Monday 14 January 2019

Sunday Homilys - Jan 2019


Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Jan. 1, 2019

   Readings: Nm 6:22–27 • Ps 67:2–3, 5–6, 8 • Gal 4:4–7 • Lk 2:16–21
   usccb.org/bible/readings/010119.cfm

Spiritual Resolutions for the New Year

Purpose: a) To help Catholics better understand their obligation to attend Mass on Holy Days of Obligation, b) To encourage authentic love and devotion to Our Lady, and c) To help counter the decrease of Marian devotion in the Church over the past fifty years.
Most pastors are painfully aware of the notoriously low Mass attendance on January 1 for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Presumably, many are sleeping in, or recovering from the merry-making of the night before. But this can’t be the only excuse, because Mass attendance on other Holy Days of Obligation, throughout the Church’s liturgical year, also tends to be very weak. The reasons for this are manifold, but I would like to focus in on one reason in particular.
A majority of these Holy Days of Obligation are Marian solemnities. I firmly believe that the low attendance at these Masses in honor of Our Lady is directly connected to the waning of Marian piety that the Church has seen in the past fifty years. To understand the historical and theological roots of this problem, I highly suggest reading Cardinal Ratzinger’s essay “Thoughts on the Place of Marian Doctrine and Piety in Faith and Theology as a Whole”(Communio 30.1). For our purposes here, however, instead of analyzing the roots of the problem, we need to address it, and find solutions.
Simply addressing the problem from the pulpit cannot be the sole remedy; a proper solution will take years of prayer, pastoral work, and catechesis. Hopefully, talking about the issue from the pulpit on January 1 (and other Marian solemnities) might help bring a greater understanding of the importance of Marian devotion and Mass attendance on Our Lady’s solemnities to the minds of those in attendance at Mass. (Of course, the irony is that the Catholics you really need to speak to are not there at Mass. Maybe those you do reach will be able to share the message with their family, friends, and co-workers who missed Mass on New Year’s Day.)
Catholics have an obligation under the pain of mortal sin to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Yet, many people — including Catholics — in our contemporary culture resent the idea that they might be “obliged” to do anything. It runs contrary to their post-modern understanding of the nature of freedom. Yet, we believe that the Church has a right to require Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. However, I have found it more efficacious to explain the obligation in the terms of love rather than duty. I suggest proposing this “thought experiment” to your congregation.
Imagine that your wealthy brother was throwing a special party in honor of your mother. He invited the entire family, and was going all out for her by providing a large banquet with music. You were invited and you knew about the feast in advance. But, you could not attend — you were busy with something else, or possibly you just forgot about the celebration. How do you think that would make your brother feel, who went through all this trouble to have this party? Even more importantly, how would it make your mother feel, who loved you dearly, and wanted you to be a part of her joy on this special day?
This is not intended to be a guilt trip, but instead to help Catholics understand the importance of Mass attendance from a different perspective. Our obligation to attend Sunday Mass and Holy Days is rooted more in Our Lord’s desire to have us at his banquet (cf. Mt 22:1–14) and, on this day, it is a banquet in honor of Our Heavenly Mother.
More importantly, our desire to attend Mass on Our Lady’s solemnities should derive not so much from a sense of obligation, or a fear of sin, but out of love for Mary. Love sees no obligation, but only desires to please the beloved. We should not honor our earthly mothers simply out of justice or obligation, but out of the love and respect we have for her. And we should understand how she feels when her children ignore or neglect her, particularly by not coming to Mass on her solemnities.
It should be a joy to attend Mass on January 1, as well as other solemnities of Our Lady, because it gives us, her children, an opportunity to honor Our Heavenly Mother, giving joy to her Immaculate Heart. It is important to help Catholics understand the theological significance of the Divine Maternity of Mary, but for our time, it is as equally significant to encourage a genuine filial devotion to Mary as Our Mother. (CCC 963–71, 2041–42.)

