FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

[cappie]

 

In the Gospels of this Christmas season, which began on December 25 and that will end this Sunday with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the authors have been introducing us to Jesus. They have been letting us know who this Jesus is, the one we will be hearing more about in the weeks ahead as the Gospels unfold.
 
In the Gospels of Christmas Day, Luke told us that Jesus was "Christ and Lord" while John proclaimed Jesus to be the Word who was "in the beginning with God" and the light that shines undimmed by the darkness.
 
In the Gospel read on the Feast of the Holy Family, Luke revealed that even as a boy of 12 Jesus was filled with a depth of wisdom and understanding that astounded the teachers in the Temple. He was like no other Jewish boy.
 
In the Gospel for the Epiphany of the Lord, Matthew told us that the birth of Jesus was heralded by a shining star that attracted magi to come with gifts for this "newborn king of the Jews."  
 
Now in this Sunday's Gospel for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Luke 3:15-16, 21-22), Luke summarizes what has been so far revealed about Jesus. Luke makes it abundantly clear that this figure was unlike any other to walk the pages of the Bible or to walk the land of Judah. Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and God's "beloved Son" with whom the Father was well pleased.
 
  We are reminded that as we listen to his words in the Sunday Gospels, we will be hearing God speak to us. We have been reminded that as we hear of him forgiving sinners, healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, driving out demons, and feeding the hungry, we will be seeing the compassion and mercy of God in action. We have been reminded that in Jesus we have a window into the very heart of God.
 
Unless we understand who Jesus truly is, we will never fully appreciate the Gospel - the amazing story of God revealing himself and inviting us to have a personal relationship with him.
The identity of Jesus is all about relationship – his unique relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. His identity as the prophetic Messiah will become manifest in the relationships he establishes with his disciples and those to whom he ministers. He will embody what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed about the Servant of God. Jesus will not proclaim his message by crying out or shouting. He will not crush the bruised reeds of this world – people who are fragile and easily overwhelmed by life. He will not snuff out the flickering lights of hope that people carry in their hearts. This Jesus, sent by the Father and driven by the Spirit, does not crush or overwhelm but offers new life to us. This is who he really is and what he is all about.
 
On this feast, each of us is invited to reflect on our own baptism. In that sacrament our true identity was received and affirmed. Each one of us is a beloved daughter or son of God. As we come to realize our identity more deeply, we are changed. That experience is transformative. It changes the way we envision our lives, other people, and what is really essential in life. It is easy to resist that experience of God’s transformative love because it can seem threatening to us. Sometimes we choose to keep God at arm’s length. But the more we invite God into our lives, the more we come to appreciate that we are God’s beloved sons and daughters. And we become more free, more truly human.
 
Jesus’ experience of living as God’s beloved Son impelled him toward his mission of proclaiming the Reign of God. As God’s beloved daughters and sons, we are commissioned to continue the mission of Jesus -- “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring forth prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” It is by strengthening our relationships with God, with our sisters and brothers in Christ, and with the people we are sent to serve, that we realize our identity – that we become who we really are. Along the path of that journey, God speaks in the hearts of each one of us: “You are my beloved son/daughter; with you I am well pleased.”
 

Edited January 9, 2016 by cappie

[BarbTherese]

Posts much appreciated always