Homily for the Baptism of Jesus (A)
Today we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of our Lord. First, let’s remember, Jesus did not “need”
to be baptized by John, because he was without sin. Jesus, by telling John to baptize him, chose
to set the example for the rest of us to follow by being obedient to the will
of his Heavenly Father. He demonstrated
his love for God the Father, and for us, by allowing John to baptize him.
Baptism is a re-birth. Because of
the fall of Adam and Eve, we all are born with original sin. Baptism wipes away the stain of sin from our
souls and makes them pure again. And the
removal of the stain of original sin makes baptism important to us, and
important to God. God wants all of us to
be close to him, to be without sin. The
sacrament of Baptism is the first way to achieve the oneness with God that he
desires.
Baptism is a “new beginning.” All
of us experience new beginnings in our lives.
One of mine came when I was ordained a Deacon to serve the needs of the
Hispanic Community here at Holy Spirit Parish.
Please permit me to say that it has been a wonderful experience for me. You all have been so patient, and kind, and
welcoming. I have enjoyed my time with
you very much. I am always telling
people how much I love my ministry with you all. So thank you, for making my “new beginning”
such a wonderful experience.
But enough about me... what about your
new beginning? Where is your rebirth? Now is a perfect time for a renewal, a
rebirth, as we head toward the season of Lent and our preparation for Easter. Since most all of us have already been
baptized, we need to look for a different kind of rebirth; not a “once-in-a-lifetime”
event like baptism, but one that we celebrate over and over and over again. And that gift that we can celebrate daily if
we want to, is the Eucharist.
There is nothing better in this world than the Eucharist. God’s offering of himself to us each time we
attend mass is the most precious gift that we can receive. Each time we receive Holy Communion, we are
celebrating a rebirth of sorts, as Jesus enters into our hearts and souls anew
to fill us with his grace and love. The Sacrament of Eucharist is at the center
of our worship. It is so very special
and important. After all, Jesus himself
told his apostles: “Take and eat, for
this is my body; take and drink, for this is my blood.” And then he told them: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus wants us to receive his body and blood
as often as we can—that’s why he gave us this incredible sacrament. And so, when I see many people not receiving
communion at mass, it makes me sad. To
me, it’s like going to a wonderful banquet, and then just drinking water and
eating crackers—you’re missing the glorious meal being served—the focal point
of the whole celebration.
Whatever is keeping you from receiving Jesus at mass, I hope you can
remove that obstacle. I would like for our
new beginning to be more and more people receiving Holy Communion every chance
that they get, so that everyone gathered here shares fully with one
another in this marvelous mystery we call the mass. In order to receive all of the graces
associated with mass, we need to receive Holy Communion. I do like it when you come forward with your
arms crossed to receive a blessing, and you should continue to do that if you
are not able to receive Holy Communion for whatever reason. A blessing is good, but you want more—you want... awesome! And awesome is...the Eucharist! Each time you receive Holy Communion you
should feel renewed, rejuvenated, revitalized, re-energized; reborn.
And so, if you have something that is keeping you from receiving Holy
Communion, let’s work on removing that barrier.
If you feel that sin is keeping you from coming, then please
confess your sin to a priest at the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are all human, and we all
make mistakes. Reconciliation is another
gift given to us by God to allow us to again be close to him after we have
fallen away. If you feel “unworthy” to
receive Holy Communion for some reason, or have questions about it, please talk
to Father, or me, or Maria Jose, or anybody that you feel comfortable with. Whatever the reason for your reluctance to
come to the table of the Lord, please, let’s try and fix it.
Now is a great time for a new
beginning. In 2014, let’s reconnect with
Our Lord in the Eucharist. Let’s truly
put Jesus first in our lives. He is
right there in the tabernacle. In a few
minutes, he will be right there on the altar.
We need for him to be right here—in our hearts and in our souls. He has invited us to this glorious
banquet. Wont’ you say: “Yes” to God
today?
:)
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