Epiphany of the Lord – Jan. 6, 2019

   Readings: Is 60:1–6 • Ps 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–13 • Eph 3:2–3a, 5–6 • Mt 2:1–12
   usccb.org/bible/readings/010619.cfm

Balance, Demonstrate, and Refute

Purpose: a) To help balance the shift towards sentimentalism at Christmas, b) To demonstrate that both faith and reason must work in harmony, and c) To refute the errors and misconceptions of the secularists who attack Christianity.
Christmas is the most popular of Christian feasts because it speaks so directly to the heart. Our hearts are moved by the tender scene of the Christ Child in the manger on that starry night in Bethlehem, surrounded by his Mother, St. Joseph, and the shepherds in silent adoration. The beauty of Christmas decorations, the melodies of traditional Christmas carols and hymnody, the taste of rich, delicious food, and the embrace of family members fill this holiday with emotion and cherished memories.
But the risk is that this holiday, so pregnant with theological meaning, can be reduced to pure sentimentality. This is what we have witnessed in our contemporary culture — Christmas is more about feelings, and the traditional symbols associated with the holiday have been dismissed or stripped of their deeper meaning. But Christmas as a feast is meaningless without the truth of the Incarnation; we hold this day special because the precious child in the manger is indeed God, the Word made flesh.
This reduction of Christmas to sentimentality adds fuel to the fire, as it were, of the secular attack on Christianity and Christian values. If Christmas is stripped of its theological meaning in the minds of many, then it is easier to denounce Christianity as a myth, or accuse Christian faith of being founded on subjective emotion. This accusation of emotionalism is quite common among many secularists, but we understand, and must be able to explain to others that Christianity is grounded in both faith and objective reason.
This is where the Solemnity of the Epiphany can help us to better explain and defend the rationality of the Faith. The Magi were surely guided by the Holy Spirit, but they still relied on the power of reason to look at stars, and to analyze the prophecies. From what Scripture tells us, they must have been intelligent and well-educated men, who were well versed in astronomy and knowledgeable about Jewish Scripture. Both their faith and their reason led them on the journey to seek the new born king.
The worship of the Magi shows that faith is necessary to believe in the divinity of the Christ Child, but that faith in the Word (Logos) become flesh is rational. Faith and reason must work together, or else the Christian faith runs the risk of being reduced to personal opinion and sentimentality. If the Word of God has truly become man, then faith is about more than personal feelings, it is about objective truth. The solemnity of the Epiphany shows us that it is reasonable and necessary for the wise men, and for all of us, to bow down in worship before the child lying in the manger.
This Christmas season, in our preaching, we should be willing to “challenge” our congregations with real theology, to show them the rationality of our faith in Jesus Christ. That is why I highly recommend Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives. In this book, the Holy Father does a magnificent job of looking at the events surrounding Christ’s birth from a perspective of both devotion, and rigorous theological and exegetical insight.
From my experience, Catholics really are open to homilies that challenge them to go deeper, and that have a certain gravitas. Not that we need to give theological lectures each Sunday, but we need to give them the tools necessary to better understand their faith, and to enter into dialogue with others about what we believe as Catholics. In our highly educated society, we do our congregations a great disservice to feed them sentimental pablum (especially on solemnities such as Christmas and Epiphany). As pastors, we must be willing to give them the truth of the mysteries of the Faith, in all of its depth and richness.
A proper understanding and celebration of the Solemnity of the Epiphany can help us to ease the shift towards saccharine sentimentality during the Christmas season, and achieve a balance between the head and the heart. (CCC 156–59, 528.)

Baptism of the Lord – Jan. 13, 2019

   Readings: Is 42:1–4, 6–7 (or Is 40:1–5, 9–11) • Ps 29:1–4, 9–10 (or Ps 104:1b–4, 24–25, 27–30) • Acts 10:34–38 (or Ti 2:11–14; 3:4–7) • Lk 3:15–16, 21–22
   usccb.org/bible/readings/011319.cfm

