Baptism of the Lord C. January 11, 2004. 5:15, 9:30 Our Lady of Grace. Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7. Acts 10: 34-38. Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22.

It was time for six-year-old Maria to go to bed. Her dad had been working hard on the computer for several hours. He was finishing some things for work the next day. Eventually he noticed Maria standing next to him. He said, “Hi, pumpkin, what do you need?” Little Maria replied, “Its time for me to go to bed, Daddy, and I want to say good night.” Still keeping a close eye on the computer screen, the Dad gave little Maria a hug and a kiss. “Good night. Sleep tight. I love you,” he said. Several minuets later he looked up and Maria was still standing there. He said, “Little one, I gave you a hug and a kiss, now what do you want?” Maria responded, “Daddy, you gave me a hug and a kiss, but you were not really in it.”

Lately I have been reading a book called The Purpose Driven Life. It is written by a Protestant pastor. At times the book seems to be too literal and its lacks the Eucharistic focus and contemplative depth I am accustomed to in Catholic Spirituality. On the other hand, the book is very clear about what it means to follow Jesus Christ. In a series of 40 daily reflections it lays out in an orderly way the spiritual demands of discipleship. I found the first chapter particularly interesting and difficult. Pastor Warren states with great emphasis that the purpose he is talking about in The Purpose Driven Life is not your purpose or my purpose. He states that the universe is too large and our importance and our life span are too small to even make a small splash in the universe. There are more stars in the sky than the billions of people who have lived since the creation of the human race. The purpose that Pastor Warren is talking about is the purpose for which God created the universe. For anyo one of us to be out of sync with God’s purpose in creating the universe is even more absurd than for us to try stopping the world from spinning on its axis. Baptism is about lining up our lives with God’s purpose for the universe. John the Baptist knew that he was not worthy even to loosen the sandal straps of the one whom God has appointed Messiah. After his baptism Jesus heard a voice telling him that he was God’s beloved son. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of his life by embracing the mission his Father had given him, even when that meant dying on the Cross.

Baptism is about mission. Baptism is about God’s purpose and mission in creating the universe. Almost everyone in this church was baptized, most of us as infants. At the time when we were baptized our parents were certainly busy about many other things. For as long as we can remember we may have done all the ordinary things that Catholics do, yet being very busy about many other things we may never have really thought much about the grace of our baptism. On the day that we were baptized God gave us a hug and a kiss with great power and grace, making us God’s beloved sons and daughters. Unlike Maria’s father, God put himself completely into his embrace on the day of our baptism, filling us with divine life and sharing with us God’s purpose for the universe. God put everything into our baptism, but we may have remained distant, half-heartedly fulfilling the mission of our baptism with our minds clearly on something else, in the same way that Maria’s father was not really in the hug he gave her.

St. Augustine was one of the most brilliant human beings who ever lived. He spent most of his life searching for truth and for pleasure. His mother was a devote Catholic Christian, but Augustine would have none of it, no matter how hard she prayed and how much she pleaded. Augustine had his own mind, his own will and his own purpose in the matter. As he grew nearer to his conversion Augustine began to struggle with his appetites and desires, especially in the area of sexuality. He had a mistress and a son. He was not married. At one point Augustine prayed, “Make me chaste, but not now!” After many years of struggle Augustine gave in to the Lord of the universe and he was baptized, lining up his life with God’s purpose for him and for the world.

Looking back on his struggle with himself, St. Augustine spoke words about a life that had been wasted and now was found. In giving his life to God’s purpose he finally had found himself. Augustine said, “Late have I loved you, O beauty ever ancient, ever new. Late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me: I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you; now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me and I burned for your peace.”

Ever since the day that Jesus entered the Jordan River to be baptized by John, men and women have followed him into the water to be baptized with him and to share in his mission and purpose for the world. I have asked one of our young people to help us understand our mission as baptized people by taking to us about our mission trip program for parish teens. (Introduce speaker by name) . (Thank you).