Jan. 13, 2013: Baptism of the Lord
If you jog back in your memory, what is the most important date of your life? Perhaps the date of your birth? I venture to say it’s the date of your baptism. I was born in 1973, but baptized in 1979 in South Korea when I was six years old. In fact my dad was baptized at the same time. I remember that my forehead was signed with the sign of the cross and anointed with holy oil. There is a picture of my dad and me along with 100 catechumens who were baptized on that day; my dad received his confirmation that day as well. I was wearing regular clothing, not a white garment like during infant baptisms. I remember water being poured over my head and a lit candle was given to me. I scarcely understood the symbolism and meaning of what I went through that day. Moreover, I did not understand what I received.
What is baptism? For those of you who remember Baltimore Catechism, the explanation is: “Baptism is the door to all the other sacraments; it is our entrance into the Christian life. Baptism removes the stain of sin, both original and actual, so that we can enter Heaven, if we live holy lives.” Over my life, little by little, by grace and experience, through teaching and study, I have come to believe in the depth and wonder of the mystery of my baptismal calling. It is a mystery that defines me, purges me, and transforms me to the depth of my being. My Baptism shapes who I am and the way I try to live. For me, and for everyone, it all starts with God.
Through faith I know I am loved by God and that everything flows from this love. I do not understand God’s love for me, and I know that I don’t deserve it. Certainly, I should be spending my days getting more and more caught up in the love of God. However, like everyone else, I take God’s love for granted.
Yet despite our negligence, God still loves us in every moment, in every way. We don’t earn the love of God but through grace, it is freely and mysteriously given. We should see that everything good in our lives, in the world, is a gift of God. Without God’s love, we are nothing and we can do nothing good. We cannot live, we cannot love. That’s why gratitude is at the heart of being a Catholic. Once we realize how little we can be without God, we can only be thankful.
Baptism means I am plunged into the mystery of Jesus. Most of us can’t fully imagine what that means. Paul puts it clearly: “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). It puts us in touch with Jesus. Baptism calls me to follow Jesus daily with the help of the Spirit, to live every day to the glory of the Father, to live everyday as a member of the Church, thus, to be a Catholic.
If we are to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, if we are to live out our baptismal calling, we must continually change for the better. While we know that we are washed clean at Baptism, we live in a world marked by evil. We experience all sorts of inclinations to evil, and we commit sin. Just because I’m ordained as a priest does not mean God took away my propensity to sin and be selfish.
For each of us, this struggle is personal. Each of us is called to enter daily into the dying of Jesus, so as to share evermore in his risen life. Even more, it is for us to hear from Heavenly Father, just as Jesus did at his baptism, ‘You are my beloved son; you are my beloved daughter. With you I am well pleased.’ Little by little we become holy, more and more alive in Jesus. We grow in responding to the grace of the Holy Spirit. We grow in making good choices, seeking the Father’s will in our daily lives.
