Sunday Homily, January 11, 2015, Baptism of Jesus
Readings:
Isaiah 55, 1-11, All you who are thirsty, come to the water.
Psalm, Isaiah 12, You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
1 John 5, 1-9, Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God.
Mark 1, 7-11, The baptism of Jesus.
Isaiah observations:
Who: Can you guess, Isaiah 1, 2, or 3. Actually, we have two selections from Isaiah, Isaiah 12 for the psalm and Isaiah 55. Isaiah 12 is easy. That is first Isaiah. Isaiah 55 is in the middle of all the 66 chapters, and, yes, it is second Isaiah. They write before and during the Babylonian Captivity. Both passages are comfort passages.
Today’s passages: despite the different time each writer wrote, both are trying to encourage the people and let them know that their God is with them. The first reading, Isaiah 55, is especially rich. It contains beautiful images of food and drink, rain and snow on the earth.
You are Beloved
Yesterday afternoon Rosemary and I had the privilege and the joy of baptizing a little 5 month old girl. Her name is Renee Elisabeth. She is the daughter & second child of Colleen and Carl Huval. Colleen is the daughter of our John and Jean O’Donnell.
I love baptisms and when I can and the little kid permits it, I love to carry her or him around and talk. Renee Elisabeth was so peaceful and accepting. At Saint Marks I used to pick these little kids up at the beginning of Mass and I would introduce them and have them welcome everyone.
One Sunday I did this in the main church at the 9:00 Mass. I had the little boy in my arms for maybe 10 minutes and gave him back to his momma. After the Mass I am outside saying good-bye to everybody and I noticed I had a sour smell about me. That little boy had barfed on my left shoulder and nobody told me. I had to laugh and I really gave it to those people the next week for not telling me.
When I did Renee Elisabeth’s baptism yesterday I did the two things I love to do. First, I invite people to discuss when they last saw God and also where do they most find the presence and peace of God. This brings in some really nice answers. Of course, Renee Elisabeth was the place where many said they saw God.
After the baptism I like to talk with the little kids. I told Renee Elisabeth that this baptism was her official welcome into the marvel of her new life. And I told her that I had three things I wanted her to remember.
First, I want you to know, Renee, that you are like Mark says about Jesus, You are my Beloved. In fact, you are beloved, you are beautiful, you are good, and you are perfect just as you are.
Secondly, you are being officially welcomed into a marvelous family that also thinks you are beautiful, good, perfect, and beloved.
Thirdly, you are being officially welcomed into a marvelous community (your numerous grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, at least), who also hold you dear, consider you beautiful and perfect. She seemed to accept this.
One of the reasons I love to have our kids present with us at Mass is that they may know that they are part of us, that we appreciate them, and that we and God loves them.
People have told me that their kids see me in the white robes and they think this creature is God. When I was a little boy I probably thought the same thing, but that god figure did not like little boys, or at least me, and instilled in me a belief that I was bad.
This is why I will always welcome our kids. I want them to know that God loves them, that they are good and beloved.
Of course, I have tried to inform Rosemary that God does not do yard work and does not do dishes. No luck with that. In fact, God received for Christmas a new vacuum cleaner. God had worn out the old one.
How do you know that you are beloved? Blessed?
