January 2009

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?”

In the beginning of my homily today I ask you all, like Jesus did in today’s Gospel “What are you looking for?” Why are you here today?

I believe you are here because of your desire to answer your spiritual calling to grow in the Lord Jesus. You are here because you have a faith; strong believe that Jesus is the Son of God. You are here because Jesus calls you to be his disciples in this world. You are here because you are seeking his blessing, strength, and his help in your spiritual life and in your daily life.

My dear Brothers and Sisters

Today’s Gospel speaks to us about God’s calling. It is revealed to us by the actions of the two disciples of John the Baptist who followed Jesus. John told them: He is the Lamb of God. After this they fallow Jesus. But John tells us a lot more about Jesus: He will take away the sins of the world. He is a man. He comes after me but ranks before me. He existed before me. The Spirit came down on him – resting on him. He is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit. He is the Chosen One of God. We must follow Jesus in order to be saved. He is the Lamb of God, the perfect human sacrifice for the redemption of ours sins. Jesus is our Rabbi, our Teacher. He shows us the way, the truth and the life.

From the Gospel Reading, we also learned how Peter came to follow Jesus. His call came through Andrew who was God’s instrument of grace to call Peter. Throughout the Holy Bible and even in our daily lives, we see how the grace of God works through His chosen people.

So, I ask you again, “Why are you here today? What are you looking for? Are you looking to answer the calling of the Lord?” If you are looking for the way, the truth and the life, then you must fix your eyes on Jesus. You must answer your calling by living holy lives.

When I see your presence here, I rejoice! Why do I rejoice? It is because I know that you are striving to walk in the way, the truth and the life that comes to each and everyone of us through Jesus. Your presence here today is a spiritual sign that the grace of God is at work in all of you. It is a sign that you are desire to participate in fellowship as one in the Body of Christ. It is a sign that you desire to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.

As long as you continue to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist on a weekly basis, although being weak in human nature, there is hope. And as long as there is hope, the grace and mercy of God will not let you down. May God be with you as we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass.

John the Baptist came one day to the Jordan River to begin his ministry of preaching and baptizing. His message was very simple: ”God is about to do something big. Don’t be caught unprepared. Turn from your sins and be baptized”.

There was also something simple about John. People came from all over to hear what he had to say. Soon some people began to wonder. Could this unusual man be the promised Messiah? John answered them: ”One mightier than I, is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.”

John, of course, spoke about Jesus. “I have baptized you with water….He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John’s point was that his baptism with water was only a baptism of repentance. It was only a “sign” that people who stepped into the river to be baptized by him repented their sins of their past. They wanted to have them washed away and begin new lives.

Jesus’ baptism with Spirit, on the other hand, would be something different. It would be a baptism of rebirth. It would communicate to people the new life they were seeking.

My Dear Sisters and Brothers

The Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord also speaks to our own baptism. We are baptized into this same Jesus Christ. We become one with Him after our sacrament of Baptism. We are one with the Lord and yet we do not always choose to live from that unity with Him. Today’s solemnity can remind us that we have a power: the grace to live in the Lord if we are baptized.

There are two aspects of living in Christ: dying to ourselves and living in Him. These aspects cannot be separated except in our thinking. As we die to all that is darkness, sin, and brokenness within us, we come to new life in Him.
We are invited today to live our baptism. We are invited today to wonder at the Lord’s baptism. Jesus is baptized unto death. Jesus dies so that we might live. Jesus rises and changes the whole earth.

Let us rejoice in Him.

On this feast Epiphany of the Lord we remember the Magi, Three Kings; they arrived to the Bethlehem to see new King of the Jews. The Magi came to the house where Jesus was with Mary, bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and myrrh. Next they went back to their homes to reveal what they had seen.

We can imagine what might have motivated these Kings to leave their homes and countries to follow the star.
In today’s Gospel we see that Herod has an entirely different motivation. He is greatly troubled by news of the child and feels his position may be in danger. Rather than wanting to reveal the Lord’s presence he would like to get rid of it. He pretended to the magi that he also wanted to pay homage. Fortunately the magi heard the message of danger and returned to their homes and country by another route.

My dear Brothers and Sisters

When we leave Church on Sundays we are called to go home and “make known” what we have heard, seen and received. We are to reveal the very presence of God to our family members. When we leave our houses, we are to take the presence of the Lord with us and be reflections of God to our co-workers, friends and all we meet through the week. We mark our doorways this weekend to help us remember that.

The traditional names of the Magi or Kings were Balthazar, Melchior and Kaspar. We mark above our doorways: K + M + B + 2009 to remind us that in this year of 2009 we are called to reveal the Lords presence as the Magi did two thousand years ago. We can gather as a family and tell the story of Epiphany. We can ask God in our own words to bless us and our families, to remind us that our house is also God’s house, and that when we leave we take God’s presence with us. When people come to visit, they can expect to experience God’s love within our homes as well.

This week we can gather to bless our homes. We can also look at our prejudices and help one another to take another look at the brothers and sisters God calls to be co-heirs and members of the same body. We can strive to make know the presence of the Lord by the way we live our lives. Have a good week!