13^th January 2008

Theme: “Anointed for a purpose”.

1. The feast of the Baptism of our Lord brings to a conclusion the Christmas Season, yet it does not refer to either the Little Child born in Bethlehem nor does it refer to the Baptism of little babies. It introduces us to Jesus, adult and mature. It is a Jesus who is about to enter his public ministry, a Jesus who travels and teaches, preaches the Kingdom and performs miracles. John calls these miracles – signs.

2. The Baptism of Jesus was for a purpose. Isaiah tells us in Ch. 61. The spirit of the Lord has come upon me, - and in the words of the beautiful hymn we sing:

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor

Tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more

Tell blind people they can see, and set the down trodden free.

3. However the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is not a job description of Jesus but rather a continuation of Last Sunday’s feast of the Epiphany of the Lord to the nations. It is a manifestation by God of the Word made flesh and dwelling in our midst. And so it not what Jesus does, but rather Who Jesus is.

That picture is painted by Isaiah in the first reading: the Anointed one, the Christ will be

Gracious: he will not crush the bruised reed.

Just: he will bring justice to the nations

Courageous he will not grow faint or weary

Constant he will not stop until the coastlands have seen the kingdom.

Not a televangelist or a road side preacher: his voice will not be heard in the streets.

4. Once we have the Christ, the Anointed one presented to us, we have the added good news: This is seen in the second reading. We listen to Peter’s speech to Cornelius, the Roman Army Officer. He is a gentile not a Jew. The good news is that the Gospel is inclusive, not exclusive. All are welcome in this place. The Gospel is not meant only for the rich and famous, only for the saints, only for those who keep the law and only for Catholics. It is for every one. This stuck in craw of the Jews because they knew they were the chosen people of God and therefore they thought they had an edge over others. We Catholics think we have the same prestige: “we are the true faith” all others are flawed.

The story is told of God taking a group of Jews and Muslims through the corridors of heaven. And they approach a certain West Wing, God asks them to lower their voices. When asked why, God says; that wing is where the Catholics are gathered, they think they are the only ones here.

5. The Gospel story of the Baptism of Jesus was rather disconcerting for the early church on two accounts.

First: John was calling sinners to repentance and baptism. If Jesus was sinless, what was he doing in that line of sinners?

Second: John always claimed that the messiah was greater than he was. Who could be greater than Jesus to perform the ritual of baptism for Jesus?

Today we accept the account of Baptism without even stopping to think about these anomalies. We see the baptism of Jesus as a symbolic gesture of humility. If he was like us in all things but sin, he would take on the mantle of a sinner even though he had not sinned, in order to be one like us.

However the Gospel is an opening scene of the Public Life of Jesus. God says “This is my beloved son.” Later on at the Transfiguration we will have the second part of this Manifestation, this revelation of Jesus, when we are told “Listen to him.” It is a matter of “Just don’t stand there, Do something.”

In our western world of hyper activity, it is important however, to stop our incessant activity. It is vital for us to stop and stare at the declaration of the Father, “This is my Son.”

This is the Declaration of the Father

This is the manifestation of the Son, before his Public Life

This is the descent of Holy Spirit on Jesus. We rejoice and are glad because we are part of the Body of Christ and the same Spirit will come on us so that we too may be Gracious and Just, Courageous and Constant in the service of the Kingdom of God