Understanding John the Baptist’s Message, and Salvation’s Nuptial Dimension

Purpose: a) To encourage Catholics to look at this passage with new eyes, b) To explain St. John the Baptist’s comments in light of the Old Testament, and c) To explain the nuptial dimension of salvation.
It is very easy for Catholics (laymen, priests, and religious alike) to take for granted the meaning of certain scripture passages, particularly ones with which we have become familiar. Take for example the passage we hear from today’s Gospel. St. John the Baptist says: “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals” (Luke 3:16). He is, of course, referring to Christ, and we generally assume that St. John is expressing his humility in comparison to Christ, who is the Messiah.
While this is a legitimate interpretation, this passage has a much more theologically profound meaning. Years ago, I came upon a book by the now-deceased Spanish biblical exegete Luis Alonso Schökel, entitled I Nomi Dell’Amore (The Names of Love). In this book, he presents exegesis of various biblical themes related to marriage and love. In one chapter, he focuses specifically on the above passage from today’s gospel.
Schökel begins by noticing that the Baptist’s reference to untying sandals occurs five separate times in the New Testament (cf. Mt 3:11, Mk 1:7, Lk 3:16, Jn 1:27, and Acts 13:35). The repetition of this passage shows that it must have a profound significance for the apostolic Church. In order to grasp the proper understanding of this passage, Schökel points out three contextual clues.
First, in John 1:30, St. John the Baptist speaks of Christ as: “This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’” The word translated as “man” here is not the Greek word anthropos, usually translated as “man”; instead, it is translated as aner, normally translated as “male,” thus implying gender.
Second, the Greek word, ikanos, used in the synoptics and translated as “unworthy,” or “unfit,” has juridical or legal overtones. So, it seems that the Baptist considers himself unworthy according to some type of Judaic law.
Third, in the Gospel of John, the last recorded words of St. John the Baptist are: “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. He, who has the bride, is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore, this joy of mine is now full” (Jn 3:28–29). Along with the other two contextual clues, for Schökel, the nuptial overtones of St. John’s language here lends to interpreting this text in light of the Levirate Law of the Old Testament.
The Levirate Law (derived from the Latin, levir, meaning “a husband’s brother”) is the name of an ancient custom ordained by Moses, by which, when an Israelite male died without issue, his surviving brother was required to marry his widow, so as to continue his brother’s family through the son that might be born of that marriage (cf. Gen 38:8; Deut 25:5–10, Ruth 4). But, if the surviving brother refused to marry the widow, a rite called halizah would occur. The book of Deuteronomy describes the halizah rite:
And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.” Then, the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him: and if he persists, saying, “I do not wish to take her,” then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot, and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.” And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, “The house of him that had his sandal pulled off.” (Deut 25:7–10)
The sandal is the key — it is symbolic of the aner, who has the right to marriage. The one who wears the sandal is the Bridegroom. In saying that he is not fit (juridically) to remove the sandal from Jesus’s foot, St. John the Baptist is saying that Jesus is the bridegroom, and that he, Jesus, is the one who has the right to marry the bride, Israel. Even more, he is saying that Christ does not intend to repudiate Israel, but to enter into covenant with her.
This interpretation of this passage is not new, as Schökel points out. Several of the Church Fathers all saw the Levirate Law being referred to in the passages about John the Baptist. For example, St. Jerome writes: “being as that Christ is the Bridegroom, John the Baptist is not merited to untie the laces of the bridegroom’s sandal, in order that, according to the law of Moses (as seen with Ruth) his house will not be called ‘the house of the un-sandaled.’” St. Cyprian wrote that this is why both Moses (cf. Ex 3:2–6) and Joshua (cf. Jos 5:13–15) were told by God that they had to remove their sandals; although they might have been prophets, they were not the one who had the right to marry Israel, the Bride.
Explaining such intricate exegesis to the average lay Catholic might seem a bit daunting. However, I have preached on it several times before, and the people were delighted that they could see this passage in a new light. In addition, they came away with a deeper desire to better understand Scripture in all of its richness. (CCC 535–37, 717–20.)

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Jan. 20, 2019

   Readings: Is 62:1–5 • Ps 96:1–3, 7–10 • 1 Cor 12:4–11 • Jn 2:1–11
   usccb.org/bible/readings/012019.cfm

Scriptural Basis for Mary’s Ability to Intercede, Marian Catechesis, and Devotion to Mary

Purpose: a) To propose a scriptural basis for belief in Mary’s intercessory power, b) To offer a brief Marian catechesis based on today’s gospel, and c) To encourage increased devotion to Our Lady.
In our diocese it is customary, at most wedding liturgies, for the newly married bride and groom to present roses to Our Lady and to consecrate their marriage to her. I usually take a moment before the presentation to explain to the congregation what will happen, and to give a small Marian catechesis based in John 2 (the Wedding at Cana). Over the years, I’ve gotten numerous positive responses to this catechesis from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Although this Sunday we are not celebrating a wedding liturgy, the gospel is the Wedding at Cana. It is an opportune time to help our congregations better understand the role Our Lady should play in their lives, and particularly in their marriages.
First, we notice that St. John tells us that “the mother of Jesus” was at the wedding at Cana in Galilee (in fact, she is mentioned before Jesus and his disciples). Jesus was invited to the wedding, but so was Our Lady. In the Sacrament of Marriage, couples invite Christ to be a part of their wedding, but how many invite Our Lady? Our Lady needs to be a part of our marriages, and our lives as Catholics. We need to be willing to invite her.
Second, observe that it was Mary who noticed that the wine ran short. This shows Our Lady’s solicitude for the needs of the couple, even in the smallest and seemingly insignificant things. In fact, Our Lady is aware of their need even before they are. If we invite Mary into our marriages and our lives, she will pay great attention to providing what we need to find true happiness.
Third, what does Mary do once she perceives that the wine had run out? She goes immediately to Jesus. She does not try to rectify the problem herself, but she goes to her Son. This is a beautiful example of Our Lady’s willingness to intercede on our behalf. Mary is the intercessor with her Son for this couple, just as she is willing to intercede for her children on earth today. If Mary is willing to intercede for the couple without them even being aware of it, how much more will she be willing to intercede with Jesus if we ask her?
Fourth, upon hearing her request, Jesus seems to hesitate at first (“My hour has not yet come”). However, he ultimately listens to her request, working a miracle for the couple. This demonstrates the power of Our Lady’s intercession with her Son. Jesus is always willing to hear, and to respond, to the requests of his mother, especially if it is for our genuine benefit.
Finally, Mary tells the servers: “Do whatever he tells you.” Our Lady always defers to Jesus. A couple, or an individual, that relies on her intercession never has to worry about her taking all of the attention. She will always put the focus on her Son. From these words, we can see also that what is most important for Our Lady is that, in all things, we are obedient to Christ, doing whatever he tell us.
The story of the Wedding at Cana gives us solid scriptural basis for the intercessory power of Our Lady, and for her role in the lives of Christians everywhere. Especially as we begin this new calendar year, it might be a good idea to encourage the faithful to renew devotion to Our Lady in their lives, and in the lives of their families. This is not only so that Mary might intercede for them, but more importantly, that she might guide them to Christ, teaching them to be more like him. (CCC 956, 2617–19, 2634–36.)

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Jan. 27, 2019

   Readings: Neh 8:2–4a, 5–6, 8–10 • Ps 19:8–10, 15 • 1 Cor 12:12–30 (or 12:12–14, 27) • Lk 1:1–4; 4:14–21
   usccb.org/bible/readings/012719.cfm

To Counter Privatizing Faith, Understanding Both Our Need for the Church and the Community of Christianity

