Jesus’ baptism marked a
turning point in his life as the Son of God made man. For many years, he lived
a quiet, ordinary, private life, known only to his parents, relatives and
friends. Then, the time came for him to begin his special mission in life, a
task that was planned from eternity.
After
his baptism by John, Jesus began his public ministry. He was becoming a public
figure. He started to preach, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!” And
as he preached, Jesus also healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, forgave
sinners, fed the hungry, embraced little children, protected the rights of
widows, and consoled the poor with his words and deeds. In Jesus, the prophecy
of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled: “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my
chosen one in whom I delight. I have put my spirit upon him, and he will bring
justice to the nations.”
As the Church celebrates
the feast of our Lord’s baptism, we also are reminded of our own baptism, the turning
point of our lives whereby we become disciples of Jesus and members of his
Church. Before our baptism, we were creatures of God; after our baptism, we
became adopted children of God, heirs of His kingdom. This is our fundamental
identity, something that cannot be taken away from us. We may lose our material
possessions, friends, job, or physical attractiveness, but we will never lose
our mark as sons and daughters of the Most High. Not unless, we choose to lose
it ourselves by consciously and freely turning away from God.
In baptism, we become
sharers not only of the identity of Jesus but also his mission on earth. We are
to live as Jesus lived. We are to live
the Father’s will everyday of our lives, which could mean a lot of things.
Basically, however, it means that we are to love God above all else, with all
our heart, mind, soul and strength. It also means we are to love one another as
we love ourselves.
One thing that is lost
by many people today is a sense of mission. What are we here for? What is the
meaning of our being sons and daughters of God? What does God want us to do on
earth? Not many of us have seriously considered these questions. The prevailing
culture does not urge us to find joy and meaningfulness in the fulfillment of
our real mission on earth.
I like what Cardinal
Newman writes about his life and mission:
God has created me to do
Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me, which He has not
committed to another. . . . I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between
persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do the good, I shall do His
work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while
not intending it—if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore I will trust
Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness,
my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am
in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He
is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may
make me feel desolate, make my spirit sink, hide my future from me – still He
knows what He is about.
The self-awareness of
Cardinal Newman is something that all Christians must try to emulate. People
who know who they really are and what they are about to inherit will fear no
one. They will not waste their time and energy with other things that do not
matter in the kingdom of God. They will not worry when sometimes things go
wrong because they know that God, the Father in heaven, is in full control.
