Baptism of the Lord 2023 - A share in the divine life

 The Christmas season concludes with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. 

It may seem strange to conclude season of the Lord’s birth with an event taking place 30 years later, but this Feast commemorates a very important truth related to the reason we celebrate Christmas at all.

At Christmas, when Christ was born, we believe that God, who loves us so much, plunged himself into our world; the omnipotent God became one of us, sharing our humanity.  When we are baptized, we are plunged into the life of God; through the waters of baptism we became sharers in his divinity.

So the Lord’s Baptism is an important link in the chain between his saving birth and our new birth in the Sacrament of Baptism.

At the Lord’s Baptism, it was revealed by the voice of the Father speaking from heaven, and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus indeed was the incarnate Son of God. And in our baptism, we receive adoption by God as “sons in the son” as St. Paul writes.

Pope Saint Leo the Great, would give special catechism lessons to the newly baptized. In his famous instruction, he said, "Christians, recognize your dignity. And, now that you share in God's own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God."  

Never forget! Recalling that we are baptized should bring us joy when we are sad, and strength when we are tempted. A powerful way to fight off temptation is to recall our baptism.  To say to ourselves, “wait, I’m a Christian, I’m not supposed to do that; I’m not supposed to talk like that. I’m supposed to act like Christ.”  

For Baptism is more than just a symbolic ceremony where we express our faith; in Baptism, as he does in all the Sacraments, God does something for us that we cannot do ourselves.  He gives us a sharing in his divine life, a share in the power and strength by which Christ overcame sin and death on the cross.

This is the greatest of the Christmas gifts—the gift of salvation—the gift which overcomes the power of darkness and evil and death, the gift of eternal life. 

May the grace of our baptism be renewed and flourish within us, strengthening us in our mission to “go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that Christ commands and baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all members of the Church may live out their baptismal call with greater conviction and faithfulness.

For all those to be baptized, especially those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil:  that they may be open to the grace of conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ.

For the conversion of all those who dwell in the darkness of sin and ignorance of God and His commandments: that the mercy of Jesus Christ will bring light to their minds and hearts.  

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

Baptism of the Lord 2022 - Embraced by God

 
On the feast of the Lord’s Nativity—on Christmas—we celebrated how the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin in a stable in the midst of night in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. Part of the tenderness of Christmas, no, is to contemplate how on that cold night, Our Lady embraced the Christ child, and gazed into his eyes, and held him close, nursing him for the first time. Also St. Joseph embraced him, committing to guard him, protect him, labor for him. In addition to our Lady and St. Joseph, we consider too how the jewish shepherds left their flocks in order to come and embrace the newborn lamb of God.

Last Sunday, on the feast of the Epiphany, we celebrated the first gentiles, the first non-Jews, to embrace the Christ child. Magi from the East scoured the biblical prophecies and scoured the night sky, and sought him out, and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They embraced him through faith, and they embraced him with adoration.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Lord’s Baptism.  If he was embraced by Mary and Joseph and the shepherds on Christmas, and if he was embraced by the Magi from the east on the Epiphany, in a sense we can say, that Christ is embraced at his baptism by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. 

Where at Christmas, the mother caressed the tender baby on her lap at Christmas; at his baptism the Father enshrines his Son with his loving testimony: “this is my beloved son”. Where the mother held loft the child for the Magi to adore on the Epiphany; at the Baptism the Father reveals that his Son is to be obeyed by all the nations—“listen to Him” says the Father. Obey him. Where the stars at Christmas, pointed to the Son’s identity, at the Baptism the Holy Spirit anoints the Son for his mission—as Christ and Lord—to save us from our sins.

He is embraced by Mary and Joseph, he is embraced by shepherds, he is embraced by Magi, he is embraced by the Father and the Holy Spirit. If the feast of Christmas, and the Christmas feasts of Holy Family and Epiphany and today’s feast of the baptism teach us anything, is that Christ is to be embraced. Embrace—embrazzio—literally means to wrap your arms around him…but not just your arms, but your mind, your heart, and your life. Have you truly embraced him this Christmas?