Purpose: a) To counter the prevailing privatization of the Faith, b) To offer a deeper understanding of the meaning of and the need for the Church, and c) To explain the communal dimension of Christianity.
One of the most consistent challenges that I have faced during my years as a priest is the pervasive attitude among many Christians of “Jesus — Yes; Church — No.” People have no problem following Christ, but they often reject the Church, or even have outright disdain for it. The roots of this attitude in our culture run deep — from a distrust of organized religion, to the “privatization” of faith. Even Catholics tend to be impacted by this mentality. Focusing on today’s second reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, can help us to explain to our congregations the necessity of the Church.
In this reading, St. Paul deepens the analogy by saying that we are all parts of Christ’s body, the Church. This reflects the communal dimension of Christianity. We do not exist as individual believing monads, solely in relation with Christ. Through our relationship with Christ in baptism, we also exist in relation to all other Christians, who are also members of his one Body. All of these different members play different and essential roles in the body. As St. Paul tells us, “the body is not a single part, but many.” We exist in communion together as members of Christ’s body.
The truth is that our faith only exists and grows while in communion with others. The first reading, and the Gospel, both testify to this reality. In the first reading from the book of Nehemiah, Ezra the priest reads from the law to the people. In the Gospel passage, Jesus reads from the book of the prophet Isaiah to those in attendance at the synagogue. They both read from the Scriptures, and others hear the Word proclaimed to them.
This reminds us that we did not come to believe on our own, but that we heard the Word of God communicated to us through others. Even the person who believes in sola scriptura has to admit that he did not receive the Bible directly from God, but that he receives it through the lived history and belief of the Jewish people and the apostolic church. And, we must realize that others will not come to belief, unless we are willing to evangelize, bringing the message of Christ to others.
The irony is that, while many Christians want to deny the reality of the Church, the enemies of the Church today have a firm grasp of the meaning of the Church. The persecutions that Christians face today, and will continue to face, are not aimed at primarily this or that individual believer, but at the Church as a whole.
The faithful need to be aware of this. If we shall persevere, we will not only need to rely on God’s grace, but also on each other. We need to stand together in charity, communion, and courage as the Body of Christ. To achieve this goal, it will be necessary for us to form our congregations, not only in fidelity to Christ, but also to form them in a proper ecclesiology.
Fortunately, and seemingly providentially, this is a subject on which Pope Benedict XVI has written extensively. His book Called to Communion is a concise classic on ecclesiology. In addition, Maximilian Heinrich Heim’s Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology Fundamentals of Ecclesiology is the magisterial synthesis of his thought on the Church. Both serve as fine resources for priests in their own study of ecclesiology. (CCC 956, 2617–19, 2634–36.)

