A homily for the opening of Ordinary time. I got sidetracked this week thinking about the meaning of baptism as incorporation into the Church, and what this means pastorally: is there ever a time when pastors should refuse to baptize children? Pope Francis has rejected a narrow, exclusionary attitude towards the sacrament, but does this leave open the door to ever refusing it? And can it be done in a way that does not make it a proxy for the culture wars? Interesting enough that I have made a separate post out of it.
But that is not what I decided to preach about, at least not directly. Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome.
Today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Last week, on the feast of the Epiphany, we brought the Christmas season to an end, and today marks the beginning of Ordinary time. Throughout ordinary time the readings will call on us to reflect on the public ministry of Jesus: or, as St. Luke puts it, on “everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning.” The beginning of his public ministry is marked today by his baptism by John.
John the Baptist, last of the Old Testament prophets, had come proclaiming the imminent appearance of the messiah. In the passage just before today’s gospel, which we heard on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, John calls for people to get ready, offering “a Baptism of repentance for the the forgiveness of sins.” This is why, in the beginning of today’s gospel, “the people were filled with expectation.” As we heard in the other readings during Advent, the Jewish people had long been promised that God would send the Christ—that is, his anointed one—to restore his people to Himself. Now John had appeared and was saying that the time was at hand he is here: get ready, repent of your sins, reform your lives!
But then, the baptism of Jesus passes by, unnoticed by the crowds. Unlike in the gospel of Mark or Matthew, Luke is not concerned with the actual baptism of Jesus. It happened, but Jesus was one among many, unremarkable. Luke is more concerned to present Jesus at prayer and God marking him out, sending down the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. The public ministry of Jesus begins quietly, without the fanfare and tumult that most people were expecting to accompany the arrival of the king of kings.
Luke wants to show us a messiah who empties himself, who has become one with the people he has come to save. Jesus is the suffering servant described by Isaiah in the first reading. In this passage, written during the exile in Babylon, the prophet offers comfort to his people by relaying God’s promise of his anointed one. But this messiah would not be a king in glory. He will become a “light for the nations”, but not violently or dramatically. Even as he brings justice, he will not break the bruised reed, or crush the smoldering wick.
This is the reason that Jesus, the spotless lamb of God, sought to be baptized by John, a baptism of repentance, even though Jesus is without sin. He wants to bring us to his kingdom not by force but by encouragement. He says to his people, “Come, follow me!” and then points the way. His baptism was a sign of his humanity, an example for us to follow. In baptism, Jesus offers us the grace of the Spirit that makes it possible for us to follow him.
Today, as we reflect on the baptism of Jesus, we should also consider our own baptisms. Some few of you were baptized as adults, but the majority of us were baptized as infants. Our parents and godparents stood in your stead and made the promises in our names:
“Do you reject Satan all his works?”
“Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?”
“Do you reject the glamour of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?”
These are negative statements: by seeking baptism we are freed from the bondage of sin and are given the strength to turn away from it.
But what are we turning to? The second question hints at this: we are seeking to live out “the freedom of God’s children.” What does this freedom entail? St. Paul, in the second reading today, tells us that we are prepared in baptism to “to reject godless ways and worldly desires, and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly.” Our faith calls us to more than the absence of sin in our lives. We are called to leave the darkness and live by the light of Christ. If we are faithful to our baptism, if we are truly responding to the Spirit that God has poured into our hearts, then we must do more than not sin. We only live our faith when we are “eager to do what is good.”
Today, tomorrow, and throughout the week, we need to live in the freedom God, in his mercy, has given us. We need to be eager to do good. Like Jesus, we should do this simply, without fanfare, without crying out, without shouting or calling attention to ourselves. Do not just reject evil, but actively try to do something good, especially in the face of evil. In our daily lives: at work, at school, with friends and family, be patient, be kind, be generous, be forgiving. Reach out to those who are marginalized, isolated, bullied, ignored. Share something with a homeless beggar. Take the time to visit an elderly friend or neighbor. End an old fight, apologize, seek to be reconciled.
In the Eucharist today, God wants to strengthen us to do good. Take and eat, and find in the bread of angels the grace we were first given in our baptism. If we open our hearts to God in prayer, the Spirit will be poured out upon us, richly, and we will be able to serve him in all things, eager to do good.
