•
Isaiah
42:1-4, 6-7 • Psalm 29 • Acts 10:34-38 • + Matthew
3:13-17 •
[__01__] I’m standing here to be closer to the flowers
which are being given away at the end of Mass. I’m giving you the announcement
early that these red and white poinsettias are being given away.
This is the feast of the Baptism of
the Lord, the end of the Christmas Season and it’s connected to the
manifestation of Jesus that we saw in Epiphany and 3 Kings Gospel last Sunday.
Jesus’ power is being demonstrated to the first disciples.
I’d like to reflect on this gospel and
the Baptism of the Lord with 3 words:
1st. “meal”, like “eating”
2nd.
“mystery”
3rd.
“sacrament”
And in this case, the word “mystery”
is a BRIDGE (connection) between the 2, between “meal” and “sacrament”.
And, we know about bridges, living in
NY and NJ where we’re always wondering about getting over the bridge. And
sometimes the bridge itself is a mystery:
“Upper level?”/ “Lower level“ /
“Is it rush hour?” / “20 minutes, 40
minutes” / “should we take the tunnel?” You know the drill.
[__02__] First, the “MEAL”.
This
past week, I went out to eat with some friends, to a restaurant.
Immediately, we were given our menus so that
we could order (appetizer, entrée… ), but we did not open the menus and
continued talking
The server stopped by our table: “No,
we are not ready yet, sorry, we have not looked the menus”
We talked some more.
The server stopped by our table again,
“No, we are not ready yet, sorry, we have not looked the menus”.
Finally, at the 3rd time
the server tried to raise the curtain and get the show on the road, we actually placed our orders.
[__03__] That’s just an everyday context example, but
I suggest it follows along with what we understand as Catholic Christians and
in the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:
“Just as a [real-life] human meal, it
is to be human, consists not only of food but also of the spoken words, so too
at the Lord’s Supper, along with the heavenly food, the Word of the Lord is
presented as the nourishment and illumination for the spirit.” (Benedict XVI, “On the Spirit of
Brotherhood”, Dogma & Preaching,
p. 208)
[__04__] Jesus is the Word made flesh, the word of
God made flesh, who pitches his tent next to and on our table not only at this
altar but also in our own homes.
He is – his food is the Body of
Christ. We say AMEN to this.
That is the MEAL, the Lord’s Supper of
the Eucharist.
[__05__] Now, from MEAL to MYSTERY.
This “Amen ” to the Body of Christ
will be said for the first time – at First Holy Communion by 24 of our young people at 1st Holy
Communion on Saturday May 16 at 11 am, (Save
the date…). Please pray for them. On that day, each will receive the Body and
Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is a mystery that the Son of God
and Jesus can make himself present in Holy Communion.
It’s also a mystery that Jesus would
be baptized.
[__06__] Today is the feast of the Baptism of the
Lord – and we may naturally ask – why SHOULD and WOULD and how COULD Jesus
Himself be baptized?
And, he is going to make First
Communion 7 or 8 years later?
Jesus is baptized for a different reason
than that of you you and I being
baptized. It’s mysterious.
Jesus is submitting himself to the
water, submitting himself to this sign, saying that that he is going to live a
fully human life, immersed in our existence, even including being baptized. That’s
the mystery.
What’s a mystery?
[__07__] Recently, I read an article about this
Princeton Professor Gregory Treverton who gives a helpful description of
“mystery” vs. “puzzle”.
In a puzzle, there is simply one
missing piece and once we find that piece or make a series of rotations on the
Rubik’s cube, we have solved the mysteries. I am hoping you know what a Rubik’s
cube is – otherwise I have introduced one more puzzle !
Baptism is a mystery and the presence
of God Almighty in Jesus is a mystery. It is a mystery how and why Jesus comes
to exist in our world.
In contrast, we might say that putting
NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong & company on the moon… that’s a scientific and
mathematic puzzle which has a solution.
A mystery is not a puzzle. A mystery
does not have a missing piece, but something is not revealed, or we have not
heard it yet or comprehended it yet.
[__08__] It’s a mystery that Jesus would be
baptized, that He would come to earth as a person. It’s sometimes also a
mystery to know that we are loved and can be forgiven.
Because forgiveness is also a mystery,
that God loves us so much that he would give up his life for us and that God
knows the goodness in you or me that we might miss or overlook.
You and I are not puzzles to be solved.
However, sometimes, I myself fall into the trap of trying to fix or solve other
people or figure out others. But, truly another person – even one whom we know
very closely as a child, sibling, spouse, is a mystery I cannot completely
comprehend. Mysteries are always … [TO BE CONTINUED….]
[__09_] First, there is the meal. A meal consists
of both WORD and NOURISHMENT. And, Holy Communion consists of both God’s word
and God’s nourishment.
Then, there is a mystery, that God
infinite makes himself present and incarnate – incarnational – in the flesh.
Finally, I’d like to reflect on the
nature of a SACRAMENT.
[__10__] What is a SACRAMENT?
A sacrament in the Catholic-catechism
definition is a visible sign of an invisible reality.
A wedding ring and wedding vows
themselves – are visible signs of an invisible reality.
Holy Communion is a visible sign of an
invisible reality, because we cannot see Jesus as His disciples saw Him.
Even forgiveness – sacramentally - is
a visible sign of an invisible reality.
On an regular interpersonal level,
isn’t it true that if we forgive someone else, we might be recognizing
something good that is invisible to the other person or to others.
God forgives us knowing of our
goodness inside, even if we do not see this visibly or feel it tangibly.
A sacrament is also not just something
we receive or take home, but also something we give and leave behind, that we
sacrifice ourselves.
[__11__] This past Tuesday, after dinner at the
restaurant, I returned home and remembered that I had left something at the
restaurant, it was a folder containing several papers and documents that while
not of national-security importance, I nevertheless wanted to retain.
I had brought them to the table to
show my friends and learn something about something I did not quite get or
understand. I viewed this is a puzzle.
The words and ideas on paper were
puzzling and so important that- ironically
I had left it behind and had to drive back and pick them up.
In the celebration of Eucharist and
Baptism, we not only bring ourselves – we also leave ourselves behind and
submit and surrender ourselves.
We return and God returns with us so
that we can be raised up, delivered, and brought home.
It’s mysterious. [__fin__]
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