Saturday 12 January 2019

Baptism of our Lord - Homily



Introduction: The Baptism of the Lord is the great event celebrated by the Eastern churches on the feast of Epiphany because it is the occasion of the first public revelation of all the Three Persons in the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father.  Hence, it is described by all four Gospels. It marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Christmas season, celebrating the Self-revelation of God through Jesus, comes to an end with the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Christmas is the feast of God’s Self-revelation to the Jews, and Epiphany celebrates God’s Self-revelation to the Gentiles. At his Baptism in the Jordan, Christ reveals himself to repentant sinners. The liturgical season of Christmas comes to a conclusion this Sunday with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.  
Homily starter anecdote: #1: Leaders who identified with their people:  The film Gandhi is a three-hour epic, depicting the life of Mahatma Gandhi in India. In order to lead the oppressed people of India to freedom from British rule, Gandhi adopted non-violent means such as fasting from food, vigils of prayer, peaceful marches, protests and civil disobedience. One of the reasons why Gandhi put on a loincloth 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. This finally brought independence to India. Rev. Martin Luther King, too, identified with his enslaved and maltreated people and became the voice of the voiceless in the name of God. Consequently, he was maligned, beaten, jailed, and assassinated while he preached peace, justice and non-violence on behalf of the downtrodden Afro-Americans in the U. S.  His heroic example definitely demonstrates Christian living for tens of millions of the poor and alienated Afro- Americans in the U.S. and the oppressed millions worldwide. To better appreciate his struggles against the sins of our culture, particularly of our "Christian" clergy, you are invited to read Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail” readily available on the internet (http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html). Jesus’ baptism, as described in today’s Gospel, was his identification with God’s chosen people who became aware of their sinful lives and need for God’s forgiveness. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).
Exegesis: Origin of baptism: Neither John nor Jesus invented baptism.  It had been practiced for centuries among the Jews as a ritual equivalent to our Confession. Until the fall of the Temple in 70 AD, it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh -- literally a "collection of water" – as a means of spiritual cleansing, to remove spiritual impurity and sin.  Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath; women, monthly.  Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism.  The Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. John preached that such a bath was a necessary preparation for the cataclysm that would be wrought by the coming Messiah.  Jesus transformed this continuing ritual into the one single, definitive act by which we begin our life of Faith.  In effect, He fused His Divine Essence with the water and the ceremony.
A couple of questions: 1) Why did Jesus, the sinless Son of God, receive the "baptism of repentance" meant for sinners?  2) Why did Jesus wait for thirty years to begin his public ministry?  The strange answer for the first question given by the apocryphal book, The Gospel according to the Hebrews, is that Jesus received the baptism of John to please his mother and relatives.  In this humble submission, we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of his bloody death upon the cross.  Jesus’ baptism by John was the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant.  He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners.  Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will.  Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins.  Many Fathers of the Church explain that Jesus received John’s baptism to identify himself with his people, who, as a result of John's preaching, for the first time in Jewish history became aware of their sins and of their need for repentance.  The Jews had the traditional belief that only the Gentiles who embraced Jewish religion needed the baptism of repentance, for, as God's chosen people, the Jewish race was holy.  Jesus might have been waiting for this most opportune moment to begin his public ministry.  The Fathers of the Church point out that the words which the Voice of the Heavenly Father speaks are similar to Psalm 2:17, revealing Jesus’ identity ("This is My beloved Son") and to Isaiah 42:1 referring to the "suffering servant" ("with whom I am well pleased"), revealing Jesus’ mission of saving mankind by His suffering and death.  
The turning point: Jesus’ baptism by John was a mystical experience that Jesus felt deep within his soul at the crucial turning point of his life. The opening of the Heavens with Holy Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus, and the Voice declaring of Jesus, "This is My beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased," are God's revelation to mankind of the Mystery that He is Triune.  The presence of the Triune God at this baptism, reveals Jesus’ true identity and mission. The Heavens’ opening also indicates that this was a moment of God’s powerful intervention in human history and in the life of His Son. His baptism by John was a very important event in the life of Jesus.  First, it was a moment of decision.  It marked the end of Jesus' private life, which had prepared him for his public ministry.  Second, it was a moment of identification with his people in their God-ward movement initiated by John the Baptist (quality of a good leader).  Third, it was a moment of approval.  Jesus might have been waiting for a signal of approval from his Heavenly Father, and during his baptism Jesus got this approval of himself as the Father's "beloved Son."  Fourth, it was a moment of conviction.  At this baptism, Jesus received certainties (assurances) from Heaven about his identity and the nature of his mission: a) He was the "Chosen One" and the "beloved Son of God"; b) his mission of saving mankind would be fulfilled, not by conquering the Romans, but by becoming the "suffering servant" of God, i.e., by the cross.  Fifth, it was a moment of equipment.  When He descended on Jesus in the form of a dove (symbol of gentleness), the Holy Spirit equipped Jesus with the power of healing, and that of preaching the "Good News"  -- that God is a loving Father, Who wants to save all human beings from their sins through His Son Jesus, in contrast to the "axe" and "fire" preaching of John the Baptist about an angry God's judgment on sinners.
