The Baptism of the Lord
What are you good at? I mean, what is it you really love doing or being… and you are good at it? I have someone who does housekeeping for me once a week. She has been with me for about five years. When she was new to my place, one of the things she told me was that she loves to clean. I did not believe her. But then, I could see it in her work. She did not just work at my place. She cleaned. She didn’t just clean. She cared for me and my space. She constantly watches videos on better ways to clean the oven, the stove, the floor, the carpet. I love the way she folds my laundry and puts them back, the way she makes the bed, the way to place smells when she is done. She even makes a flower out of the toilet paper. I feel happy coming back home when has cleaned. One day I said to her, “You don’t just clean, you care! Thank you!”
Back to my original question. What is that you love? What are you good at? I love being a priest, for example, and I think I am good at teaching. I can talk to children and adults about the same thing and make it relatable.
This leads me to my next question, “Are we good at being Christian?” It is our baptism that makes us Christian. Are we good at it?
The Baptism of Jesus
It all begins with the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus Baptism confirmed three things for him - his identity, his call, and his mission. He was already Son. Yet, the voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son!” (Mt 3:17). From his identity flowed his call and his mission. Isaiah’s prophecy in today’s first reading reveals his mission - “He will bring forth justice to the nations.” He continues, “I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, 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” (Is 42:6-7).
We know from the Gospels that Jesus lived up to his identity, his call, and his mission. He was good at being Son. He was good at his answering his call. He was good at his mission. He became the light for the nations. He opened the eyes of the blind. He set prisoners free. He gave hope to those who lived in darkness. He healed, he reconciled, he gave hope, he brought comfort, he brought life. He broke down walls, reconciled peoples, raised up the poor, and made God accessible to all, especially the most abandoned. Jesus loved being who he was. He loved answering his call, He loved doing what he did. He loved it so much that he gave his life for it.
Our Baptism
Our baptism flows from the baptism of Jesus. We think of our baptism as a Sacrament. We know that at baptism our original sins are washed away and that we receive the new life of Christ. Just like Jesus, every human person is a child of God. But baptism signifies a spiritual rebirth. It united us with Christ. It gives us a new identity by conferring the Spirit of adoption. By our divine creation we are already God’s children just as Jesus was already Son. But at baptism we receive a renewed adoption as sons and daughters of God.
There is still something deeper. Our baptism is a participation in the baptism of Jesus. This has implications. The identity of Jesus is also our identity. The call of Jesus is also our call. Jesus’ mission also becomes our mission.
But I want to approach this is some humility and realism. None of us are called to save the world like Jesus. None of us are called to be Jesus. What we are called to is to be good at being God’s sons and daughters. We have to be good at being Christian. We have to be good at our baptismal call. We have to good at the mission entrusted to us.
In our humble yet sure way this means that, like Jesus, we only give hope, we only spread love, we only bring healing, we only strive for reconciliation, we only bring life, we only give comfort, we only spread the light. By being good at Christianity means being good at compassion, at humility, at forgiveness, at caring for the vulnerable, at unity, at loving even our enemies, at self-sacrifice, at selfless generosity, at having a clean heart, at meekness, at being peacemakers, at simplicity and poverty of spirit. Anything contrary is unchristian.
A Life Pleasing to God
Twice in today’s readings we hear the phrase, “with whom I am well pleased.” Isaiah says, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am well pleased” (Is 42:1). When Jesus was baptized, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). In one sense, our baptismal call and mission is to please God. After all, it is God who has created us, who gives us our identity, who calls us and makes us sharers in Christ’s mission.
It would such a great honor if at the very end of our lives, God would say of us, “This is my beloved son/daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” Let us live our lives in a way that this is how the story of our life on earth ends. The way to make this happen is to be good at our Christian identity, our Christian calling and mission.
Today, we bring our God given identity, call, and mission to the altar. Just as the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, may our lives be pleasing to God. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph