Abandoned by God?
The Baptism of the Lord
The church is celebrating today the Baptism of the Lord, which is no longer the testimony of some wise men of the East, but a testimony of the Father and the Holy Spirit, which clearly shows who is receiving the Baptism today, and is, baptizing the universe.
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
And what is the love of a Father to the Son? The gift of the Holy Spirit, the love the Father has for the Son is the Spirit, and the love that the Son has for the Father is the same Spirit. And so, dear Christ, anointed by the Spirit, Christ becomes Loving, an Adorning Christ. When a person feels abandoned, he/she says, “God does not hear Me.” When we feel far away from God we feel that He does not listen to us, and we also feel that He doesn’t talk to us. “God does not listen, God doesn’t speak to me.” The people of Israel also felt that way. They felt abandoned by God. Perhaps how we might have felt.
But then came John the Baptist, and was his role was not a small one, but an very important one. John came to teach a fundamental thing: Before you feel abandoned by God, remember that you and I and our people have abandoned God. And that’s the first part of the teaching of this Feast of the Baptism.
The word of John served to tell the people: You now complain that God does not hear you, and that God does not speak to you, but remember that you did not hear God and you did not talk to God, You did not pray, you did not read God’s Word, you did not meditate on the Holy Scriptures, you were going to church only out of commitment. Remember, this means you did not hear God. Also remember that you thought you could solve the problems alone or by yourself with the strength of your hands, with the talent of your mind, with the strategies of your heart, with your nice words, with the strength of your arms, with your influences and your friends. You thought you could do it all and so you spoke little or nothing to God: You listened very little to God, or nothing at all.
Those were the complaints that John the Baptist brought. This is where begins the feast we are celebrating. Behold, God, in His mercy, here opens a bridge. Look what is said in the Gospel: Jesus was baptized, and those skies that seemed impenetrable, those bronze skies, opened. Jesus opened the Skies! How beautiful! The Baptism of Christ breaks that dreadful silence, that painful silence, the silence of God. We have now heard God:
“This is my beloved Son, LISTEN TO HIM.” (Mark 1:11)
That your voice has cherished his Son, and with that same voice caresses all who are born in Christ for eternal life in baptism. May God Bless you! Long live Christ King! Long Live the Virgin Mary! Long live the People of God!
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Readings for the Week
Monday: Heb 1:1-6; Ps 97:1, 2b, 6, 7c, 9; Mk 1:14-20
Tuesday: Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2ab, 5, 6-9; Mk 1:21-28
Wednesday: Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Mk 1:29-39
Thursday: Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95:6-11; Mk 1:40-45
Friday: Heb 4:1-5, 11; Ps 78:3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2:1-12
Saturday: Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-10, 15; Mk 2:13-17
Sunday: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42
Saints & Special Observances
Sunday: The Baptism of the Lord
Monday: First Week in Ordinary Time begins
Tuesday: St. Hilary
Saturday: St. Anthony