Jesus’ Baptism

“And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”  (Mark 1: 11) 

On the surface, the story of Jesus’ baptism in today’s gospel from Mark appears to be about Jesus.   But really it’s about you and me.

It’s about discovering what our own baptism means, which is the way this story was understood by the early Church.  We, like those first believers, discover in this reading that at our baptism God adopts us in a manner no less real than God proclaims Jesus to be His own Son and we too, like Jesus, therefore, are to be God’s manifestation of hope and comfort to a broken world.            

To emphasize its importance, Mark places Jesus’ baptism at the beginning of his gospel.  In today’s reading we find the adult Jesus in the Jordan River as the heavens open, the Spirit descends and a heavenly voice intones “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  Jesus is being commissioned for his life of public ministry. This account echoes the words of Isaiah in the first reading, written 700 years earlier:  “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations…”   

In Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ ministry is marked by urgency.  Seemingly driven by the Spirit, he moves from one event to another, one location to another.   Hardly pausing for breath he “immediately” goes into the wilderness to be tested by Satan.  It is no coincidence that the Church places the story of Jesus’ baptism on this, the last day of the Christmas season.  The Spirit drives us too into the arena of our lives, a time of our own testing and bearing witness.  Today’s gospel, then, invites us to acknowledge the immediacy and importance of our own ministry conferred at baptism, when we too were commissioned to be part of God’s plan for healing a broken world.

Let’s review what happens at baptism.   You and I are: made a child of God; freed from original sin; indwelt by the Holy Spirit; welcomed into God’s holy people; made a temple of God’s glory; rescued from the kingdom of darkness; made a sharer in God’s divine life; enlightened by Christ; and, of course, commissioned for ministry.

At our baptism, the sky also opens, though more subtly, and the Spirit descends.  God calls us to look up, listen and follow; to read the signs of the times.    Isaiah’s message in the first reading is addressed to us too who are under the same open heavens as Jesus.  “I have called you for a victory of justice.  I have grasped you by the hand.  I formed you and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations.”

 Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world."  Arising out of the Judaic prophetic tradition, the phrase tikkun olam means that Jews are responsible not only for creating a model society among themselves but also are responsible for the welfare of society at large.  We, like Jesus, are heirs of that prophetic tradition.

Biblical justice is grounded in that tradition and in Jesus’ command to love one other as he loves us.  Not an invitation; a command.  Yet despite over a hundred years of church teaching to the contrary, many Catholics still see social justice as an option -- a take it or leave it proposition.  Some even claim it has nothing to do with faith at all.  

The truth is that pursuing justice is a fundamental tenet of our faith.  Christian life is a three-legged stool: believing, worshiping, and loving.   Loving in action.  Take away that third leg from the stool and our faith crashes to the ground.  Faith without love, without acts of kindness, according to St. James, is “lifeless.” 

Not surprisingly, our nation’s poorest citizens are currently suffering some of the harshest effects from the world wide economic crisis, most notoriously with a 60 percent increase in children forced into “food insecurity.”  That’s bureaucratese for families driven to skipping meals.  According to government data, there were more than 690,000 youngsters who didn’t have enough to eat in 2007.  There were 783,000 meal-skipping seniors among the 36 million Americans found to be chronically lacking adequate food.  Twelve percent of seniors are living at or below the poverty line.

Last year, the hunger struggle in the U.S. worsened.  The number of our citizens turning to food stamps – a clear measure of fast-rising poverty – reached a record 31.6 million in September, up more than four million in a year.   Unemployment in November was at a 15 year high; 524,000 jobs were lost last month alone. 

It’s important that the hungriest, poorest and most seriously troubled Americans not be denied a proper place in line with financial moguls, auto executives and others pleading for taxpayer help.  Most immediately, a temporary increase in food-stamp benefits is needed.  It fits logically into the next stimulus package, for each dollar spent on food stamps generates $1.84 in economic activity.  Obviously, the current financial crisis offers plenty of opportunities for ministry…for tikkun olam…for healing a broken world.

Government can’t solve the problem alone.  What can you do to help?  Write a letter to Senator Schumer or to your congress person.  Contribute to Foodlink, Open Door Mission, or the Catholic Family Center.  Donate food and clothing to the poor.  Model caring behavior to your children.  Deliver “meals on wheels” to shut ins. Volunteer in an inner city school or daycare center.     Join our parish social justice committee.   

 During World War II a little village in Bavaria was virtually wiped out by allied air raids.  Among the casualties was the parish church.  The figure of Christ on a wayside shrine beside the church was left without arms and legs.  After the war the people set about restoring the church but the parish priest insisted that there be no change in the wayside shrine.  He erected a sign at the foot of the cross which reads: “Now I have no arms and no feet.  From now on you will be my arms and feet to bring help and healing to a broken world.”

The message is clear.  When we reach out to others in need we, like Jesus, are God’s manifestation of hope and comfort to a broken world…we are tikkun alam.           

Anthony J. Sciolino   
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10-38; Mark 1:7-11.
Baptism of the Lord. 
January 11, 2009.  (Cycle B)