Just a word before we go...The Baptism of the Lord...January 9, 2022

I don’t know about you, but I am so very tired of all the noise in life that threatens to disrupt my peace of mind, my sense of well-being and even my knowledge of being a beloved child of God. When that happens, I think back to an incident that occurred on Christmas Day in 1997. I was the lector at a noon Mass; I was not a happy camper, facing the prospect of hosting dinner and being in charge of bringing some Christmas joy to the household. I was fresh out. My father, Mr. Christmas, had died just prior to Christmas the year before, and I had had little interest in Christmas since then. Part of that was due to the fact that although my father and I were close, we had our moments; those moments were often present to me, as sometimes happens when we lose someone we love.

In the quiet moments after receiving Communion at that Mass, I was pushing up prayers for the strength to get through the day with some semblance of peace. Something told me to be quiet and listen. Then, as clear as day, I heard my father’s voice say to me, “I love you, baby.” Was it my father, or was it The Father? I believe it was both, as one. Peace, and even joy, became mine again.

We hear of the Baptism of Jesus today, and as with so many things in life, what is true for Jesus is true for us. Before Jesus has told a story, preached a sermon, or changed water into wine, God tells him that he is the beloved, in whom God is well pleased. Can you imagine that at your Baptism, before you had grown into a person who could make choices and determine your way in the world, God had chosen you as a beloved daughter or son? Can you hear God say that to you? Or does the noise in your life cancel out that affirmation of being loved and chosen?

Perhaps on this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we might spend some time thinking about the original blessing of our own Baptism, when God’s “kindness and generous love” was lavished upon us. Let’s resolve to turn the dial from the voices and noise that threaten our peace of mind and our sense of being the beloved of God, and tune into the blessing and strength conferred by our Baptism, so that we may live fully the life God so graciously has given us.