LUKE 3:15-16, 21-22
A PRIEST WAS INTERVIEWING
A YOUNG FATHER. “ARE YOU AND YOUR WIFE PREPARED TO HAVE YOUR CHILD
BAPTIZED?” HE ASKED. “YES, FATHER,” REPLIED THE MAN. “MY
WIFE HAS COOKIES AND CAKES AND SANDWICHES ALL READY TO GO.” “I
MEANT SPIRITUALLY,” REPLIED THE PRIEST. “OH, YES,” SAID THE
NEW DAD. “I'VE GOT A KEG OF BEER AND A CASE OF BOURBON.”
TODAY WHEN WE CELEBRATE
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO REFLECT ON OUR OWN
BAPTISM. WE DO A LOT OF BAPTISMS HERE IN ST. MARY'S, AND DESPITE
EVERYTHING WE DO TO PREPARE OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR
BAPTISM, THE SAD TRUTH IS THAT ONCE THE CEREMONY IS OVER, ONCE THE
PARTY IS OVER, A LOT OF THEM NEVER SEEM TO SHOW UP IN CHURCH
AFTERWARD. DOES BAPTISM ACTUALLY MATTER? AFTER ALL, WE ALL KNOW
GOOD PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN BAPTIZED, AND BAD PEOPLE WHO HAVE. SOME
OF US REMEMBER THE OLD CATECHISM ANSWER – BAPTISM REMOVES ORIGINAL
SIN – BUT UNFORTUNATELY, NOT THE CONSEQUENCES OF ORIGINAL SIN, SO
WE ARE STILL SUBJECT TO DEATH AND SICKNESS, AND WE STILL HAVE A
TENDENCY TO COMMIT PERSONAL SINS. BAPTISM ALSO BRINGS US INTO THE
BODY OF CHRIST AND MAKES US PART OF THE COMMUNITY WE CALL THE CHURCH.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL,
THOUGH, WE WITNESS THE BAPTISM OF JESUS. UP TILL NOW, REMEMBER,
JESUS HASN'T DONE ANYTHING – ANYTHING UNUSUAL, I MEAN. HE'S BEEN A
CARPENTER. HE PROBABLY SPENT SOME TIME AS A FOLLOWER OF JOHN, HIS
COUSIN. BUT THE POINT IS, HE'S BEEN PRETTY ORDINARY. SO MUCH SO
THAT WHEN HE DID START HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY, THE PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM
ASKED, “IS THIS NOT THE SON OF THE CARPENTER?” AND THEY ASKED,
“CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF NAZARETH?” AND WE ARE TOLD THAT
HE COULD NOT WORK MANY MIRACLES IN HIS HOME TOWN, BECAUSE OF THE LACK
OF FAITH.
BUT AN AMAZING THING
HAPPENED AT JESUS' BAPTISM. THE FATHER PROCLAIMS THAT JESUS IS HIS
BELOVED SON. JESUS HAS DONE NOTHING; THE INITIATIVE IS THAT OF GOD
THE FATHER.
A FEW YEARS AGO THERE WAS
A WONDERFUL MOVIE CALLED “AS GOOD AS IT GETS”. JACK NICHOLSON
WAS A RECLUSIVE WRITER WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER. EVERY DAY
HIS ROUTINE HAD TO BE JUST SO. EVERY DAY HE HAS BREAKFAST AT THE SAME
TABLE IN THE SAME RESTAURANT, AND IS SERVED BY THE SAME WAITRESS.
ONE DAY SHE DOESN'T SHOW UP BECAUSE SHE HAS TO TEND TO HER SICK SON.
THE WRITER GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO FIND HER, INITIALLY SO THAT HE CAN
GET BACK TO HIS ROUTINE, BUT FINALLY HE FALLS IN LOVE. HE GRADUALLY
OVERCOMES MANY OF HIS HANG-UPS, AND AT ONE POINT HE SAYS TO HER, “YOU
MAKE ME WANT TO BE A BETTER MAN.”
IN THE BAPTISM OF JESUS,
THE FATHER REACHES OUT TO HIM IN LOVE, CLAIMS HIM, AND BLESSES HIM
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND WE KNOW THE REST OF THAT STORY. JESUS
PROCEEDS TO GIVE HIMSELF ENTIRELY TO THE FATHER, EVEN TO THE POINT OF
SUFFERING AND DYING ON THE CROSS. FROM A DIVINE STANDPOINT, JESUS IS
GOD, OF COURSE; BUT FROM A HUMAN STANDPOINT, THE FREELY GIVEN LOVE OF
THE FATHER MADE JESUS WANT TO BE A BETTER MAN.
WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR
OWN BAPTISMS, WE DON'T BRING ANYTHING TO THE TABLE. IT IS ALWAYS GOD
WHO REACHES OUT TO US, WHO CLAIMS US, AND GIVES US HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
LIKE THE FATHER IN THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON, HE THEN WAITS FOR
US TO RESPOND TO HIS LOVE.
BAPTISM IS FIRST OF ALL,
ABOUT IDENTITY. IN OUR OWN BAPTISM, GOD IDENTIFIES US; I AM HIS
BELOVED CHILD. CERTAINLY NOT BECAUSE I DESERVE IT. BUT IT'S KIND OF
LIKE THE LITTLE BABIES THAT COME TO BE BAPTIZED. THEY CRY, THEY WAKE
THEIR PARENTS UP AT NIGHT, DIAPERS NEED TO BE CHANGED, NOSES NEED TO
BE WIPED – HARDLY A DAY GOES BY THAT THEY DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT
WORRIES MOM AND DAD. BUT THE BABY IS STILL THE BELOVED CHILD OF HIS
PARENTS. THE PARENTS LOVE IS FREELY GIVEN, AND THE BABY DOESN'T
DESERVE IT.
SECOND, BAPTISM IS A
RELATIONSHIP WHICH WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT, BECAUSE IT IS
INITIATED BY GOD. I WAS READING AN ARTICLE THE OTHER DAY ABOUT
“UNBAPTISM” CEREMONIES, USUALLY OCCURRING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES BY
KIDS WHO THINK THERE IS SOMETHING BOLD AND BRAVE ABOUT RENOUNCING
CHRISTIANITY. BUT THEY CAN'T CHANGE THE RELATIONSHIP; GOD STILL
LOVES THEM; FOR GOD, HE OR SHE IS STILL THE BELOVED CHILD. OH, SURE,
WE CAN NEGLECT THE RELATIONSHIP, WE CAN RUN FROM IT, WE CAN IGNORE
IT; BUT WE CAN'T DESTROY IT; ONCE GOD CLAIMS YOU AND I, HE IS NEVER
GOING TO LET US GO.
BUT WHAT IS REALLY
WONDERFUL IS THAT AS WE REFLECT ON THE RELATIONSHIP, WE BEGIN TO SEE
HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, HOW MUCH HE GIVES US. AND IF WE HAVE A SPARK
OF DECENCY IN OUR HEARTS, WE SHOULD FIND OURSELVES WANTING TO BE
BETTER MEN, BETTER WOMEN. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT REAL LOVE DOES, IT
PULLS US OUT OF OURSELVES, IT MAKES US TAKE STOCK, AND IT SHOWS US A
BETTER WAY TO BE.
BAPTISM ISN'T JUST A
ONE-TIME EVENT. IT CHANGES US, AND PUTS US INTO A RELATIONSHIP THAT
NEVER ENDS. EVERY TIME WE COME IN TO CHURCH WE DIP OUR FINGERS IN
HOLY WATER AND SIGN OURSELVES WITH THE CROSS. THAT IS A REMINDER OF
OUR BAPTISM. ON SOME SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS, WATER IS SPRINKLED ON
THE CONGREGATION; THAT IS A REMINDER OF BAPTISM.
BUT I WANT YOU TO THINK
ABOUT YOUR DAILY ROUTINE. WATER IS EVERYWHERE. IF YOU ARE LIKE ME,
YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING AND TAKE A SHOWER. YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH,
YOU MIGHT WASH YOUR HANDS AS FEW TIMES A DAY, BEFORE MEALS. YOU RUN
THE WATER IN THE SINK AS YOU CLEAN UP DISHES. SOME OF YOU MIGHT
BATHE A SMALL CHILD, OR HELP BATHE AN ELDERLY PARENT. SOME OF YOU
MIGHT HAVE TO DO LAUNDRY. THE NEXT TIME YOU USE WATER, AND IN FACT
EVERY TIME YOU USE WATER, SAY TO YOURSELF, “I AM GOD'S BELOVED
CHILD”. SAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. LET WATER REMIND YOU OF THIS
FACT. EVENTUALLY, IT WILL SINK IN – AND IT CAN'T HELP BUT MAKE YOU
JOYFUL. IT CAN'T HELP BUT MAKE YOU WANT TO BE A BETTER PERSON.
THAT'S WHAT BAPTISM IS
ABOUT.
