Deacon Rick Lapierre
Old Sam was the town drunk and lived in a shack down by the river. He could be seen walking along the roads picking up bottles that he would turn-in for the deposit. That was how he made his living. He always looked disheveled and dirty and was generally avoided by all, except those who, like him, spent their evenings at the local barroom.
The local parish had a mission and the speaker was a dynamic, powerful preacher. Sam snuck in one night to get out of the cold and sat in the back row. The preacher's words struck right to Sam's heart and right there he had a powerful conversion experience. He went to Reconciliation that night and cried at how he had wasted his life. He went to his sister's house in the next town and begged her forgiveness. Being a good Christian woman, she forgave him for his actions against her and his family and invited him to live with her. Sam showered and shaved and the next day he got a job in the local hardware store.
A few weeks later, when Sam went back to his original town, nobody recognized him and as he crossed to street so as not to walk in front of his old barroom, a speeding car ended Sam's earthly life.
Sam stood before God and was justifiably upset. "God, I just changed my life to live as your child and you have me killed! What's up with that?"
God looked down and with a look of shock in His face said, "Sam, is that you? I'm sorry but I didn't recognize you!"
Those of us old enough to remember how Baptism was celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council find it hard to reconcile with the exciting event we hear about in this morning's gospel. The Sacrament was usually celebrated quietly on a Sunday afternoon, in Latin, and the family of the baptized really was given very little instruction as to what was happening. It was understood that Baptism was necessary to wash away Original Sin and somehow guarantee a place in God's Kingdom, but it had taken on a mystical aura that it somehow operated on its own without the need for any response on the part of the baptized or the family.
This lack of response to God's grace is most graphically demonstrated at the end of the movie, "The Godfather." The character of Michael Corleone is standing as godfather for his nephew as his henchmen are committing multiple acts of murder.
Baptism is not just a happening; it is not a one-time event. If that were true, then Jesus, after having been baptized in the Jordan by his cousin John the Baptist, could have just ascended to the Father and we would all be saved. But that's not what happened.
The Baptism of Jesus is the opening act of the mission of salvation. Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends and the voice of God announces to all who Jesus is and that the response of Jesus to follow the Spirit of God is the correct one.
And Jesus embarks on a ministry of prophecy, healing and teaching the ways of God. After His Baptism, Jesus embarks on His life's journey to its logical conclusion, His death, His resurrection, and His reigning forever with God.
Jesus' journey is meant to be ours. Jesus' response to being plunged into the water of the Jordan River is meant to be ours. We are called to live as Jesus did, to die, to rise again, and to live forever in the presence of God.
The Second Vatican Council pointed out in its documents on the Sacraments, that Baptism is meant to have a three-fold response. The first is that Baptism is the initiation into the People of God. All cultures mark an initiation, a beginning. If Baptism is the initiation of a new member into the group, then it is certainly fitting that those already initiated be present to welcome the new member. Fr. William Bausch in his book of stories about Baptism compares it to coming down to breakfast one morning and suddenly seeing a baby being fed by your mother and nobody thought to tell you that there was a new member of the family. I was baptizing a baby right here a few years ago on a Sunday afternoon, and as I poured water over the baby's head I had an image in my head of all of the angels of heaven rejoicing, as a new member was welcomed into the Kingdom of God. It may have been only my imagination, but it is also the reality of Baptism. Each one of us here this morning who has been baptized belongs to a very special group, the children of Almighty God.
The second response to this wonderful exciting action is the call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The word "disciple" means student, coming from the Latin discere, to learn. According to Webster's it especially means a follower of Jesus, learning from His teachings. Over the centuries, Christianity became a political movement, culminating in the Holy Roman Empire, which my old history teacher in seminary was always fond of saying was neither holy, nor Roman. It is always an indictment for someone to say, "Oh, I didn't know you were Catholic!" It's not about palm branches, or ashes, or Christmas lights, or a manger scene. It's about a life based on the teachings of Jesus: "I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. If he strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other as well." and "Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you." It's not always easy, but it's the promise that was made for us by our parents and godparents at our Baptism and confirmed by us each at the Sacrament of Confirmation. "What Would Jesus Do" has to become more than a statement on a wristband, it has to become the focus of how we live each moment of our lives.
Thirdly, Baptism is not just a christening, it is a commissioning. In the military, after studying and being recommended by others, a soldier may be commissioned as an officer. While being an officer gives a soldier certain responsibilities, it also gives that soldier specific rights. As a child of God, you have the right to address God as Father. Your Baptism, by the grace of God and the loving actions of His Son Jesus, has made you his adopted child. When you appear before God you are not just some random creature who accidentally wandered into His Kingdom. You are, by Baptism, a child of God and an heir to the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is home for us! You have the right to behave and perform as Jesus did. When we christen a child after he or she has been baptized we say the words, "as Jesus was anointed priest, prophet and king, so may you live always as a member of His body, sharing everlasting life." This promise, sealed with blessed oil, gives us the right to share in Jesus' sacrifice, to proclaim the truths of the Kingdom of God and to reign with Jesus forever.
It is our Baptism that makes us the presence of God in a world that tries its best to pretend that He doesn't exist.
This morning, as you leave the church, dip your hand into the holy water fonts at the entrance. And as you sign yourself with the sign of Jesus' cross, recall that wonderful blessed event that occurred years ago, when water was poured and words powerfully proclaimed that you were now child of God. And as you walk from this holy place, bring that holiness with you as you minister to your family, friends, co-workers and all that you meet. And may you, like Jesus, hear these words from your Father, "You are my beloved, in whom I am well pleased."
