Isaiah 55: 1-11; Resp. Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6; 1 John 5: 1-9; Mark 1: 7-11
This was written in support of an Adult Education Class Presentation on Pope Francis' Joy of the Gospel, presented to St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Birmingham, Alabama on January 11, 2015.
I have already slipped up on my New Years Resolution to eat better, as this past week I stepped into a local burger place for a nice lunch with my daughter Michelle. Let's just say after all of the holiday meals, I needed a burger, and it tasted great! While I was at the table I noticed one of those table top promotional cards; you know, the one's that offer you a chance to be in the super burger joint restaurant club which allows you to "earn more burger points", so that after purchasing ten hamburgers you can get a free dessert or a small fry. Any way, the promotional flyer had these three words on it, VISIT, ASK and RECEIVE, and it went on to explain that all you have to do to maximize your value in this club is to visit often and ask for that favorite menu item, and ultimately you'll receive your just reward of that free dessert or a small fry. Working under a premise from today's second reading, the Apostle John says that, "if we accept human testimony, then God's testimony is surely greater." That is to say, if the slogan at the burger joint sounds good, wait until you hear what God has to offer as He invites us to VISIT, ASK and RECEIVE in a completely new and amazing way.
Today's celebration of the Baptism of the Lord is both the end of the Christmas Season AND the beginning of Ordinary Time. Christmas has given us the chance to reflect on the coming of Christ, not only into our world, but also into our hearts. His becoming flesh, and his dwelling among us has brought us a newness of life. We have welcomed the baby Jesus, visited him at his humble crib, offered him the songs of angels and gifts fit for a king. But today we must also embrace an adult Christ, calling on us to consider a more substantial element of our faith. Today he asks us to follow and to grow in confidence so that we may do more than just visit, but ask of him for the help for us to become better disciples. This is the First Sunday of Ordinary Time, so we also can reflect upon the mission of Christ and our ongoing journey which begins with our baptism, and continues throughout our lives, leading us on The Way. Baptism might seems like an event that happened in the past, but we must know that we are always being baptized as we are plunged into another year of a life in Christ. John's baptism was one of repentance, that is a turning from, and turning towards. When the Lord met John in the Jordan, his baptism turned him from his private life and towards his public life and mission. John baptized with water but Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit who is the source and power of this mission. So in our baptism in Christ we receive a cleansing that turns us away from death and sin, and towards the power of the Holy Spirit, so that Jesus' mission is our mission, Jesus' way of living is our way of living.
2015 begins by offering us the opportunity for a new start in life, and a fresh recommitment to the faith and spiritual growth through our participation, our prayer, and in the quality time we spend with our Lord, our family, and our community. Notice the nature of a New Years Resolution. It is always predicated on the reality that no matter what the past has offered (or not), the time ahead promises great opportunity. We turn away from last year, and look ahead toward a new one.
Baptism is our second birth! A birth as Christians into God’s own family, his graces are freely given and not earned. We are a part of the body of Christ, a dwelling place of his love, making us the holy temple that we are. But these graces are not the final stage in God’s generosity towards us - its only the beginning, and its an invitation meant for all of us. Our First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah assures us that we are all invited to VISIT but also make this our home, “For thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost!” Christ has come into the world, and in our baptism we come to him. We have VISITED, so let us resolve to stay!
This begs the question… When we are welcomed, loved and accepted by Christ, and in turn when we welcome, love and accept him, what’s next? A feeling of warmth? A sense of belonging? A great sense of self worth? Absolutely, but if we stop there, which many in the Church do* (See extra info below this paragraph), then we miss out on the all the fun. Too many Christians accept the welcome of baptism and then stop asking questions, and I know why… We’re afraid of the answer, which is to love God and one another. While we’re not afraid of the feelings of being loved, you’re not human unless you’re a little uneasy with the responsibilities that come with loving, because as the Apostle John says in the second reading, “the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.” That’s the hard part. The commandments ask us to do the work of God, and to get better at doing what we do. They ask us to improve our lives, dare I say like keeping a resolution. But if we are smart, we know that we can get the support we need by asking for help! We need to work on becoming better people by asking the questions that help us learn! We should consider including others in our journey. Maybe that’s why we are called to love God, and one another, so that we are not alone… The Apostle John continues in the second reading, reassuring us that God’s “commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.” OUR FAITH! Not yours, and not mine, but ours! We ASK and the answer is love… We love and we are not alone… And because we are not alone, we must love one another, which calls for more questions on how we can help, which brings more answers, and more work and ultimately more justice.