Life messages: 1) The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity and mission First, it reminds us of who we are and Whose we are.  By Baptism we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of Heaven and temples of the Holy Spirit. We become incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made sharers in the priesthood of Christ [CCC #1279].  Hence, "Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1213).  Most of us dipped the fingers of our right hand into the holy water font and blessed ourselves when we came into Church today.  Why?  This blessing is supposed to remind us of our Baptism.  And so when I bless myself with Holy Water, I should be thinking of the fact that I am a child of God; that I have been redeemed by the Cross of Christ; that I have been made a member of God’s family; and that I have been washed, forgiven, cleansed and purified by the Blood of the Lamb. 
2) Jesus’ baptism reminds us of our mission:  a) to experience the presence of God within us, to acknowledge our own dignity as God’s children and to appreciate the Divine Presence in others by honoring them, loving them and serving them in all humility; b) to live as the children of God in thought, word and action so that our Heavenly Father may say to each one of us what He said to Jesus: "You are My beloved son/daughter with whom I am well pleased.” It means that we are to let His thoughts direct our thoughts, His mind control our mind, His concerns be our concerns.  In the Church we all share the same intimate connection with Christ; we are all brothers and sisters in Christ; c) to lead a holy and transparent Christian life and not to desecrate  our bodies (the temples of the Holy Spirit and members of Jesus' Body) by impurity, injustice, intolerance, jealousy or hatred; d) to accept both the good and the bad experiences of life as the gifts of a loving Heavenly Father for our growth in holiness; e) to grow daily in intimacy with God by personal and family prayers, by reading the Word of God, by participating in the Holy Mass, and by frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation; and f) to be co-creators with God in building up the “Kingdom of God” on earth, a  Kingdom of compassion, justice and love, and to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  In other words, He has called us to help others to see, through the love that we show and the help that we give, that God loves them, that He also invites them to be His sons and daughters and that He wants to be their helper and strength through all the troubles that life in this world can bring.
3) This is the day for us to remember the graces we have received in Baptism and to renew our Baptismal promises: On the day of our Baptism, as Pope St. John Paul II explains, "We were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, the sign of Christ's gentle strength, to fight against evil.  Blessed water was poured over us, an effective sign of interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We were then anointed with Chrism to show that we were thus consecrated in the image of Jesus, the Father's Anointed One.  The candle lighted from the Paschal Candle was a symbol of the light of Faith which our parents and godparents must have continually safeguarded and nourished with the life-giving grace of the Spirit."  This is also a day for us to renew our Baptismal promises, consecrating ourselves to the Holy Trinity and “rejecting Satan and all his empty promises," which our profane world is constantly offering us through its mass-media of communication.  Let us ask Our Lord today to make us faithful to our Baptismal promises.  Let us thank Him for the privilege of being joined to His mission of preaching the "Good News" by our transparent Christian lives of love, mercy, service and forgiveness. 
Exegetical notes on today’s scripture readings
First Reading, optional in year C: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
The people of Israel spent sixty years in exile, as captives of the Babylonians, from about 600 BC to 540 BC. The second part of the book of Isaiah, chapters 40-55, prophesies the end of this Exile and the return of the captives to their homeland. Today's first reading begins that section. Isaiah says that God has told him to tell the exiled citizens of Jerusalem that their "sentence" is at an end or their exile is over. Isaiah’s prophecy reminds them plainly that the Exile was a punishment for their sins, but tells them that the merciful God has forgiven them.  The next few sentences of today’s reading describe how the exiles are to return home. They will return as a grand religious procession from Babylon to Jerusalem led by their own God. To pave the way, valleys and mountains are to be leveled, and a highway created in the wilderness. The exiles in the region are coming back to Judah, and within Judah, to the city of Jerusalem, and within Jerusalem, to the hill Zion where their Temple had stood. The last paragraph presents a lonely sentry who never went to Babylon but waited in Jerusalem, always looking out for the return of the exiles. He finally sees the approach of the procession described above, and he can't contain his joy. He shouts it from the highest hill, "Here comes your God with power!"
