Scripture Reflection, January 11: Baptism of the Lord

Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7
Psalm 29
Acts of the Apostles 10: 34-38
Mark 1: 7-11

Last weekend Catholics on Call hosted a retreat for men and women who have participated in a summer young adult conference. We met at the Passionist retreat house in North Palm Beach, Florida. It was a small but lively and engaged group of people who were not sorry to leave winter behind for a few days and enjoy the warmth and sunshine of southern Florida. As we dialogued about where people are in their journey of faith and discernment, a word that was repeatedly mentioned was “service.” The young adults repeatedly talked about their desire to be of service to others in the name of the Church, especially to those most in need. Many of them are still figuring out how that service will take shape, but they expressed their aspirations to make a real difference with their lives through service. Sometimes one hears claims that young people are mired in the narcissism that is evident in our society. What I consistently see in the young adults who participate in Catholics on Call is an earnest desire to offer themselves generously to the world and to the Church. Spending time with these men and women is inspiring and refreshing.

This Sunday, as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we continue to savor the compelling mystery of the incarnation. We reflect on the profound truth that in Jesus, God has become one with humanity; God has assumed human nature and traversed the arduous road of human life. Jesus’ reception of the baptism of John is a moment of new beginnings. This moment marks the inauguration of his public ministry. As we listen to this passage in the gospel of Mark, the voice from heaven invites us to ponder the mystery of who this Jesus is: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

If the gospel concluded with this baptismal scene, we would be left with a heavenly voice revealing to us the identity of Jesus as Son. But we would not know much about what it means that Jesus is God’s beloved Son. And we would know very little about who this God is whom Jesus reveals. With his baptism, however, Jesus begins his mission of proclaiming the reign of God and making that reign present in and through his words, his actions, and his very person. The identity of God’s beloved Son is traced with the lines of his human life.

Soon after this moment of beginnings, Mark tells us that Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to be his disciples, revealing that he wants others to live in close relationship with him. Then Jesus encounters a man in a synagogue who is tormented by an evil spirit. His powerful word brings peace to this desperate individual. He visits Peter’s house, where Peter’s mother-in-law is ill with a fever. Jesus takes her by the hand and lifts her from her sickbed. Before too long, he is approached by a man pleading on his knees, a person whose body is ravaged by the dreaded disease of leprosy, the AIDS of Jesus’ day. Mark recounts the way in which this beloved Son of God does the unthinkable: he stretches out his hand and touches this diseased man. Through his touch, the leper experiences healing and finds a whole new life. As the story progresses, we will see the way in which this beloved Son of God stretches out his hands again, this time on a cross.

As the story unfolds we learn that Jesus, God’s beloved Son, is a servant to others. This is precisely the person Jesus “turns out” to be. As the prophet Isaiah had said about the servant of the Lord, Jesus does not crush the bruised reed or quench the smoldering wick. He does not use his power to dominate others but to liberate them and give them life. The all-powerful God has revealed himself to us through his beloved Son, the one who became a servant to others.

We are at the beginning of a new year and are about to witness the inauguration of new leadership in our country. It is an appropriate time to think anew about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We who have been baptized have been given a share in the mission of Jesus. We are called to continue his mission in the world today. This vocation is one of generous service to others. We are invited to use the power that we have to offer freedom and life to others. In many ways this is a countercultural message in our society. Our culture tends to tell us that we discover personal fulfillment by pursuing our own self-interests. We must engage in the endeavors that enable us to “get ahead” and we should only do what makes us feel “comfortable.” Jesus reminds us, however, that through the Spirit of God alive within us each one of us is a bearer of the power of God. And he invites us to follow the path that he has set for us, in which we discover genuine fulfillment through service. We find real life through everyday, loving concern for those to whom we are committed and by active concern for the most forgotten in our world. This is indeed a challenging message but it is also the good news that Jesus, the Servant of God, proclaimed and exemplified in his own life.

Last weekend was a breath of fresh air for me and for my colleagues at Catholics on Call. The fresh air came to us not just from the Florida seacoast but from our encounter with young adults who love Christ and who aspire to continue his mission in our world today. In the celebration of the Eucharist, the risen Jesus continues to serve us by giving us his very self for our life and nourishment. May we receive him with hearts that are grateful and hearts that are open – open to the needs of those around us.

Fr. Robin Ryan, cp