Today's celebration of the Baptism of the Lord is both the end of the Christmas Season AND the beginning of Ordinary Time. Christmas has given us the chance to reflect on the coming of Christ, not only into our world, but also into our hearts. His becoming flesh, and his dwelling among us has brought us a newness of life. We have welcomed the baby Jesus, visited him at his humble crib, offered him the songs of angels and gifts fit for a king. But today we must also embrace an adult Christ, calling on us to consider a more substantial element of our faith. Today he asks us to follow and to grow in confidence so that we may do more than just visit, but ask of him for the help for us to become better disciples. This is the First Sunday of Ordinary Time, so we also can reflect upon the mission of Christ and our ongoing journey which begins with our baptism, and continues throughout our lives, leading us on The Way. Baptism might seems like an event that happened in the past, but we must know that we are always being baptized as we are plunged into another year of a life in Christ. John's baptism was one of repentance, that is a turning from, and turning towards. When the Lord met John in the Jordan, his baptism turned him from his private life and towards his public life and mission. John baptized with water but Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit who is the source and power of this mission. So in our baptism in Christ we receive a cleansing that turns us away from death and sin, and towards the power of the Holy Spirit, so that Jesus' mission is our mission, Jesus' way of living is our way of living.
2015 begins by offering us the opportunity for a new start in life, and a fresh recommitment to the faith and spiritual growth through our participation, our prayer, and in the quality time we spend with our Lord, our family, and our community. Notice the nature of a New Years Resolution. It is always predicated on the reality that no matter what the past has offered (or not), the time ahead promises great opportunity. We turn away from last year, and look ahead toward a new one.
Baptism is our second birth! A birth as Christians into God’s own family, his graces are freely given and not earned. We are a part of the body of Christ, a dwelling place of his love, making us the holy temple that we are. But these graces are not the final stage in God’s generosity towards us - its only the beginning, and its an invitation meant for all of us. Our First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah assures us that we are all invited to VISIT but also make this our home, “For thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost!” Christ has come into the world, and in our baptism we come to him. We have VISITED, so let us resolve to stay!
This begs the question… When we are welcomed, loved and accepted by Christ, and in turn when we welcome, love and accept him, what’s next? A feeling of warmth? A sense of belonging? A great sense of self worth? Absolutely, but if we stop there, which many in the Church do* (See extra info below this paragraph), then we miss out on the all the fun. Too many Christians accept the welcome of baptism and then stop asking questions, and I know why… We’re afraid of the answer, which is to love God and one another. While we’re not afraid of the feelings of being loved, you’re not human unless you’re a little uneasy with the responsibilities that come with loving, because as the Apostle John says in the second reading, “the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.” That’s the hard part. The commandments ask us to do the work of God, and to get better at doing what we do. They ask us to improve our lives, dare I say like keeping a resolution. But if we are smart, we know that we can get the support we need by asking for help! We need to work on becoming better people by asking the questions that help us learn! We should consider including others in our journey. Maybe that’s why we are called to love God, and one another, so that we are not alone… The Apostle John continues in the second reading, reassuring us that God’s “commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.” OUR FAITH! Not yours, and not mine, but ours! We ASK and the answer is love… We love and we are not alone… And because we are not alone, we must love one another, which calls for more questions on how we can help, which brings more answers, and more work and ultimately more justice.
*This refers to the concept of Moral Therapeutic Deism as presented through the findings of the National Study on Youth and Religion (NSYR) published by Christian Smith, Melinda Lundquist Denton, and Lisa Pierce presented in the book "Soul Searching" in January 2005. HERE'S A GOOD SUMMARY
Which brings us to the Gospel, the Good News. Today, in the Baptism of Our Lord, we see the purpose of our own baptism, and we can help one another receive the goodness of the Lord in our action. Our Patron, John the Baptist, points to the Lord yet again, and challenges us to be a witness, to live our faith, and to practice what we believe! When we do this, the world receives its new born king! The sick receive Christ’s healing touch. The poor and the hungry receive their nourishment in the Lord! Mark’s Gospel gives us John the Baptist with the strength and the confidence that we all must have. It was John the Baptist who said that “one mightier than I is coming after me.” And he was honest to say that he was “not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.” And yet, he kept on witnessing, pointing to Christ, and proclaiming that “the kingdom of God is at hand,” all the way to his arrest. John’s words were not empty, but filled with action, making straight the paths for you and me to receive the love of Jesus Christ.
We have made our VISIT to the water, and in our baptism we are part of the body of Christ. Let’s do more than just pay a visit every now and then. Let’s make this mission our way of life, and lets call this life in Christ our home! In being here, involved in our faith, lets ASK for the help, the knowledge, the direction, and the support we need from the Lord and one another, so that we can ASK those in need how it is we can best serve them. In our baptism, we know that we RECEIVE the light of Christ to guide our way. We RECEIVE him in this Eucharist. And when his life and mission is our life and mission, we know that we are promised to be judged with compassion, praying that we RECEIVE the promises of eternal life.
So in this New Year, lets make more than just resolutions about us feeling better, or improving just our own lives. Today we must step into the new year as confident disciples joining Christ on a mission. This year we must VISIT the poor, ASK them what they need, and help them RECEIVE the Lord himself in our actions, as we challenge the world to turn away from the things that seek to destroy us, and towards this life-giving water that promises us real life!
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