Sunday Jan 13th Reflection: The Baptism of the Lord

St. Francis Parish | January 13, 2019, 12:01 am | Reflections

This Sunday of “The Baptism of the Lord”, the Gospel reading comes to us from Luke Chapter 3 as we are taken to the River Jordan and the presence of John the Baptist. The people, seeking the answers to what they should be doing and hearing John were, “filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ”. (LK 3:15) What questions do we have? Certainly we all know John’s response. “I am baptizing you with water”…”He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (LK 3:16) In the second part of the Gospel, we are told of how after Jesus was baptized, “heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him”…”And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased””. (LK 3:21-22) This is representative of what happens to each of us upon our own baptism; we are filled with the Holy Spirit and God is pleased with our entry into His Kingdom.

The people of the time of Jesus had many questions and there was certainly great confusion. We have the benefit of having answers but do we take the time to understand and follow them? When we first learned to drive a car, we were filled with angst and fear. We would never have gotten behind the wheel in rush hour traffic without first spending time studying and practicing in order to acquire the necessary knowledge and skill to safely operate the vehicle. If we had, we likely could have ended up dead or even taking someone else’s life. Despite this, we play a proverbial game of “chicken” with the spiritual lives of ourselves and our families as we spend little time studying or practicing our faith.

Our own baptism and the grace we receive is like getting the keys to our first car that could ultimately carry us and our loved ones to heaven. Will we check the tires regularly and get the fluids changed to ensure the vehicles health and endurance? Do we take the necessary steps in belting in our loved ones and ourselves while adhering to speed limits and warnings? Will we drive aimlessly, running the risk of being lost or distracted by bright lights that attempt to lure us along a different path toward temptation? Or will we study and follow the owner’s manual and road maps provided us while seeking God’s direction in order that we too may safely arrive at our intended destination?

See you in class! Have a blessed week.