The Feast of the Baptism is also cause for us to consider what happens when Christians celebrate the Sacrament of baptism. God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, embrace us. We are embraced by God and brought into new relationship with God. The word baptism, literally means, to immerse. When we were immersed in the waters of baptism, we were being embraced by God in an embrace of love and spiritual adoption. 

The entire Christian life can be said to be a response of being embraced by God. Our days and our deeds, our attitudes and our decisions, are to be constantly guided by this knowledge and experience of being lovingly embraced by God in our baptism. It’s certainly something that should get us out of bed in the morning and inspire and motivate us on to remain on the straight and narrow path.

Sadly, fallen human nature often rejects that embrace, don’t we. Like an obstinate child who refuses to sit still, the lie enters our heads that we will be happier if we break free, if we make our own way, if we follow our own impulses. We can fall so deeply into sin, that we forget altogether about God’s embrace.

Now you might say, “I don’t feel embraced by God, I don’t feel like God loves me,” this is certainly a sign that you need some time in quiet prayer, a good examination of our lives, probably a good confession, perhaps even a real spiritual retreat. When we allow television and internet and worldly anxieties to take the place of faith, it’s no surprise we feel disconnected from God. 

Tomorrow/Today, at the 11 o’clock mass, we will be celebrating two rites of the RCIA process, the rite of acceptance and the rite of welcoming. In the rite of acceptance, those who have never been baptized will state their intention in front of this community their desire to officially seek baptism and full initiation in the Church. To be embraced by God and the Church through the holy sacraments. In the rite of welcoming, those who have already been baptized outside of full communion with the Church, will state their intentions to officially seek full reception into the Catholic Church.

In these rites, the Church embraces these souls, promising to pray for them, to assist them in any way we can, as they seek full participation in the sacramental, ecclesial, and charitable life of the Catholic Church. We are to set good example for them, living not simply by the values of the world, but by the wisdom of God, and show them what it means to be Catholic—to embrace our beautiful Catholic traditions, devotions, sacraments, charitable endeavors, and living in peace with one another. 

This is a new year, and we are certainly being invited to embrace Christ, God, and the things of God in a deeper way. But if we are embracing worldly things—if our arms and lives are wrapped around worldly things—how can we embrace God? So there are some things we have to let go of. We have to let go of foolishness in order to embrace wisdom. We have to let go of comfortable lies in order to embrace truth, we have to let go of selfishness in order to embrace generosity, we have to let go of worldly vices in order to embrace the pursuit of sanctity. We need give up embracing the godless ways and worldly desires, as St. Paul writes to Titus, to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, by embracing Christ.

May the Holy Spirit assist all of us to give up all that keeps us from embracing Christ with our minds, our hearts, and our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Baptism of the Lord 2021 - Most important moment in one's life

 A few years ago, on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Cardinal Dolan of New York was reflecting upon an experience he had the previous week. The Cardinal relayed how the week prior, he was up in Buffalo for the funeral of one of his brother bishops, Bishop Bernard McLaughlin who was born in 1912. Bishop McClaughlin had died at the venerable age of 102, he would have been that year a priest of 80 years and a bishop for 47 years. And as the Cardinal approached the casket of his brother bishop, he thought of all the wonderful things that the Bishop had done and accomplished and seen: the abundant gifts that filled his life, the honors he received, and the good work for the Lord of which the good bishop had been an instrument. But as the Cardinal approached the bishop’s casket, and prepared to sprinkle it with holy water, he thought how nothing, nothing that Bishop McLaughlin did compared to what happened to him, what God did for him, when he was two weeks old, when his mom and dad and grandparents carried him to church to be baptized.

Cardinal Dolan thought of this as he was blessing the casket while utter those beautiful prayer from the funeral ritual “In the waters of baptism Bernard died with Christ and rose with him to new life”. The power, the significance of the sacrament of baptism cannot be overvalued. What happens to us at baptism, what God does for us in baptism, is the most important thing that will ever happen to us.

