Make It Real

Homily for January 11, 2015 (Baptism of the Lord)
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Mark 1:7-11

Today we move from Epiphany to Theophany, from the manifestation of Jesus as “the newborn King of the Jews” (Mt 2:2) to a voice from the heavens proclaiming at Jesus’ baptism, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  We also move from our annual celebration of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany to a brief stop in Ordinary Time before we begin the season of Lent in a month-and-a-half.

In his homily at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday 2013, Pope Francis made this special appeal to priests:

This I ask you: be shepherds, with the “odor of the sheep”, make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men. True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets. It is not a bad thing that reality itself forces us to “put out into the deep,” where what we are by grace is clearly seen as pure grace, out into the deep of the contemporary world, where the only thing that counts is “unction” – not function – and the nets which overflow with fish are those cast solely in the name of the One in whom we have put our trust: Jesus.

It is this same Jesus who provided a wonderful example of the shepherd smelling like the sheep when he joined many of his fellow Jews in submitting to the baptism of John at the Jordan.  While he had no need for repentance, his gesture underscored how fully he immersed himself in our humanity and in the lives of those he came to serve.  It completed the mission of John the Baptist to prepare the way for the one mightier than he—one who would baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit.  It simultaneously marked the inauguration of Jesus’ own mission, one that would fulfill the hopeful words of Isaiah in our first reading and would bring forth justice, light and liberation for all.

In his testimony to Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, St. Peter acknowledged the universality of God’s offer of salvation; and he recalled Jesus, his anointing in “the Holy Spirit and power” and life of “doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil.”  By virtue of our own baptism, we share in the mission of Christ. We’re called to follow not only the example of his works but also the example of his openness, generosity and compassion in carrying them out.

We have just completed a time of year when people are especially giving to family, friends and a variety of charities.   Today’s feast encourages us to build upon that spirit, to humbly immerse ourselves anew in the purposes for which we were created and the mission to which we have been called, and to make them a part of our everyday lives—extraordinary love in Ordinary Time. +