Sunday Reflections

Many years ago (in San Miguel Parish in La Paz, Bolivia) I worked on a team for our Marriage Preparation Course.  One of the important questions we wanted the couples to reflect on was, “What is the difference between a civil marriage and a sacramental marriage?”.  Of the seven Sacraments, Marriage is the only Sacrament that has a civil expression.  All the others are purely celebrations of faith.  However we soon discovered that there was a more basic question to reflect on, “What difference has the Sacrament of Baptism make in my life?”  This brought a long silence, and little by little some answers emerged.  It is not easy to articulate one’s faith, and even more before a group of strangers.  Some couples hadn’t even addressed such a question on their own, little less share it with others.

I thought of that experience when I read the gospel of today (Matthew 3:13-17) on this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  Here we witness the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist.  It is not just any Baptism, but that of the Son of God, who would become the source of grace for all those to be baptized.  The Father manifested himself at the Baptism by saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”.   This marked this event, and this man, as something supernatural.   God was not only declaring that Jesus was His Son, but that He was loved by Him.  From this moment on – His Baptism – the life of Jesus changed, beginning His ministry and sharing the mission of the Father with those around Him, in particular with His disciples.

In the First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (42:1-4, 6-7) the prophecy points to the person of Jesus.  He is the “servant whom I uphold, the chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit”.   He is set before us as a “covenant of the people, a light for the nations”.  We who are baptized in Jesus Christ share in that life and spirit, in that covenant and light.

The Second Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (10:34-38) reflects the faith of the early Christian Community that Jesus was among them, and that they shared in His life and power through their Baptism. 

On this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord I always see it as an opportunity to reflect on what this Sacrament means to us as a faith community, and what difference the Sacrament of Baptism should have in our life.

The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the seven Sacraments.  Through it we enter into life with God, and God enters into our life in a special way.  We become His children.  Recalling the Baptismal rites, we are ‘signed’ with the cross of Jesus, we are cleaned with the waters of Baptism – giving us new and abundant life in Christ – we are anointed with Holy Oil (Chrism) as a sign of our consecration to God.  We are made holy and belong to Him.  The white garment symbolizes the purity of our new life in Christ, and the lit candle represents the light of Christ illuminating us.

However, we recognize that baptism is not just a moment in time – what happens at the baptismal font – but it is about the day-to-day living out of our life in Christ.  Just like the couples on the course, we need to articulate what our Baptism means to us and how we live it.

I believe that there are four signs of that Baptismal life that we can identify – four signs that I have articulated for you on other occasions.  The first of the signs is that we acknowledge a faith.  We recognize someone and something beyond ourselves and our material world.  We aspire to believe more and more in the divine realities that God has revealed to us.   We are not the be-all and the end-all, it is not ‘all about us’.  We are in a relation with God – revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Each and every Sunday when we pray the Apostles Creed we not only profess that faith, but hopefully we profess it with more courage and conviction each week, because we have lived another week experiencing the life of God within us.

A second sign of our Baptism is love.  This is a love that is inspired by the love of God for us, made manifest in the cross of Jesus Christ.  God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, and out of love that Son died for our sins.  This is an unconditional and merciful love.  This is the love that heals and saves.  This is not a love based on ‘likes’ or ‘returning the favour’.  This is a free gift!  Our love – at home, at work and at school – should be a love that makes a difference, that makes people feel the presence of God, that urges them to reconciliation and peace, that brings the best out of others.

A third sign is service.   Faith and love cannot just remain intellectual exercises, but must be translated into the way we live with others.  If we recognize how much we have received, we are called, as good disciples and good stewards, to share our time, talents and treasure with others.  We cannot profess to be followers of Jesus and just have good intentions.  We should be the first – at work, at home, and at school – to distinguish ourselves by ‘being there’ for others in compassion.

A fourth sign of our life in Christ daily is prayer.  Without communication a relationship cannot grow and develop, and so without prayer our spiritual life remains stagnant and unproductive.   Our prayer represents not only our need for God, but our confidence in His response to our prayers, whatever that may be.  Our individual prayer reaches its highest point when we gather together to celebrate the Eucharist in community on the Day of the Lord.

It is not easy to answer the question, “What difference does the Sacrament of Baptism make in your life?”, but perhaps some of what I have shared will help us to articulate how we should show each and every day that we are baptized in Christ – by our faith, our love, our service, and our prayer.  These are attitudes and activities in response to that same heavenly Father who tells us today, “You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased”.