As we consider the significance of Christian baptism on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, remember…when the Lord allowed himself to be baptized by John in the Jordan, the Lord didn’t need baptism. Rather, he goes down into the waters of the Jordan to set-up and establish the importance of baptism for his followers—for the Church. Jesus didn’t need baptism in order to share in the life of God, because he is God. But we’re not, so we do. We are the ones born with souls shattered by sin—souls incapable of possessing the sanctifying grace of God. We need the Sacrament of Baptism to restore what was broken, to heal what was rent asunder by sin. So, Baptism is of the utmost importance, for through it, God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves; he restores the life of our souls and sets us upon the road to eternal life. 

Last week, we celebrated the great feast of the Epiphany, in which, the light of the Christmas star and the gifts of the shepherds reveal that the babe born at Bethlehem is no ordinary baby. He is king, priest, and Savior.

Well, the early Church saw today’s feast, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, as a sort of second Epiphany in the life of Our Lord.  

Where in the first Epiphany, Jesus was revealed as king, priest, and savior. Today’s feast reveals him to be God. Much like the Christmas star, and those gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh reveal something of Jesus’ identity, now the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the form of a dove, and the voice of the father from heaven reveal that Jesus Christ truly is the divine Son of God. He is God.

And when we come forward for baptism, we are testifying, we are proclaiming our belief that Jesus is God, that he gives me new life through these saving waters of baptism.

“Who indeed is the victor over the world” asks John in the second reading, “but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” 

This week, we saw a lot of ugliness in the world—and a lot of irrational rhetoric. But, I did see a wonderful quote that helped put things in perspective for me. Patricia Heaton, one of the rare Catholic Hollywood actresses, from Bay Village, Ohio by the way, said, “ if you’re a common sense person, you probably don’t feel you have a home in this world right now. If you’re a Christian, you know that you were never meant to”. It’s a fitting quote for us today. It’s not saying that we shouldn’t be involved in political life, or we shouldn’t stand up for justice, but it’s a reminder that we must never lose sight of the real reason we are here. We’re not here to transform the world into some sort of utopia through any means, but to prepare our souls for the world to come. To be in the world, but not OF the world, like Our Lord. Sometimes earthly affairs and anxieties cause us to lose sight of our eternal goal. Keeping our eyes on heaven often comes with great difficulty, but the saints show us that this is possible—it is possible to make our souls union with God, our highest priority.

Tomorrow/today at the 11am mass, three souls who have been participating in our parish RCIA program will enter through the Church doors for the Rite of Acceptance. And I will ask them two questions.  I’ll ask them What do you ask of God’s Church?  They answered: Faith. And then I’ll ask “what does Faith offer you” And they’ll answer “Eternal Life.”

What a wonderful amazing thing, that these three people from diverse backgrounds, jobs, and families, will come here, because they believe that through the Church, through the Sacraments of the Church, they will receive eternal life. 

Our very first session of RCIA I asked them, why are you here?  How did the path of your life lead here?  Some said, I want to know more about the Catholic faith.  I want to be Catholic.  I want to share the faith of my family.  I have come to recognize that the Catholic Faith is true.

For many of us: we were baptized as infants and received our religious instruction as children.  But, I think each of us realizes that being Catholic is not just a choice that was made for us, when we were baptized as infants.  It is a choice we make daily--to cooperate with the grace of our baptism daily.  A choice to believe and profess all the Church teaches. A commitment of our lives daily to God’s care.  A choice to avoid the things that are harmful to our souls.  A decision to cooperate with God so that the grace of baptism is not stifled in our lives, but is allowed to unfold and blossom daily.

