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Dear Friend, When people want to announce a new product, kick off a new
campaign or announce the arrival of
new personality, who is assuming public office, they hold a press
conference! When such press conferences are held the public become aware of
the new item, campaign or new person making his or her debut. Our practice of
religion can be looked upon as a private matter but it can also be professed
publicly, forcing us to be accountable for what we say and do. At baptism God
claimed us as his children. Have we publicly lived according to the faith we
profess? Have a God-affirming weekend! Fr. Jude Botelho |
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The first reading is part of the first Servant
Song in the second part of the Book of Isaiah. These poems portray an ideal
figure, suffering, dedicated to God, holy and a means of salvation from sin.
This servant some have interpreted as Israel and others as an individual
person, the servant being Jesus Christ. To establish righteousness God
presents his servant whom Christian tradition has identified with Jesus.
Misunderstood and beaten, the servant of God will not waver from his task and
mission, which is to bring justice to the nations through his suffering. It
will be his responsibility to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the
prisoners from prison and bring salvation to all. He will be the source of
salvation to all. The second reading from the
Acts of the Apostles, is part of Peter’s address to his Gentile converts. It
talks of Peter’s realization that Christianity was a religion not only for
the Jews but for all man. “God has no favorites, but everyone is a favourite
of God.” Peter stresses the universality of salvation offered to all peoples.
God wishes to save all men even though his plan of salvation gave Israel
preference or priority, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord of all men.’ What follows is
the summary of the Good News: Jesus Christ is the Word of God, made flesh,
filled with the Spirit bring reconciliation and peace. He went about doing
good through his words and deeds. Trinket of Treasure The Gospel according to Matthew highlights briefly the baptism of
Jesus in the Jordan, where Jesus was affirmed as the Son God by the Father,
and the Spirit of God descends on him in the form of a dove. The gospel
account though brief is full of drama and symbolism. This highlights the fact
that Jesus at his baptism was commissioned to carry out his mission of
bringing justice to all. As Isaiah had foretold, “He brings justice; he will
never waver nor be crushed until justice is established on earth.” What is this justice? Justice in the
biblical sense is meeting need wherever it exists and particularly where it
exists most helplessly. Likewise when we are christened at our baptism, we
too are made like Christ, and this ‘christ-ing’ gives us our Christian vocation,
setting us aside to bring justice to the nations. Though Jesus’ mission was
for all, he was commissioned to bring justice particularly to sinners, to the
poor and the little ones of society. This is the reason he allowed himself to
be baptized. The Baptism of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance. It
was a sign that the people repented of their sins. But Jesus was always the
sinless one of God, God’s beloved Son. In spite of it, if he still chose to
be baptized, it was to show his solidarity with us sinners needing
forgiveness; it was to identify himself with the poor, the distressed and
oppressed needing justice. Identified with victims When leprosy broke out among the people of the Hawaiian Islands in the
middle of the last century, the authorities responded by establishing a leper
colony on the remote island of Molokai. The victims were snatched by force
from their families and sent to this island to perish However, moved by their
terrible plight, a young Belgian priest Damien De Veuster, asked to be
allowed to minister to them. Straightaway he realized that there was only one
effective way to do this that was to go and live among them. Having got
permission, he went to Molokai. At first, he tried to minister to them while
maintaining a certain distance. But he soon realized that he had to live
among them in order to gain their trust. As a result he contracted leprosy
himself. The reaction of the lepers was immediate and wholehearted. They
embraced him and took him to their hearts. He was now one of them. There was
no need, no point any more in keeping his distance. The lepers had someone
who could talk with authority about leprosy, about brokenness, about
rejection and public shame. Flor McCarthy in ‘Sunday and Holy day Liturgies’ “The
film Gandhi is a three hour epic, depicting the life of Mahatma Gandhi.. In
order to lead the oppressed people of India to freedom from British rule,
Gandhi adopted means such as fasting from food, vigils of prayer, marches,
protests and civil disobedience. One of the reasons why Gandhi put on a loin
cloth and fasted from food, almost to the point of death, was to show
solidarity with the Indian people, identifying with them in their physical
sufferings, which finally brought independence to India. ” –Vima Dasan The
last part of today’s gospel reminds us that the Baptism of Jesus was an act
of affirmation done in public in the river Jordan during which Jesus was
publicly proclaimed by the Father: “This is my son the Beloved; my favour
rests on him.” We also need to be affirmed as the well-beloved sons and
daughters of the Father, by the Church, by the community and by individual
brothers and sisters. We ourselves have to live and proclaim publicly our
baptism: that we are truly sons and daughters of our heavenly father. -The lights won't come on if the
power is off. Jesus was able to live as he did because he was full of the
spiritual power of God. He was able to shine a light in the darkness because
the power was on. And the only real source of spiritual power in this
universe is the Spirit of God –Stevenson -Baptism is not a bath, but a funeral
bier. If it was a bath, you would need it again and again. But
since it is a death and new life, it is a once for all picture of the
transformation that has taken place in our lives. Baptism is not
about your goodness; it's about God's Grace. -Dr. Mickey Anders -In the
early rites of baptism, the church made this clear. The newly baptized
Christian was given a new white robe, symbolic of the new life that was now
being lived. Hands were laid on the head, sign of the gift of the Holy
Spirit, the empowerment to be in ministry with Christ in the world. Later, a
Bible was given, sign that this new Christian is to be in the world preaching
and teaching. -Willimon Moment
of Affirmation. When the American writer, Maya Angelou, was growing up she
didn’t see her mother very much. She was brought up in great part by her
grandmother, a wonderful and saintly woman. She tells how when she was twenty
years old, she took a trip to San Francisco to visit her mother. It was a
particularly important yet vulnerable moment in Maya’s life, she was
struggling to make her way in life and groping her way towards becoming a
writer. She had quite a good meeting with her mother. When it was time to
leave, her mother walked her down the hill to the waiting bus. As they
parted, her mother said, ‘You know, I think you are the greatest woman I have
ever met.’ Years later Maya could still recall that moment vividly. She said,
‘Waiting for the bus, I sat there thinking. Just suppose she’s right. Suppose
I really am somebody. It was one of those moments when the sky rolled back.
At times like that, it’s almost as if the whole earth holds its breath’ Maya
went on to become a highly successful and respected writer and poet. She
composed and delivered an inspiring poem at the inauguration of President
Clinton. - Mark Link in ‘Sunday Homilies’ God’s press Conference… When likable Lou Holtz was announced as the new head
football coach at the University of Notre Dame, he was touted as one who
would restore the school’s football program to its tradition of excellence.
Whenever a new leader appears on the scene, whether it is a new coach of a
team or a new president of a corporation, a press conference is usually held
to proclaim that leader’s qualification and potential. Such press conferences
usually create some excitement about the leader’s identity, and arouse our
expectations with glowing promises about what this leader will accomplish.
Today’s event of our Lord’s baptism is something like this. It’s as if God
himself called a press conference to reveal his Son Jesus as the long-awaited
Messiah and to give us a preview of what his mission will accomplish. Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ May we give public witness
that we are followers, not merely fans, of Jesus Christ! Fr. Jude
Botelho |
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Other Sunday Homily Websites Daily Reflections Immaculate Heart Retreat Center Gospel Commentary from Ireland Daily Scripture |
Recent
Sunday Reflections Feast of the Epiphany 06-Jan. 2008 Feast of Holy Family 30-Dec. 2007 Fourth Sunday of Advent 23-Dec. 2007 Third
Sunday of Advent 16-Dec. 2007 Second Sunday of Advent 09-Dec. 2007
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