Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
(Sunday 7th January 2018)
You have been brought into the light of the Kingdom of God – (Mark 1:7-11)
Almost four years ago Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where one of his first stops was to Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, the site where Jesus was baptised. There he met with those made refugees by the conflict in Syria and disabled young people. He spoke to them about the significance of the place in which they were gathered. He said, “Coming here to the Jordan to be baptized by John, Jesus showed his humility and his participation in our human condition. He stooped down to us and by his love he restored our dignity and brought us salvation.”
As refugees and people dealing with disabilities his message to them was of Jesus’ witness to the dignity which is theirs as human beings, as brothers and sisters of the Son of God. How easy for everyone (including the people themselves) to forget that dignity! Like the ‘Spirituals’ slaves in America sang reminded them of the dignity of their humanity, many today must be lifted up by such reminders. But don’t think that only those affected by the more crude afflictions like slavery, war or illness need to hear this message. We must hear this! We in the West! We in Ireland!
We have lost belief in our own dignity and that Jesus has made visible the love of the Father. You can see it in peoples’ faces on our streets, in our offices and schools. Many walk around looking downtrodden and defeated. The good news people have been robbed of is fundamentally that we are beloved, that our God has become one of us and that He now leads us into salvation.
There are echoes in today’s feast of the History of the people of ancient Israel. Considering their history gives us a fuller understanding of Jesus’ salvation. Moses was sent by God to free the Chosen People for a purpose: so that they could worship God as He wanted to be worshipped. Their freedom and dignity found its fulfilment in honouring God. Being submerged in the same river through which the people of Israel passed into the Promised Land, Jesus not only foreshadows the great moment of his liberation (on the Cross), He shows us how the Father wants us to honour and worship Him.
He shows us the purpose for which we were freed and the fullest expression of our dignity. His priority, and the priority of those who follow Him is the will of the Father. “It is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that righteousness demands.” (Mt. 3:15) The way, then, for a follower of Jesus to find and follow; the way to express most fully our dignity and the underlying purpose for our freedom is the humble carrying out of God our Father’s will.
“Christian, recognize your dignity… Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1691)