Again, this ritual that Bruce, Angela, and Amanda will undergo tomorrow is called the Rite of Acceptance. It’s one of the rituals that proceeds their reception of the Sacrament of Baptism and full initiation into the Church. And it’s called the Rite of Acceptance for a number of reasons. One, because they are accepting the teachings, and practice of the Church, they are accepting that the faith of the Church leads to eternal life. Secondly, it’s called the rite of acceptance because the church is accepting them into the order of catechuments; we who are already baptized members of the Church are accepting the responsibility of praying for them, praying for their continual conversion and for their safety as they approach the waters of baptism and sacraments of initiation. Thirdly, it's a sign too, that God accepts them, God accepts them to become his children in the life of grace, He accepts them to receive His very life. So in addition to praying for them at Mass over the next few months, remember them in your personal prayers from time to time; that those preparing for baptism, which will be for them, the most important day of your life, may respond well to God working in their life.

Bruce, Angela and Amanda choose freely to be here tomorrow/today.  But also because God HAS been working in their lives to bring them here.  God has worked through the members of this parish saying yes to our baptismal call, God has been working through the testimony of our faithful parishioners to enkindle in our catechumens the fire of faith.  They are here in answer to our prayers.  So, continue to pray for them as they continue their journey towards full initiation in the Church at Easter.  When you see them at Mass, greet them, let them know that you are praying for them.    

In a few moments we will each personally recite the Profession of Faith.  This is the faith of the Church, this is the faith of the Baptized.  We are proud to profess it.  We look forward to the day that our catechumens will profess it with us as full members of the Church, and that we stand together in the halls of heaven for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday after Epiphany 2021 - Whoever possesses the Son has life

 We are situated this week between the last two great feasts of the Christmas season: the feast of the Epiphany, last Sunday, and the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, in just a few days.  

The early Church saw the Baptism of the Lord as a second Epiphany in the life of Our Lord.  

Where in the first Epiphany, Jesus was revealed as the Savior, not just for Israel, but for the entire world.  This Sunday, we will hear how, as Jesus is baptized in the Jordan, much like the Epiphany Star shines upon the babe at bethlehem, now the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, revealing even more of who Jesus is. He is not just a human Messiah, he is the second person of the Trinity, the son of the Father. 

As we heard in our first reading, the Spirit testifies to who Jesus is. He is the Son of God.

If he were not, he would have no power to make us clean. The water and the blood would have no power, if he were just a man. 

Our Gospel reading also sheds light onto the Lord’s identity. The healing of the leper reveals that God does not recoil from our sins and diseases. Yes, he is the holy one of God, the most high, he is life itself, immaculate holiness and divinity. Yet, Jesus, the Son of God, God incarnate, reaches out and touches the leper. Holiness itself draws close to us who have lost original holiness due to heinous sin in order to make us whole and clean and full of life again and like himself.

The broken jar is able to be fixed, it is not irreparable; we are able to possess the life of God again. So much so, that John, in the first reading, says that “Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.” God does not wish us to lifeless because of sin. He entered the world, in the poverty and cold of Christmas, so that he may enter more deeply into our very lifeless souls to be our life. 

Today, we like the leper in the Gospel, do well to fall prostrate before the Lord, and plead, Lord make me clean, in all ways, in every way, make me clean, restore me to life, fill me with your life, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis and all the clergy: that they will draw many to the mystery of baptism and inspire the faithful to live their baptismal promises with great devotion. 

For leaders of nations: that they will govern with virtue and integrity, helping to build society in conformity with the teachings of Christ.  

For non-believers and for those preparing for baptism: that they may be open to the grace of conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ.  

For the sick, suffering, persecuted, and underemployed, and all those facing hardships.  

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.  

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

Baptism of the Lord 2020 - Healing those oppressed by the devil

For Catholics, the Christmas Season is marked by three great Feasts.  The Feast of the Lord’s Nativity, the Feast of Epiphany, and today’s feast of the Lord’s Baptism.

