Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
The Presbyterian minister William Barclay once wrote that of all the days in a person’s life, two days were special, “The day we are born and the day we discover why.”
On Christmas Day, we celebrated the first special day in the life of Jesus, the day Jesus was born. We hummed the lullaby, “Holy infant, so tender and mild.” We rang out, “Joy to the World, the Lord has come!” Gathered with family to exchange gifts, wrapping paper tossed around the Christmas tree, we rested in the birth of Jesus.
At the Baptism of the Lord, the Lord God reveals the second special day, the day we discover why Jesus was born.
Wading into the water, loaded with all our guilt on his shoulders, Jesus bore our sins down into the depths of the Jordan River. The depths could not keep him down. Anticipating his resurrection that broke the bonds of sin and death, Jesus rose from the waters of the Jordan.
“This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood” (1 John 5:6). Jesus passed from death to life through water and blood. His baptism tore open the heavens for us to enter. The Spirit, descending upon him like a dove, evoked the dove that brought to Noah’s ark the new age ruled by peace between heaven and earth.
In her short story The River, Flannery O’Connor described why Jesus was born for us.
“The preacher was standing about ten feet out in the stream where the water came up to his knees. He was a tall youth in khaki trousers that he had rolled up higher than the water. He had on a blue shirt and a red scarf around his neck but no hat and his light-colored hair was cut in sideburns that curved into the hollows of his cheeks. His face was all bone and red light reflected from the river. He was singing in a high twangy voice, above the singing on the bank…
“ ‘Maybe I know why you come,’ he said in the twangy voice, ‘maybe I don’t. If you ain’t come for Jesus, you ain’t come for me. If you just come to see can you leave your pain in the river, you ain’t come for Jesus. You can’t leave your pain in the river,’ he said. ‘I never told nobody that.’
“…Then he lifted his arms and shouted, ‘Listen to what I got to say, you people! There ain’t but one river and that’s the River of Life, made out of Jesus’ Blood. That’s the river you have to lay your pain in, in the River of Faith, in the River of Life, in the River of Love, in the rich red river of Jesus’ Blood, you people!’
“His voice grew soft and musical. ‘All the rivers come from that one River and go back to it like it was the ocean sea and if you believe, you can lay your pain in that River and get rid of it because that’s the River
that was made to carry sin. It’s a River full of pain itself, pain itself, moving toward the Kingdom of Christ, to be washed away, slow, you people, slow at this here old red water river around my feet.’”
Through the waters of baptism and the blood of the cross, we are saved. Not saved from pain and suffering, but saved from sin and death. In him, we swim in the River of Life.
Find photos from your baptism. Spend some time with the Lord recalling your special day. Two days in life are special, “The day we are born and the day we discover why.” Christ was born at Christmas that we might be born to new life.
In Christ,
Father David
NATIVITY UPDATE
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued this statement on January 6 in response to the violence in the United States Capitol:
“I join people of good will in condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol. This is not who we are as Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the police and all those working to restore order and public safety.
“The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of this great nation. In this troubling moment, we must recommit ourselves to the values and principles of our democracy and come together as one nation under God. I entrust all of us to the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May she guide us in the ways of peace, and obtain for us wisdom and the grace of a true patriotism and love of country.” https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/us-bishops-president-condemns-violent-protests-and-prays-safety-chaos-threatens-us
