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.
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