On Christmas, we journeyed with the humble shepherds to the manger in Bethlehem.  The poor shepherds give testimony: God draws near to the poor and the lowly.  The Most High God doesn’t simply love us from a distance, he comes into the grime and the muck of humanity—into poverty, filth, obscurity, and suffering to be among us, to save us from our sins, and to show us the way to true peace and freedom

At Epiphany, we journeyed with wise men from the east bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  The gold testified that he was a king, the frankincense testified that was God, , and the myrrh testified that he would die for us.  To be wise is to seek Him out, to kneel before him, to place our lives in his service.

On this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, fast forward 30 years from Bethlehem. Jesus goes down to the Jordan to be baptized by John. As water is poured, the Holy Spirit descends like a Dove and the voice from heaven speaks.  So, at Christmas, we had shepherds testifying to Jesus’ identify, on Epiphany we had the wise men testifying who Jesus is, now at his Baptism, not only is John the Baptist testifying to Jesus’ Identity, but God the Father and God the Holy Spirit show up as well, to testify that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus is not just a wise philosopher like Socrates, he’s not just a moral teacher or spiritual guru .  He’s not a peace activist or political figure working for some earthly utopia. He is God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. His teachings are not just opinions; they are not amalgamations of human wisdom.

Nor has he come simply to teach us theological formulations or inspiring aphorisms. St. Peter explaining to a small group in the house of Cornelius says in our second reading, that Jesus came to heal those oppressed by the devil. St. John in his first new testament letter echoes this point. John writes, “This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.” Sin is so abominable in the sight of God that its various forms are said to be "the works of the devil." And Jesus has come to heal the effects of sin, to overthrow the kingdom of Satan. He came to wage war with the devil, and his baptism marks the beginning of this great and cosmic battle. As soldiers were anointed with oil before battle, Jesus, at his Baptism, is anointed by the Holy Spirit and blessed by his Father for this battle.

If we were to read on in Matthew's Gospel, following the passage we just heard, the Lord is immediately driven out into the desert by the Spirit where he fasts and is tempted by the devil. The Lord wins that first desert skirmish, a foreshadowing of his ultimate victory on the cross. But the Lord came not simply to resist the devil but to overthrow him. The victory, the coup, would occur on Calvary.

The Feast of the Baptism not only calls to mind the Lord’s baptism, but reminds us of our own. We who have been baptized, have been baptized into his saving death, as St. paul says. When we are baptized, the devil’s hold on us in unraveled, the effects of his malice upon us begin to be healed. We are given the strength to withstand the devil’s temptations, like our Lord in the desert.

But again, just as the Lord came not simply to withstand, but to destroy the works of the devil, so are we, by baptism, empowered for that same mission. We are empowered to be forces for good in the world, instruments of God, members of the fighting force against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, in winning back souls from the devil’s grasp, lifting the oppression of sin, and error, and confusion, and shame which comes from sin. Baptism reopens a conduit to heaven that had been closed by sin, a blockage which delighted the enemy. But because the life of Christ flows into the souls of the baptized, united with Him, we are empowered to bring the Lord’s power and love into hopeless, desperate situations, to work for peace and reconciliation, to bring the most hardened souls back to God. Baptism enables us to become with Christ, in the words of Isaiah in our first reading “a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.”

I am fond of recalling on this feast the catechism lesson Pope Saint Leo the Great would give to the newly baptized of Rome. He would instruct them, "Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God's own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God."

What powerful words that we should never forget. Recalling that we are baptized should bring us joy when we are sad, fortification to work against injustice, and strength when we are tempted, A powerful way to fight off temptation is to recall our baptism.  To say to ourselves, “wait, I’m a Christian, I’m not supposed to do that; I’m not supposed to talk like that. I’m supposed to act like Christ. I'm not supposed to ignore the needs of my brother. Christ, sustain me. Christ, heal me. Christ, you are my life and my love.”

