Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Cycle A
January 12, 2020
Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville 4:00pm
Saint Matthew Parish, Baltimore 11:00am
Adam and Eve
One day a religion teacher asked her second graders to take their crayons and draw a picture of their favorite Old Testament story.
One little boy drew a picture of a man dressed up in a tuxedo, wearing a top hat, and driving an old car. In the back seat were two passengers, a man and a woman, both dressed in bathing suits.
The teacher said, “Brian, that’s a nice picture, but what story does it tell?” Little Brian was surprised at the question.
He responded, “Well, doesn’t it say in the Bible that God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden?” Little Brian’s picture, in a light-hearted way, helps to introduce what I want to talk about today.
As we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, I want to share some ideas about the meaning of our own baptism.
Human Condition
Little Brian was trying to depict what happened after Adam and Eve sinned.
As he said, God drove them out of the Garden of Eden. We call Adam and Eve’s sin Original Sin.
In our Catholic teaching, we have also said that we all inherit Original Sin and that baptism cleanses us from this. Well, we have to understand this carefully.
We do not inherit Original Sin in the way that we inherit blond hair or blue eyes. Innocent little babies whom we bring here for baptism are not made sinful by something they didn’t do.
Instead of that, some of our theologians say that Original Sin is more like the human condition into which we are all born. The truth is that our world is imperfect and fractured and, in that way, sinful.
Just think about our unconscious, knee-jerk reaction when someone offends us. At least at first, we usually react by wanting to do something to get back at them.
That is a sign of the human condition, the imperfect, fractured, sinful world into which we all born. I find this to be a helpful way to think about Original Sin.
Spiritual Opportunity
That takes me to the question: what does baptism do about this?
I would say that baptism is the spiritual opportunity that responds to our human condition. It brings us into a relationship with God and ignites the life of God within us.
Baptism starts a process of transformation that leads us to live out of the life of God. This gives us the opportunity to live in a new way.
Examples of This Opportunity
For example, we now have the opportunity to live with a clear vision about life.
We realize that all that is in some way comes from God – the One who transcends the heavens and the earth. And so, we now live with a desire to protect and enhance human life wherever it is found.
We live with a respect for the earth and are clear that we have to use our resources thoughtfully. The opportunity to live in this way comes from our baptism in the name of the Father.
We now also have the opportunity to live with a clear idea of who God is and who we are called to be like.
We have the Word of God made flesh in Jesus Christ. And so, through Jesus, we now see God as loving, forgiving, and universal in his plan of salvation.
Through Jesus, we see ourselves as called to become merciful, peacemaking, and faithful to commitments. The opportunity to live this way comes from our baptism in the name of the Son.
And we also have the opportunity to live with a clear sense of God’s presence.
Jesus, who is Emmanuel – a name that means God-with-us – has promised to be with us always through the Spirit. And so, we can now live an inner, interior life, where we know for sure that God is present at our deepest core, our soul.
Even in our darkest moments and loneliest times, we are assured that God is with us. The opportunity to live this way comes from our baptism in the name of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
So, a human condition that is imperfect and sinful, and a great spiritual opportunity in the sacrament of Baptism – that’s what I am thinking about on this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
