January 11, 2009 Baptism of the Lord Is. 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Mk. 1:7-11 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings: http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/2009/090111.htm        ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     John’s baptism was “for the repentance of sins.” Why would the sinless Jesus submit himself to it? It is because Jesus’ baptism was for him a kind of ritual entry into his ministry. According to Isaiah, the ministry is concerned with justice for all and tenderness toward those who have been broken. That same ministry, with the same divine approval, has now been given to us. Our own baptism brought us into the circle of the children of God and commissioned us to continue the work begun by Jesus. And what might this entail?   We live in a time of great unrest. The world seems poised on the brink of chaos; businesses and individuals face financial instability; the turmoil within the church threatens its longstanding foundation. No one is untouched by some form of the chaos that threatens to swallow us alive. Where can we turn when the institutions meant to give refuge from chaos are themselves the source of its threat?   As he came forth from the waters of the Jordan, his life took a new direction. As his followers, we emerge from the waters of baptism as new people, who with God’s help are willing to counter the chaos of our world. On this day we do not look back to Christmas, but forward to the task ahead, trusting that some day it may be said of us, “Here is my servant whom I uphold.”   This Sunday is not simply a celebration of who Jesus is. It is a celebration for each of us, for baptism is the beginning of our ministry. In our Lord’s life, his offer of himself for baptism was followed by his full commitment to ministry. We see it more as a rite of passage, as a time of naming rather than as full membership in the body of Christ. We need to affirm baptismal ministry by living out our faith in every sense of the word. We need times of reminders of our baptismal promises. That is why at every baptism there is an opportunity to renew our covenant.   So what difference will it make in your life? We are redeemed and reconciled by the Spirit. We are called to follow Jesus, the one sent by God. We have the task of being, as Isaiah puts it, “a light to the nations”. We are called to “open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness”. We are called to shed light on the issues that blind so much of the world, that hold people prisoner. We are called to be Christ to a broken world.   <<   Previous: Epiphany of the Lord  | Next: Second Ordinary Sunday of the Year >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year B)