Baptism is more than just a symbolic ceremony where we express our faith. Baptism is the greatest of the Christmas gifts—the gift of salvation, the gift which heals the oppression of the devil and unravels his works, the gift of God’s divine life within us, a share in his kingdom, power, and glory.
May the grace of our baptism be renewed and flourish within us, strengthening us in our mission to “go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that Christ commands and baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Baptism of the Lord 2019 - Something New

Where have we been and where are we going this liturgical year? The Liturgical Year began with the season of Advent. We heard from the prophecies of Isaiah, the promises of God to send a Savior to Israel, and we heard those same prophecies echoed in the preaching of John the Baptist. And concluding Advent, we heard God’s promises beginning to be fulfilled, as the maiden of Nazareth consented to God’s Holy Will, and the word took flesh in the Virgin Mary's womb.

Advent longing made way for Christmas rejoicing at the birth of Our Savior, God made flesh. We traveled with humble shepherds to adore him who was born into the humble poverty of the Bethlehem stable. Last week, we celebrated the great feast of the Epiphany, and traveled with wise men from the east. What made them wise? They set out on the great journey—the greatest journey: to find God. They left their worldly comforts that they could behold the face of the Christ. And upon finding him, they honored him as God and King and Savior.

We celebrate now, at the end of the Christmas season, the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. Fast forward 30 years from Bethlehem. For 30 years, the one named Jesus, lived in virtual obscurity. These are sometimes called the hidden years of Jesus’ life because Scripture does not go into detail into the intervening years between the Lord’s birth and the beginning of his public ministry. What we do know is that during the greater part of his life, Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of the human race: a life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labor.

Jesus lived a life of simple faith, obedient to Mary and Joseph in the house of Nazareth.  He learned the carpenter’s trade, he worked with his hands, he worshiped at synagogue, he made pilgrimages to Jerusalem and celebrated the Jewish Feasts, and he he lived a life of virtue, preparing for his great mission of preaching the Gospel and dying for the atonement of our sins.

Around the age of 30, Jesus’ cousin, John, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah was preaching a baptism of repentance down at the Jordan River, at the very spot where Israel had come into the promised land after 40 years in the desert, the very spot where Elijah was taken up into heaven on a flaming chariot.  In fact, John was dressed quite a bit like old Elijah and proclaiming Elijah’s warning: “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

At the Jordan, Jesus’ season of hiddenness came to an end and the season of his public ministry began—a time of miracles, and healings, where the power of God’s kingdom would be manifest. “It was time” to do battle with the forces of evil and the prince of darkness.  “It was time” to fulfill his Father’s will, no matter how much suffering he would have to endure.

Throughout the upcoming Liturgical Season of Ordinary Time we will hear and reflect upon the Lord’s words and works. But I think it is quite significant that the season of Christmas, in which Christ is adored and honored as God, ends with this event, his baptism, in which he associated Himself with us. John preached to sinners, that sinners should turn their lives over to God, and to mark that new beginning with a ritual, with baptism. And Jesus underwent that ritual. The sinless Son of God associated himself with sinners.

If Christmas has taught us anything, it’s that God is not interested in remaining distant from us. He is born into poverty like most people in human history. He lived a hidden life of manual labor like most people in human history. And in his baptism he identifies with all of us needing to hand over our lives to God to make a new beginning, an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness.

So that’s where we’ve been: in a season of hearing about how God wants to break into our lives. Where are we going? Ordinary Time. Monday morning, I will don the Green Vestments once again. Why Green? Because Green is the color of growth. And in Ordinary Time, we focus on the spiritual growth the Christian Disciple is to always be seeking.

What does spiritual growth consist of? Becoming more like Christ. Allowing Christ to live in us. Christ yearns to live through the members of his mystical body, and that means we must learn to place Christ at the center of everything we do and say and are: including Him in our daily schedules and activities, meals, chores, conversations, parenting, work, vacations, civic responsibilities, decisions, problems, crises, accomplishments, and losses. It means going down into the waters with him and rising out of them with less selfishness, perversion, greed, sloth, anger, and impatience. It means allowing the whole of your life to become charged and changed by God’s presence—allowing the grace of our baptism, and the grace of the sacraments to unfold in your life, to bear new spiritual fruit.

