Christ’s Promises, Our Baptismal Effects, and How We Choose to Live 

In today’s gospel’s first verses (15/16), Luke directs us to reflect on the expectations the   people, whom John the Baptist is preaching to, about of the coming Messiah, Jesus. We are told that the Baptist recognizes the people’s eagerness as he speaks to them about “the one who is to come after him” and emphasizes the Messiah’s transformative power. This reflection allows us to consider our own expectations of Christ in our lives—what will He do for me and what does He call me to do and be? Are we, much like the crowds, yearning for a deeper relationship with the Lord and are we open to His transformative p0wer in our own lives?  John the Baptist’s own   proclamation serves as a reminder that true and lasting change begins with humility and openness to the Holy Spirit. 

In the second section of this gospel, verses 21/22, we are witnesses to a profound moment in the midst of Jesus’ own baptism. Here, the heavens open up and the Holy Spirit descends upon the Lord in the form of a dove, the Holy Spirit, and God’s voice proclaims that Jesus is “My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This short proclamation by God is not just to highlight the   importance of Baptism as a ritual but also as a moment of divine affirmation and mission. For Catholics, baptism is a sacrament that initiates us into the life of grace, marking our identity as children of God, and that is just the beginning of God’s grace in our lives.

n our current culture, many Catholics do not hold baptism in the importance it once   commanded. Fifty years ago a child would have been baptized within eight (8) days of being born; today most baptisms I perform are for children who are closer to two years old or older (by the way, once a child reaches the age of reason—7 years old—he or she must go through an educational   program to receive the sacrament. Today, the sacrament occurs more for convenience of timing and less for the gift of the Holy Spirit and a new life of grace from God. So how do we get back to an understanding of the spiritual importance of baptism? How do we come to understand that   opposed to an ancient ritual, baptism is a significant entrance into the portals of God’s divine love, which He intends to give us so that we may gain eternal life? Better catechesis and evangelization, more apologetics, and much, much better Mass attendance along with good and applicable   homilies, uplifting and relevant music and long lasting community development are just the   beginning. Programs and ministries such as Nurturing Seedlings, youth ministry, well-formed faith formation programs and speakers, ministry development to local needs, and creating a church community that welcomes all to attend and participate are the signs of a growing faith-family   community.

As we reflect on today’s gospel passages as well as on the make-up of St. Catherine Parish, we are called to not only recognize the value of our parish in our lives, but we are called to recognize our own baptism as a transformative conduit into all of us living out our faith in community and   in-and-through the actions of our own lives. We are asked to reflect on how we shall we live out our identity as a beloved son or daughter of God, how we are to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and to bear witness to Christ each day in all our relationships. How will we, like Jesus, live our mission as children of God with courage and love, and to be agents of God in our families, communities, and world around us?