Rooted in Mission

Throughout the Christmas season, we have witnessed a number of moments at which God has surprised us: a virgin was chosen to conceive and a respectable young man was put to the test when he was invited to take on the role of foster father to the Son of God; our God came to us not in the form of an intellectual, but rather in the form of a child; that precious child was born not in luxury but rather in a stable; the first visitors were shepherds, those who were among the least regarded people in society; and strangers from the Far East came bearing gifts.  Today, we see the final part of this scene: the Baptism of the Lord.

As with all of the other key moments in the story of the nativity, the Baptism of Jesus also included its own share of surprises.  Jesus did not claim any level of privilege for himself; instead, he took his place in line, along with all the others who were coming to John at the Jordan to be baptized (Mt 3:13).  In fact, it was John who most most surprised to find Jesus standing in the river.  When he arrived, the shock was evident in John's voice.  He said: I need to be baptized by you ... (Mt 3:14).  Yet, Jesus' appearance at the Jordan was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophesy: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights (Is 42:1; Mt 3:17).

Jesus' public ministry began on the day when he was baptized.  In the same way, each one of us who has been baptized has also been sent out on mission.  Our mission in life is to share the good news: to tell others about how God anointed Jesus ... with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed (Acts 10:38).

Parents who have brought their children to the Church and asked for them to be baptized accepted a responsibility to share this good news with their children, but all of us have the same responsibility to tell others about God, about the love that God has for each of us, about how God anointed Jesus, and about the good deeds that Jesus did while he was here on earth.  Our grandparents shared this news with us, our parents also helped us to grow in our knowledge of God, and hopefully we ourselves have known the great privilege of being aware of God's presence and blessings in our lives.

Many of us might have grown up with a concept of God as a supreme being who is far away from us, but in truth, our God is very close to us, always seeking new ways to surprise us.  When we are baptized, we begin our lives in faith.  At the same time, our mission to share the good news also begins.  It takes a while for us to learn this good news, to experience it for ourselves, but only after we have encountered the joy of knowing Jesus can we share this good news with others.  How have we experienced this joy in our lives, and how have we shared this joy with others?