Every season ends that it may give way to something new. Christmas ends, that the one born at Christmas, may impact, infuse, change, and transform our Ordinary Lives. Today, the Christmas season ends and the season of Ordinary Time begins, a season where each of us are to focus on putting the teachings of Jesus Christ into practice in our ordinary day-to-day lives.

So we do well to consider: what from our past needs to come to end that we may begin something new? What vices need to end that we may more faithfully live out our baptismal discipleship? Where in my life does spiritual sloth need to come to an end so that new spiritual practices may begin: daily scripture reading, visits to the blessed Sacrament throughout the week, a daily rosary perhaps, time volunteering at your parish. Where does lust need to be put an end, in order to begin a new life of purity. Where does resentment and bitterness need to come to an end, in order to begin a new season of peace and gentleness and gratitude and joy?

Pope Benedict wrote: “Immersion in the water (of baptism) is about purification, about liberation from the filth of the past that burdens and distorts life—it is about beginning again, and that means it is about death and resurrection, about starting life over again anew…in a world marked by sin, it is a Yes to the entire will of God and solidarity with our estranged brother.”

May all that is sinful come to an end, that, in the words of our second reading, we may reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ,” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Friday after Epiphany 2019 - Jesus desires to make us clean

Situated between the last two great feasts of the Christmas season: the feast of the Epiphany, last Sunday, and the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, our Gospel reading today reveals something about the Lord, while at the same time prepares us for the feast of the baptism this Sunday.  What does the healing of the leper reveal about Jesus?

The healing of the leper reveals that God the Holy One, does not recoil from the sinner, but draws near, “he does wish to make us clean”. Jesus is the Word that brings salvation, that hand God extends even to the most grievous sinner. Lepers were treated as the most cursed of men, and Jesus embracing and healing the leper shows that the heart of God desires to free man from the curse that oppresses him. There is no sin so heinous that the Lord will not gladly forgive us, make us clean, when we come to him with a repentant heart.

People with leprosy were driven out of their community—alienated from their families—because of their contagious, disfiguring disease.  Jesus embraces the leper and enables him to be reconciled and rejoined to His family and community.

Today’s reading prepares us to celebrate the Lord’s Baptism this weekend, as the final feast of the Christmas season. The babe born in Bethlehem gives us new birth in the waters of Baptism. The cure for the leprosy of sin, the remedy for death itself, is found in those waters. In baptism, sinful man, alienated from God, is washed of sin, reconciled to God, and brought into the new communion of the Church.

As we come to the end of the Christmas season, celebrating the birth of our Savior, the Church urges us to consider our baptism, in which we received new life in Christ, that we may be ever more faithful to Him, and live out our baptismal call with renewed fervor and conviction for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For Pope Francis and all the clergy: that they will draw many to the mystery of baptism and inspire the faithful to live their baptismal promises with great devotion.

For leaders of nations: that they will govern with virtue and integrity, helping to build society in conformity with the teachings of Christ. 

For non-believers and for those preparing for baptism: that they may be open to the grace of conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ. 

For the sick, suffering, persecuted, and underemployed, and all those facing hardships. 

For all those who have died, for all the poor souls in purgatory, for those who have fought and died for our country’s freedom, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered. 

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

Tuesday after Epiphany 2019 - Feeding the spiritually malnourished

This week we are between two feasts: the Epiphany of the Lord and the Baptism of the Lord.  At the Epiphany Jesus as revealed as a light to all nations.  At the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River, Jesus will be revealed as the Only-begotten son of the Father.  When he is baptized, the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends upon him, and the voice of the Father says, “This is my beloved Son”.
These two feasts are linked in the mind of the Church by that theme of revelation—the revelation of Jesus’s true identity—his identity as Savior and Son and God.