Second reading: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7: The author of this letter wants his Christian followers to behave properly, not to earn God's love, but in response to that love freely given. The birth of Jesus, the wise men’s discovery of him, Jesus’ baptism and his coming again in glory are all treated in Scripture and in our liturgy as unexpected appearances (Epiphanies) of God among us. So, the Letter to Titus applies to our Baptism the themes of Divine appearance and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is borrowed from Jesus' own baptism. Today’s selection combines two sections, both of which we recently read at Christmas, one at midnight and one at dawn. In this passage, St. Paul teaches how God saves us by incorporating us into Christ. Among the congregation served by the early bishop Titus were Christians who believed they had to practice the laws of Judaism and tried to impose those laws on pagan converts to Christ. Paul reminds them that God saved us "not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of His mercy." In other words, those law-driven righteous deeds don't win our salvation, but God gives it freely. We accept that gift by taking the bath of rebirth, when the Spirit is richly poured out on us. It is this, not our observance of laws, that makes us justified (right with God) and that give us the hope of eternal life.
Gospel exegesisWho baptized Jesus and why? While there is no doubt that John baptized Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, he does it reluctantly in Matthew’s Gospel (3:13-17), and he’s already locked up in prison in Luke’s Gospel (3:20). There is no portrayal of John baptizing Jesus in John’s Gospel; all we have is the testimony of the Baptizer (1:29-34). Because each evangelist after Mark, commonly accepted as the oldest Gospel, tries to tone down or erase Jesus’ baptism by John, we must conclude that the event caused a problem near the end of the first century because many were saying that John must be the greater, since he did the baptizing. By gradually removing John from the scene, Matthew and Luke elevate Jesus. But there is little doubt that John the Baptist baptized Jesus; if he hadn’t, Matthew and Luke wouldn’t have rewritten Mark’s story. Jesus presents himself for John’s baptism in today’s Gospel, not because he is a sinner, but to fulfill the word of God proclaimed by His prophets. He must be baptized to reveal that he is the Christ (“anointed one”) - the Spirit-endowed Servant. “In Baptism, all are anointed with that same Spirit, made beloved sons and daughters of God. Indeed, we are Christians - literally “anointed ones.” (Scott Hann).
 “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness What this means has prompted much debate. It may be that Jesus was “fulfilling” all the scriptural prophecies about him which focused on “righteousness.” It may be that he was seen as validating the rite of baptism for all future generations of Christians. Or it may be that even the Messiah could undergo a re-orientation towards perfect righteousness, and so could repent and be baptized.
“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” Mark and Luke have the words addressed to Jesus, “You are my Son….” But Matthew’s “This is my Son” makes the words relevant to the bystanders because they are an open testimony to the Father’s approval of his Son … and we should view “Son” as a Messianic title. The Heavenly Voice points to a relationship shared by no other. It is significant, it is “good news,” that Jesus hears he is the “beloved Son, with whom [God] is well pleased” before his public ministry begins. The Heavenly Father is much pleased with his Son's humble submission and speaks audibly and directly to him for all to hear: “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”  The Holy Spirit, too, is present as Jesus submits to John's baptism.  The Holy Spirit anoints Jesus for his ministry which begins that day as Jesus rises from the waters of the Jordan River.
Significance of Christ’s baptismThis exalted identity of the “Son of God” revealed at his baptism is the starting point for all that Jesus will undertake—his self-giving ministry, death and Resurrection. It is because Jesus knows Who he is that he does as he does. As we begin Ordinary Time, we do so knowing that, in our own Baptism, God has named us beloved sons and daughters. Like Jesus, all that we undertake must flow from who we are—God’s beloved. We are called to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  This means that we, too, must humbly submit ourselves to God's wise and loving plan for our lives.  He, in turn, anoints us with the Holy Spirit that we may be clothed with His power and grace. According to the Navarre Bible commentary, in Christ's baptism we can find a reflection of the way the Sacrament of Baptism affects a person. Christ's baptism was the exemplar of our own. In it the mystery of the Blessed Trinity was revealed, and the faithful, on receiving Baptism, are consecrated by the invocation of and by the power of the Blessed Trinity. Similarly, Heaven’s opening signifies that the power, the effectiveness, of this Sacrament comes from above, from God, and that the baptized have the road to Heaven opened up for them, a road which Original Sin had closed. Jesus's prayer after His baptism teaches us that "after Baptism man needs to pray continually in order to enter Heaven; for though sins are remitted through Baptism, there still remains the inclination to sin which assails us from within, and also the flesh and the devil which assails us from without.” Each time we dip our hand into the Holy Water font in a church to bless ourselves, we need to remember, that act is a renewal of our Baptism. Just like Jesus at the Jordan, every baptized believer is formed and called by God, empowered with the presence of the Spirit and elevated as a beloved child of God on whom God’s favor rests.