kind word or expressing true compassion.
·
We too are called to offer sincere forgiveness
to set prisoners free (including ourselves).
·
We too are beloved sons and daughters of
God. God has grasped us by the hand in
the waters of baptism.
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