Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  This feast is the third in a series of divine manifestations of Jesus that we commemorate during the Christmas season.  The first is the nativity of Jesus on Christmas day, the birth of Emmanuel, God with us.  The second is the Epiphany when God revealed his plan for salvation to all the nations as represented by the Magi.  And today we see Jesus revealed as God the Father's “beloved son” in whom God is “well pleased.”

We heard the first part of today's gospel, Luke 3:15-16, four weeks ago during Advent when we focused our attention on expectation and preparation.  The people of Judea sought the messiah and they thought John the Baptist "might be the Christ."  In the text we hear today, St. Luke makes clear to us that the Christ has arrived.  And it is not John the Baptist.  The Christ is Jesus, God's son, filled with the Holy Spirit and anointed to “bring glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).  The time of expectation and preparation is finished.  Advent and Christmas are over.  Now the real work of Jesus Christ begins; Jesus is launched into his mission. 

With baptism, we become beloved daughters and sons of the Father.  When we receive baptism, we are launched into the mission of Christ.  At our baptism, God the Father grasps us "by the hand," and makes each of us "a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness" (Isaiah 42:6-7).  Our baptism is a lifelong commitment to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ continuing the good work he began until he comes again in glory. 

God our Father,
with your whole people reborn in baptism
we give you thanks.
In Jesus, each of us has become
your beloved son or daughter.
Fill us with the fire of the Holy Spirit
who guided Jesus in life and death.
Let this Spirit set us free
to serve you and one another
with unselfish, grateful love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Amen

The Knots Prayer

 

Proven Ways to Get Along with Others

1. Before you say anything to anyone, ask yourself 3 things:
     ♦ Is it true?
     ♦ Is it kind?
     ♦ Is it necessary?
2. Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully.
3. Never miss the opportunity to compliment or say something encouraging to someone.
4. Refuse to talk negatively about others; don't gossip and don't listen to gossip.
5. Have a forgiving view of people. Believe that most people are doing the best they can.
6. Keep an open mind; discuss, but don't argue. (It is possible to disagree without being disagreeable.)
7. Forget about counting to 10. Count to 1,000 before doing or saying anything that could make matters worse.
8. Let your virtues speak for themselves.
9. If someone criticizes you, see if there is any truth to what he is saying. If so, make changes. If there is no truth to the criticism, ignore it and live so that no one will believe the negative remark.
10. Cultivate your sense of humor; laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
11. Do not seek so much to be consoled, as to console; do not seek so much to be understood, as to understand; do not seek so much to be loved as to love​.

Pope Paul VI

 

Edwin Hubbel Chapin

 

Epiphany of the Lord

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, the manifestation of Jesus as Lord and Savior to the Magi.  St. Matthew's account of the Magi has all the elements of a great story.  There is a heavenly sign, a dangerous quest, priceless gifts, a wrong turn, a nasty villain, intrigue, deceit, and, ultimately, triumph when the Magi reach their goal, the opportunity to pay homage to the child Jesus.  And just to keep the story interesting, St. Matthew ends it with a miraculous escape. 

We know this story so well.  Images of the Magi cover Christmas cards; they have their own Christmas carol, and they have a special place in our Christmas crèches. In many parts of the world, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is the day people exchange gifts.  For most of us, however, this feast marks the day we take down all our Christmas decorations and put them away until sometime in Advent 2019 even though for us Catholics the Christmas Season does not end until next Sunday when we commemorate the Baptism of the Lord.  We have a good excuse to enjoy our decorations for another week!  

The Solemnity of the Epiphany deserves more of our attention. It is a special day for us.  It is the day when God made clear that salvation was not just for the children of Israel, His chosen people, but for everyone in the world.  This is the day when God revealed Jesus Christ to the Gentiles (us).  This is the day when we became "coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Ephesians 3:6).  .

This great Solemnity of the Epiphany is a good time for us to contemplate our own quest to find Jesus and to consider what gifts we have to offer Him. It is a day to thank God for including us in His plan for salvation. And it is a day to recognize how our lives reflect the radiant light of Christ to the world in which we live. 

God of all nations, peoples and cultures,
this is the day you have made bright
with your light and your love
destined for all.
Guide us in the new ways of your Son.

Open our eyes that we may recognize you
in all the signs that you send us.
Let your kindly light shine everywhere,
that all peoples may praise you
in their own language
and enrich your Church with their own gifts.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior for ever.

Amen

World Peace