Guido Reni's Baptism of Christ

Guido Reni's Baptism of Christ

This past Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord.  Countless artists have represented this moment in Christian history (and nearly every Catholic baptistry in Europe has some artistic rendition of the story!).  Among the most famous of these is Guido Reni, whose Baptism of Christ is depicted above.  For an thoughtful analysis of the painting and its symbolic significance and relevance for us, check out this video entitled "The Humility of the Baptist," by Fr. James Martin:

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Sunday Gospel Reflection: January 13th, 2013

(Check out this video of Henri Nouwen, in whom I am spiritually and theologically indebted)

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

You are my beloved...with you I am well pleased

I am grateful that my final Gospel reflection is on the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, a moment that roots Jesus in his identity as the beloved of God and launches him into his time for prayer and temptation in the desert and his public ministry. The depth of God’s Word finds us relating with both Jesus and John. We are like John. John was not the Messiah, but was set apart by God to prepare the way for the Lord to come in his time and to preach forgiveness as the path to God. We too are called to prepare the way for the Lord here in Mill Valley in 2013. In our families, schools, offices, churches, and world we are called to be prophets of reconciliation and forgiveness in a broken world and to point people to the wholeness that is only found in relationship with the God who created us and loves us into life. As St. Francis reminds us and John models, we are called to preach the Gospel, when necessary use words. This should challenge us to live more authentic lives in our actions and should push us out of our safe or polite comfort zones to be willing to offer to those in our lives words of forgiveness, comfort, challenge, and a direct invitation to a relationship with God and participation to Mass.

We are like Jesus. We too should reflect that, what is spoken of Jesus by God is spoken to us: You are my beloved…with you I am well pleased! Each of us has experienced the world and our human life and relationships as broken. One of our primary spiritual tasks is to claim our true identity, not of a broken world and history, but of God’s first love for us. Our identity is rooted in being created by God, being loved into being, wholly and perfectly by the only love that can be whole and perfect: God’s love. The Christian life is to claim that identity daily and to share it with one another. Claiming our true identity cannot be done alone but requires a community, a faith-family, to walk together, to share the sign of that belovedness, the self-gift of the Eucharist, and to be strengthened by that spiritual food to go forth to proclaim our true identity to the world: we are not random or solely individual, we are the beloved daughters and sons of God.

Gospel Activity

-Do you know you and your family’s baptism anniversary dates? (In some countries the date of baptism is celebrated as more significant than the day of birth each year) Look up each person’s baptism date and make a point to make that day special by reminding and modeling that they are loved by God!

Prepare the way of the Lord...

Prepare the way of the Lord...

Prepare the way of the Lord!  We hear in this Sunday's reading from Isaiah of God exhorting the people of Jerusalem to prepare the way of the Lord, to clear a path to belief:  belief in salvation, belief in an end to servitude, belief in renewed relationship with God.  God is stating his ever-present openness to relationship, his willingness to carry them in his bosom, to care for and protect his people as they return from exile in Babylon.

Similarly, the job of John the Baptist was to clear that same path to belief, to prepare the people for the coming of one mightier than himself.  John’s baptism of repentance allows all to begin to open to the baptism Jesus himself will bring:  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  The baptism that Jesus brings is transformative; it involves purgation and purification.  Jesus comes to restore relationship yet again, but this time once and for all; he is baptized by John to inaugurate his service to mankind, and to give witness to his own humanity so that he might begin the path to salvation that will end with his death.  As the Letter to Titus makes clear, Jesus came to cleanse for himself a people as his own; we are saved through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.  And with salvation comes responsibility.

Our own baptism transforms us, and each time we renew our baptismal vows, we are given a new way of looking at life, and of living that life.  The Feast of the Baptism of Jesus reminds us to live constantly as though we are in union with God; although full union will come only in heaven, we need to keep striving for union on earth.  And that means living as though we are loved infinitely, as though that love has transformed us and continues to transform us, so that we ourselves can love and transform others by that love.  Like the prophets, like John the Baptist, we must try to give witness to salvation in our lives through the love we show for one another.  Prepare the way of the Lord!

This reflection is based on notes from Fr. Pat's Thursday Scripture class.
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The Authority of Compassion

New Year's Resolution or New Day's Resolutions?

What is myrrh, anyway?

What is myrrh, anyway?

Myrrh comes from a tree.  When the Commiferra myrrha tree is slashed with a machete, an aromatic gum resin oozes out, then hardens.  In Jesus' time, it was a costly commodity, used to make ointments and perfumes and clean open wounds; a small quantity (less than a pound) was also used for embalming or anointing of the dead, to delay decay and control odors.  It could be burned during cremation.  Tom's of Maine still uses it in some of their toothpastes!

Why would one of the magi (legend says his name was Caspar) bring such a substance -- valuable though it might be -- as a gift to the baby Jesus?  According to Suzetta Tucker, "this gift represents Christ's human nature, the Suffering Savior, the Great Physician, and the Passion."  It is thus at once an indicator of Jesus' forthcoming ministry and also a pointer to his suffering and death -- an eminently appropriate signpost to the joy of the Christmas season, and the Crucifixion that would result.  Even the gashes required to extract myrrh from its tree are potentially symbolic of the Passion, recalling Jesus' lashes at the hands of Roman soldiers. Yet it was a precious substance, costly to acquire and thus fit for a king, the King of Kings.

For Ms. Tucker's complete article on myrrh, including additional references to the substance in the Old and New Testaments, click here.

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Article ("ChristStory Christmas Symbols - Myrrh")

Sunday Gospel Reflection: January 6th, 2013

Matthew 2:1-12   

Happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Today we celebrate the Epiphany, the ‘appearance’ or ‘manifestation’ of Jesus as the Son of God to the three wise men (Magi) who brought Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh. While Christmas celebrates Jesus’ actual birth, his becoming incarnate (in-‘carne’, flesh/man), today we celebrate the moments of realization (that can only lead to extreme joy) that this baby who has been born is the Son of God! It is one thing for Jesus to come to earth, it is another thing for people (like us) to recognize Him as God and adore Him.

Today’s celebration is especially meaningful for us because we can celebrate the time or moments when we have had our own epiphanies that Jesus is God and deeply loves us. Epiphany is not about reading facts in a book or believing because someone else told you to, but about feeling and knowing deep down with your heart and soul that Jesus is God, the King of the world, and loves us more than anyone. When we know that we can begin to see God within us and all around us; we are filled with JOY!

To be ‘Christian’ is to live that joy, to respond to God loving us first by loving Him in return. The wise men brought material gifts to Jesus and laid them at his feet. What gifts will we give to Jesus in return? Jesus gave us His life to us; can we give our lives back to Him?

Discussion Starters

-Have you ever had an epiphany moment where you realized or strongly felt Jesus’ loving presence? When?

-Imagine yourself traveling a long distance to meet Jesus. What gift would you bring Him? And why?

-Jesus gave His whole life to us as a gift, how can we give of ourselves to each other and Jesus this week? (think practically!)

Gospel in Action

-Decide as a family to give a gift (material or an act of service) for someone else/another family!

-Pray for those who might not know God’s love for them, those people who need an epiphany.

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