Baptism of the Lord, 2013

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.