This theme of revelation permeates the readings this week.  Yesterday we heard Matthew’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ preaching and teaching throughout Galilee.  The paralyzed, the possessed, the lame were brought to him for healing.  Jesus is revealed as the one who brings healing.

Today we proclaim one of Jesus’ most famous miracles: the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.  Jesus reveals God’s great love for us, that he desires to feed the hungry.  He is moved with pity by our hunger.  And he doesn’t just feed us from afar, but has entered into our world of hunger, he has become one of the hungry, but is also revealed as the one capable of feeding.  For if he can feed five thousand from five loaves and two fish, he has the power to feed all those who come to him, in abundance. 

Jesus calls us to similar concern for the hungry, both the physically and spiritually malnourished.  So many people have lost their appetite for the spiritual nourishment of God’s Word and Sacraments because they have so deeply indulged in the food of worldliness.  Our job, perhaps, is to help wean them off the world by instilling a hunger for the truth of Christ, by presenting the truth, good, and beauty that only comes from him.

Also, notice that the Lord performs this great miracle of the feeding of the multitude by taking the little that is possessed by the people and transforms it into food for the multitudes.  What is not brought to him is not transformed.  But what is brought to him is blessed and multiplied and shared.
The Lord has real concern for our hunger, real concern for those who continue to turn away from his banquet.  And he will use us, if we bring him our time, talent, and treasure, for the feeding of hungry souls, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For a deeper devotion to the Eucharist among all Catholics, that our Eucharistic worship might inspire non-believers to seek and find the Lord.

For those spiritually malnourished souls who do not look to God to satisfy the longing in their hearts.
That our Catholic schools and PSR programs may be places where the Lord Jesus is sought out and discovered, where faith is instilled and charity is inspired.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, that many young people may respond generously to the Lord’s call to ordained and consecrated service.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

Baptism of the Lord 2018 - "Christians, recognize your dignity!"

The Christmas season concludes with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

It may seem strange to conclude this season in which we celebrate the Lord’s birth with an event taking place 30 years after Christmas, but this Feast commemorates a very important truth related to the reason we celebrate Christmas at all.

At Christmas, when Christ was born, we believe that God, who loves us so much, plunged himself into our world; the omnipotent God became one of us, sharing our humanity. 

At Christmas, God was plunged into humanity and shares our humanity; when we are baptized, we are plunged into the life of God; through the waters of baptism we became sharers in his divinity.
So the Lord’s Baptism is an important link in the chain between his saving birth and our new birth in the Sacrament of Baptism.

At the Lord’s Baptism, it was revealed by the voice of the Father speaking from heaven, and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus indeed was the incarnate Son of God. In our baptism, we receive adoption by God as “sons in the son” as St. Paul writes.

Pope Saint Leo the Great would give special catechism lessons to the newly baptized. He would instruct them, "Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God's own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God." 

Never forget! Recalling that we are baptized should bring us joy when we are sad, and strength when we are tempted. A powerful way to fight off temptation is to recall our baptism.  To say to ourselves, “wait, I’m a Christian, I’m not supposed to do that; I’m not supposed to talk like that. I’m supposed to act like Christ.” 

For Baptism is more than just a symbolic ceremony where we express our faith; in Baptism, as he does in all the Sacraments, God does something for us, that we cannot do ourselves.  He gives us a sharing in his divine life, a share in the power and strength by which Christ overcame sin and death on the cross.

This is the greatest of the Christmas gifts, the gift of salvation, the gift which overcomes the power of darkness and evil and death, the gift of eternal life.

May the grace of our baptism be renewed and flourish within us, strengthening us in our mission to “go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that Christ commands and baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all members of the Church may live out their baptismal call with greater conviction and faithfulness.

For all those to be baptized, especially those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil:  that they may be open to the grace of conversion and the joy of the followers of Christ.

For the conversion of all those who dwell in the darkness of sin and ignorance of God and His commandments: that the mercy of Jesus Christ will bring light to their minds and hearts.  We pray to the Lord.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord