Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
11 January 2015
11 January 2015
The
great Saint Ambrose of Milan reminds us: The Lord was Baptized, not to be
cleansed Himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by
the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of Baptism.
We
have, once again, come to the waters flowing from the Body of Christ. We have
come to celebrate this great Feast of His Baptism, for it is the impetus and
beginning of our own baptism in Christ, our vocation to follow Him, and our
mission to proclaim His Gospel.
The
power of baptism, symbolized in the cleansing water, is to further reveal just
Who this Jesus Christ is. With the revelation of the Trinity in today’s Gospel,
we see the necessary action of how our lives need to be rooted in the Person
and Essence of God – becoming the sons and daughters in whom the Father is well
pleased.
Yet,
our baptism must be for us something that is more than a spiritual pool party.
Our baptism must be for us that which it was for Christ: A public declaration of
our relationship with God; a “yes” to the invitation to develop that
relationship; and becoming that same invitation for others to come to know
Christ.
Going
down deep in the waters and arising anew in Christ is not a one-time event,
although one can only receive baptism once in their life. We recommit to those
promises of baptism when we reach for the holy water upon entering or exiting
the church. Though mostly done out of habit, that conscious or unconscious
action is a recommitment to the promises we renew every Easter – in opposing
the Devil, rejecting the false allurement he seduces with, and reconfirm our belief
in the tenants of the Faith (just as we will be doing in a few moments).
The
Baptism of the Lord was the beginning of His public ministry. Our baptism compels
us into public ministry, as well – becoming examples of what it is to live as a
follower of Christ. Our baptism becomes for us a constant call to conversion.
It signals to the world that we are marked – signed, sealed and delivered – for
and unto the Lord. Our being washed with water, anointed with oil and clothed
in Christ is the first step in being that son or daughter of the Father, in whom
He is well pleased.
As
we remind ourselves of that call to conversion – a call that is continuous, and
not just found in the seasons of Advent and Lent – we are reminded of the cost
of discipleship: Our very life. The Baptism of Jesus reminds us that His mission
and ministry cost Him His very life – which is why He came to Earth: to die
that we may live. The cost of our baptism is our very lives, as well. Though
maybe not physically, our constant turning over of our lives allows Christ to
be placed at the very center of our hearts. This conversion, then, is our
heeding of the words of the Prophet: Seek the LORD while he may be found, call
him while he is near.
The
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord isn’t just a random celebration that we tack
on at the end of the Christmas Season just because we want to get our money’s
worth out of the poinsettias, sing another Christmas carol or two, or just because
we’ve become too lazy to take down the decorations. Rather, it’s the
culmination of the reason of the season: Our Lord became flesh and dwelt among
us so that we could come to understand and witness the fullness of the Love of
God. Just as Easter doesn’t make sense without Christmas, Good Friday doesn’t
truly make sense without the Baptism of the Lord.
The
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord should force us to reflect upon our lives in
Christ, see where it is we need conversion, and work with the grace of God to
seek Him in all things.
The
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord should remind us that just as Jesus now begins
His public ministry, so we, too, minister in the public sphere, whether we’re the
so-called “professional religious” or not. Our lives are to reflect the joy
that we have hopefully been living out this entire season, allowing it to
become the beginning of a relationship that invites others to know of the joy
and reason of why Christ came to Earth. As Pope Benedict XVI reminds us: The
rediscovery of the value of one's baptism is the basis of the missionary
commitment of every Christian, because we see in the Gospel that he who lets
himself be fascinated by Christ cannot do without witnessing the joy of
following in his footsteps… we understand even more that, in virtue of baptism,
we have an inherent missionary vocation.
We
come to the waters today because we know the power of Baptism. We come to the
waters today because we have come to know Him who, through Word and Sacrament,
continues to empower us through the Holy Spirit to strive and struggle for
holiness. We come to the waters today because by the One who clothed Himself
with our flesh, we hope to drink from the River, flowing from His Sacred Heart,
which pours forth eternal life.
I
would like to conclude with the great words from a sermon by Saint Gregory
Nazianzen:
Today let us do honor to Christ’s baptism and celebrate this
feast in holiness. Be cleansed entirely and continue to be cleansed. Nothing
gives such pleasure to God as the conversion and salvation of men, for whom his
every word and every revelation exist. He wants you to become a living force
for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as
you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of him who is the
light of heaven. You are to enjoy more and more the pure and dazzling light of
the Trinity, as now you have received – though not in its fullness – a ray of
its splendor, proceeding from the one God, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be
glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.
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Enjoy the journey . . .
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