HOMILY THE
BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Baptism, Christ’s Gifts to the world
Fr. Udoekpo, Michael
v Isa
42:1-4, 6-7;
v Ps
29:1-2, 3-4,3,9-10;
v Acts
10:34-38
v Matt
3:13-17
Few weeks ago we celebrated the birth of
Christ and his Epiphany. Many including, Joseph, Mary, and the angels reacted
differently to these events. The angels, for example sang the Gloria, “Glory to
God in the highest.” The shepherds abandoned their animals in the desert
and traveled to the manger in Bethlehem to visit with the holy family. Simeon,
the prophet sang the Nunc Dimittis, while Anna, the prophetess professed the
uniqueness she saw in Christ, and spoke about this special child to everyone (Luke
2). The magi from the far- East brought him gifts gold, frankincense,
myrrh and of course, their gestures of worship to adore the Lord (Matt
1:1-12).
Like the angels, the shepherds, Simeon, Anna
and the Magi, many of us also had a good time during Christmas and the opportunity
to joyfully react to these divine events in our own ways. Events guided by the
Holy Spirit! Think of the Christmas related movies we watched, the carols and
music we listened to; the gifts, cookies and candies we shared; the telephone
calls and visits we made to our friends, families and to our loved ones, the
liturgies we celebrated, the homilies we preached, or heard from the lips of
our eminent preachers, beginning with the Holy Father, our popular Pope
Francis, our bishops, priests, pastors and deacons. All in the name of
Celebrating Christmas or reacting to the divine events God coming to
dwell among us, in spite of brokenness.
It is true that after the Christmas’ events
not much is heard in the Christian Bible of how the quiet and righteous Joseph
managed his carpentry profession, or how the obedient Mary (who had said to the
angel Gabriel “be it done to me according to your words”) changed
the diapers and raised Jesus to the point when he would have to begin his
public ministry as witnessed extensively in the 4 Gospels and by Saint Paul.
The Baptism of Christ which we celebrate
today, in the beginning of our new semester, in a new year, is built on these
past events that have always been guided by the Holy Spirit. Through his
Baptism, Jesus the sinless God-man teaches us humility. With it he accepts,
inaugurates his public ministry. He identifies this ministry with that of the
suffering Servant of God whose mission we are told in the first reading of (Isa42:1-4,
6-7).
The suffering servant of exile in our first
reading was to bear all kinds of sufferings on behalf of the people. He was to
bring justice, judgment and salvation to everyone as God’s agent. God speaks
through Isaiah, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with
whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit, he shall bring forth justice
to the nations.”
Baptism not only washes away our sins it brings us the Spirit of God. It brings us closer to God and keeps God’s heavens opened for each and every one of us. The heavens that were once closed because of the sins of our first parents (Genesis 3) are now opened for us through Christ’s baptism Evangelist Matthew says in the Gospel, “After Jesus was baptized he came up from the water and behold the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him (Matt 3:13-17).”
The Baptism of Jesus opens for us the means
by which we are spiritually reborn (Jn 3:5-12) and are restored
in communion with God. It is one of the sacraments of our salvation. It is the
gate way, the entrance to our Christian life and spirituality. Recall,
Nicodemus was told in John 3 that, “Unless you are born of
water and the Holy Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” (Jn 3:3-6). It is a spiritual door
for us.
After the Ascension, Jesus said to the
disciples, “Go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” With this, we become adopted and
beloved children of God sharing in his divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
When we received baptism God is saying to us “these are my beloved
children in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17).
For us the baptized God
is very pleased with us. Baptism which Christ instituted brings us into the life of
the Blessed Trinity. With it, we are anointed and infused with virtues of
faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13). With it, we become temple of the
Holy Spirit; the same Spirit that guided the events of the birth of Christ.
With baptism we have become a new creation and living members of the Church,
the Body of Christ. We become living members of our Christian families and our
Seminary Community. We become members that are alive with love,
self-discipline, sacrifices, charity, and spirit of forgiveness.
Saint Paul preached about this newness of
life in Christ in Romans 6:3-4, when he says, “Do you not know that
all of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness
of life,” (read also Col 2:12 or 1 Cor 12:12-13).
Luckily too, many of us
have just emerged from our retreat, walking back to the Seminary and our places
of work of post duties refreshed. Some have been ordained deacons during
the break! I am sure you feel renewed and ready to go, another new semester,
another new year. There are new books in the Library and new faces on
campus. As you walk into our class rooms too, you will find new chairs and
new desks and newly painted walls. Thanks to our administration’s new
initiatives. Some of you have also gotten new sweaters and winter
jackets. We can always blend this physical newness with our spiritual
renewals, rooted back to the foundations with which we laid during the gifts of
our baptism, one of the external signs of inward graces.
And as we begin a new
semester or our other endeavors in this New Year we pray that the gifts and
graces which we all received during our baptism(the gift of hard
work, the spirit of peace, the spirit and of social justice, the spirit of
Christ, the spirit of EbedYhwh, the spirit of the suffering
servant of God, the spirit of selflessness, the spirit of the common good, the
spirit to love the poor, the spirit of inclusivism, the spirit to love and be
faithful to the Church, the spirit to renounce sins, and the spirit to always
love and pray for one another) which we have renewed at this Mass, may
guide and direct our studies, work and pastoral activities that reaches to the
poor and the marginalize throughout this New Year.
Reflection Questions:
1. What are the signs and effects of baptism in our lives in our
relationship with members of our parish communities?
2. Are we disposed to share our gifts as Christ’s followers with our
neighbors and do so patiently?
3. As baptized how do we show that we are God’s servants?
