Always Today - Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

With my Godparents, Eleanor and Bob Gallo, January 9, 1966

          I was baptized on January 9, 1966. Raise your hand if you know the date of your baptism. Well, don’t feel bad if you don’t. I only know the date of my baptism because I looked it up four days ago for this homily. It seems odd that we Christians generally don’t celebrate the anniversary of our baptism. After all, it’s our second birthday; the day we were reborn in Christ. But if you think about it, the specific date of our baptism doesn't really matter. Christians are called to remember our baptismal promises every day of our lives. So for us, the day of our baptism is always today.

          It’s fitting on this, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, that we should hear a Gospel passage about Jesus’ baptism. If today’s Gospel sounds especially familiar, that’s because you heard it just a few weeks ago on the Second Sunday of Advent. If it doesn't sound familiar, then you either weren't paying attention or you weren't here, but that’s the subject of another homily. In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist declares that one mightier than he is coming into the world: one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. And as Jesus emerges from the waters of the Jordan, we learn that he’s the one: Jesus is God’s beloved Son. “What John’s preaching points to, God himself confirms.”[1]

          Our second reading reminds us that we've all become sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ. “What the voice from heaven said to Jesus at his baptism by John – ‘You are my beloved Son’ – God also says to each of us: ‘You are my Son, my Daughter.’ Endowed with grace and dignity, we are also holy places where the Spirit of God has come to dwell and to remain.”[2] That same Spirit that descended upon Christ at his baptism, testifying that he is the pre-existent Son of God, descended upon each of us at our baptism, testifying that we are children of God. And as children of God we’re invited, as Isaiah tells us, to a wonderful new life with God. As children of God, we’re invited to witness to Christ here on earth. That Spirit that descended upon us, the Holy Spirit, not only serves as witness; it also enables [us] to witness to the world.”[3] That’s what we promised to do at our baptism.

          Now, many of us were baptized when we were infants, so our parents and godparents made that promise for us. We reaffirmed that promise at our Confirmation, for most of us when we were teenagers. For many of us that was a long time ago. Did I mention that I was baptized in 1966? But God calls on us to keep that promise every day of our lives. Whether we keep that promise – whether we witness to Christ every day of our lives – is a choice. “In every life there come moments of decision which may be accepted or rejected.”[4] Our baptism requires, in each of those moments, that we keep our promise to live as Jesus taught us. Our baptism requires, in each of those moments, that we keep our promise to stand for the truth at all cost.

          Needless to say, the Christian way of life isn't always easy, or safe or popular. Jesus’ life proves that, and we know all too well that even in 2015 Christians are ridiculed, persecuted and killed for being Christ’s witnesses to the world. Just last week I read an article proclaiming that people with religious convictions aren't very smart. Perhaps I should speak more slowly and use smaller words. Much more seriously, though, the past few months have brought the painful news that Christians are not only being denied the opportunity to practice the faith, but they’re being tortured and killed by extremists for being Christ’s witnesses to the world. But we’re still called to witness to Christ; we’re still called to keep our promise. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said so eloquently and poignantly, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular – but one must take it because it’s right.” We promised to take such a position at our baptism, so for Christians, the time to take that position is always today.

          This world presents us with no shortage of opportunities to keep our baptismal promises:

 ╬ When we support life from conception to natural death, when we promote justice and peace, and when we take a stand against racism and discrimination in all of their ugly forms, we renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his empty show.

╬ When we attend Mass, when we respect the dignity of every person regardless of our differences, and when we protect and preserve our environment, we believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;

╬ When we visit the sick and imprisoned, when we comfort the mourning, feed the hungry and clothe the naked, we believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; and

╬ When we have faith in God’s promises, when we hope for eternal life, and when we love our neighbor as Christ loves us, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting!

These aren't remote or occasional issues; we face these choices all the time. So we’re challenged to keep our baptismal promises every day of our lives.

          You know, the anniversary of my baptism was two days ago, and even though I had looked it up just two days before that, I still forgot to acknowledge it on Friday. No matter, though. Our baptismal promises weren't fixed in a moment of time on the day of our baptism – they’re eternal. We’re called to remember our baptismal promises every day of our lives, and keeping our baptismal promises is the best way to celebrate and honor our baptism. The anniversary of my baptism isn't important because the best day to remember my baptism and the best day to keep my baptismal promises is always today.

Readings:  Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12:2-6; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11

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[1] Philip Van Linden, “Mark,” The Collegeville Bible Commentary, Robert J. Karris, ed. (Collegeville, The Liturgical Press, 1992) at 906.

[2] Patricia Datchuk Sánchez, “You Are My Beloved,” National Catholic Reporter, vol. 51, no. 61 (January 2-15, 2015) at 27.

[3] Pheme Perkins, “The Johannine Epistles,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Raymond Brown, Joseph Fitzmyer, Roland Murphy, eds. (Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall, 1990) at 992.

[4] William Barclay, The Gospel of Mark (Philadelphia, The Westminster Press, 1975) at 19.