Baptism Of Our Lord

Today ends the Christmas Season, but hopeful not the gifts of that season: Joy to the World and Peace to all of good will. Christmas started with Jesus taking on our humanity. The divine became human. Today that action becomes a full circle when the Baptism of Jesus invites us human to enter into the divine.



Today is also the end of a trilogy of epiphanies, manifestations, disclosures. They do not end all the epiphanies or manifestations of Jesus as the Lord of the Universe, the Light of the Nations, a Life offered to all peoples.

2.  It started with Yahweh fulfilling the promise made to the people of Israel. A saviour is born to them. The messiah will follow in the footsteps of King David who began as a shepherd. Jesus who will call himself the Good shepherd is first manifested by a host of angels - to shepherds in the fields.

But salvation is not limited to only the People of Israel. Jesus himself will say at the ascension : "Go out to the whole world beginning from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth." Acts 1:8. An so the good news is show to the Wisemen of the East. They follow a Star.

But like a proud mama or proud papa, God is not content with sending Angels and a Star to announce the Messiah. God comes in person. "This is my beloved in whom I am well pleased.

3.  There will be other minor manifestations and epiphanies when the Apostles will exclaim, "Who is this that even the seas obey him." or "Who is this that even the spirits obey him" or "Who is this who speak with authority unlike our Scribes and Pharisees." There are two other major epiphanies, but we will leave that to the Season of Lent, which this year will start very early.

When American writer Maya Angelou was growing up she didn't see her Mother very much. She was brought up in great part by her grand mother .  When she was twenty years old, Maya took a trip to San Francisco to visit her mother. It was a particularly important yet vulnerable moment in Maya's life. She had quite a good meeting with her mother. It was time to leave.

As they parted, her mother said, "I THINK YOU ARE THE GREATEST WOMAN I HAVE EVER MET." Years later Maya could still recall that moment vividly.

She thought, "Suppose I really am somebody."  Maya went on to become a highly successful and respected writer and poet.

Affirmation is such an important part of our life. It is so important for our self worth and dignity.

4.  At his baptism, Jesus too was affirmed. It seems from reading the Gospel, Jesus alone saw the heavens open. However the affirmation: "this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" was heard by all.

What an affirmation, what a seal of approval, what an encouragement. It will give support and strength and courage all through the Public Life of Jesus. It will be of tremendous value especially in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus will say, "Let this chalice pass me by, but Let not my will, but yours be done."

Affirmations of our self worth, confirmation of our dignity is about the best gifts our parents can give to their children, a parish community can give to its members, a priest can give to his people.

5.  In the first reading we have another affirmation, another confirmation of a people. "This is my servant in whom my soul delights." Scholars tell us that the Servant did not refer to an individual person, but the whole people of Israel. God's declaration of the love for the People of Israel is seen at various times, and through various prophets. The one we know best and gives us most consolation is when God says, "You will be my people and I will be your God."

However the Servant could also refer to a prophet of old. The church today uses it as applying to or referring to Jesus. As we celebrate this feast, we could take this a step further. Since we are members of the Body of Christ, - it is applied to this community as a whole and each one of your individually: You are God's servant and God takes delight in you.

6.  However, being a servant of God is also a challenge. It is a challenge to live our baptismal mandate to be Priest, Prophet and King.

The Church has used the very meaningful ritual of anointing each baptised as Priest Prophet and King. And perhaps in this small part of the Baptismal rite we can find a lot of meaning.

As priests we do not only offer bread and wine on the Altar. But as Teilhard de Chardin would say, we offer the groaning and the cranking of the ugly tractor seen for the last six months across the road as Wellesley  Hospital was torn down. We offer the symphony of the sunrise and sunset, we offer the birds, the animals and fish - and all the beauty of the Earth which does not have arms to raise in offering nor a voice to raise in God's praises.

As Prophets, we continue to speak God's words, "You are my people and I am your God." - we speak it to the people of Sri Lanka and the Philippines, to Indonesia and Somalia. We speak in support of them as we cry when they cry, as we hope when they hope, as we reach out and help to raise a roof so that the children may go back to school. We speak of a God that still cares even though diseases like cancer and Alzheimers, broken marriages and dysfunctional families seem to say the opposite.

As Kings we learn to treat everyone with love respect and honour, since

each one of us is not just a number, a statistic, a cypher as we see the bodies washed up. We have a name, a dignity. God has called us by our name, taken us by our hand and even called us friend.