“Christ is bathed in light; let us also be bathed in light. Christ is baptized; let us also go down with him, and rise with him.” This quote comes from a homily written by St Gregory of Nazianzus (329 - 390), Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church. In a wonderful way, it links Jesus' baptism to our baptism.
The celebration of the Baptism of the Lord concludes our Christmas season. John the Baptist is in the River Jordan baptizing repentant sinners when Jesus draws near. Why did Jesus come to the river that day? Did he want to sanctify John the Baptist, his baptizer? Certainly, Jesus came to the Jordan that day for our sake, to help us get ready. Jesus, who is in the spirit and in human flesh, came to begin a new creation for humanity through water and the Spirit.
Today, we are called to honor Christ’s baptism and to celebrate this feast in holiness. This celebration and our own baptismal promise call us to be a living force for all of humanity, to be a light shining in the darkness of the world. Our radiant baptismal light is to shine forth beside the light of Christ, the great light of the world. We are to be bathed in the glory of Christ’s light. As we receive light, we are to be light.
Our seasons of Advent and Christmas have been very different this year. We have not been able to live out our faith in the same way. Also, we have not had the experience of our parish community in the same way. But, the pandemic invites us to try new things and to recognize the blessings around us. I can say that with the sacrifices, the physical isolation, the stress and the increased work load I have had in the pandemic, I have been edified and strengthened by our time of preparation during Advent and by our celebration of Christmas this year. Perhaps the time of preparation in Advent of longing, hope, and waiting has touched me in a different way this year. Perhaps the joy and starkness of this year’s Christmas season has helped me through the challenges we have been facing. Perhaps we have learned a deeper appreciate our faith during these holy seasons through the hard work to which we have been called during the pandemic.
We will leave the Christmas season this weekend as we once again turn to ordinary time. Then, in the middle of February, we will enter the holy season of Lent. Blessings to all of you as we end the Christmas season today. Father Lincoln.
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