This Is My Beloved Son
We most fittingly begin every new year with a liturgy honoring Mary, the Mother of God. We renew ourselves, model ourselves after Mary, who said “yes” to God, who gave herself completely to God.
Last week we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany, the second part of the fourfold revelation of the Son of God to all peoples. The three Wise Men followed a star on their very difficult journey, encountering many trials. But they persevered, remained focused, and they were rewarded. They entered Bethlehem to find our Savior, Jesus Christ, cradled in the arms of His mother, Mary.
Usually we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after the Epiphany. With Christmas and the Feast of Mary Mother of God falling on Sunday this year, we lose that Sunday. The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord is moved to January 9.
In the Gospel for today, the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we find a narrative of the baptism of the Lord in John 1:29-34.John the Baptist, when he sees Jesus walking toward him, announces, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world... I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John tells us that Jesus will give us the saving waters: “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew, in the Gospel used on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, tells us more about the same event: “After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matt. 3:16-17). We Christians find our Savior by entering the water of Baptism. Christ calls us to the water. He goes into the water before us to lead us, to guide us, to reveal the image of God His Father.
He is still with us. Today we begin the Second Movement of our Symphony of Love in C Major that we like to use to describe our Liturgical Year, as we celebrate the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time includes all the time outside the two major events in the life of Christ and their associated periods of preparation: Christmas and Advent, and Easter and Lent.
The word “ordinary” comes from the Latin ordo meaning list. Thus the Sundays in Ordinary Time are a list of Sundays numbered frim one through 33. Not all numbers are used every year, but the last Sunday in Ordinary Time will always be 33.
As we witness this third part of the fourfold manifestation, let us open our hearts to God’s message: “This Is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Father Storey
Mary, Mother of God
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Father Storey