Baptism of the Lord

 In the Gospel for today John the Baptist prophesies that the imminent Messiah: "...will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Lk 5: 16) This prophecy is fulfilled at Pentecost when: "And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Dividing tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them ability." (Acts 2: 2-4) The baptism of Jesus by John serves to identify him with the Jewish people. Christian baptism serves to identify us with God and inform us with his power. This is evident from the episode where Peter and John visit the Samaritans: "The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8: 15-17) Jesus' baptism is a feast of the Incarnation as it locates him in the context of the Jewish people and their history. The baptism we receive empowers and directs us as the People of God to continue the universal ministry of that same man who vindicates God's desire that all people be saves, both Jews and Gentiles.

Feast of the Epiphany

 The manifestation of the birth of the Messiah to the Gentiles takes the form of the Magi visiting the Holy Family, who we celebrated last Sunday. This is not unusual in Scripture to effectively have the same thing happen but to different people. We heard before Christmas of the Annunciation to Our Lady as well as the Annunciation to Joseph. In the former it was the archangel Gabriel and, in the latter, it was in the form of a dream.  We have Pentecost to the Jews at the feast of Pentecost and then the bestowal of the Holy Spirit on the God-fearers at the house of Cornelius. The question I have in mind is how about me? When was the Messiah manifested/revealed to me? When and how has Jesus been revealed to me? Perhaps I need to pray for that manifestation? After all, Jesus did promise the Holy Spirit to those who ask for him since God is the best of fathers: "If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." (Lk 11: 13) 

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - World Day of Peace

 As the octave of the Nativity of the Lord this feast deepens the insight and implications of the Christmas feast which itself is the fulfilment of Advent. The latter not only anticipated the celebration of the birth of the Messiah but also the return on glory of the Christ when he will be "all in all." (Col 3: 11) Thus, all of these feasts are retrospective and anticipatory of God's action in human history. Reflecting as they do on the Incarnation, we are also drawn into the mystery of the Holy Trinity such that Mary of Nazareth is not only mother of Jesus but also equally Mother of God. We take strength from these mysteries which are: "training us to renounce impiety, and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright and holy...". (Tit 2: 12) As World Day of Peace we recognize the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah that the Messiah will be named: "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Is 9: 6) Saint Paul writes: "For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that, is, the hostility between us." (Eph 2: 14) Jesus not only does this for the Jews and Gentiles but for the whole world as his power to save is universal. let us seek peace, which is the fruit of justice, in all of our relationships too.

Feast of the Holy Family

 The feast of the Holy Family helps us to deepen the implications of Jesus in his Incarnation. No human being exists in a vacuum. Even though we think of Joseph, Mary and Jesus as the Holy Family of Nazareth on this day we are also mindful elsewhere in the liturgical year of the parents of Mary, hence grandparents of Jesus, in Joachim and Anne. Even today we hear: "Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends." (Lk 2: 44) It is within this matrix of relationships that Jesus: "... increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour." (Lk 2: 52) As we move on from Christmas day let us be mindful of our families and our obligation to strive for harmony throughout the rest of the year. As we see from the gospel, all families, including the Holy Family, have moments of drama, panic and miscommunication. In doing so, we not only need to be in the Father's house we also need to be like Jesus who, although the Son of Man, was obedient to his parents. 

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

 It is somewhat ironic that one gospel, which does not have infancy narrative, has the best and most succinct description of what Christmas is all about: "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." (Jn 1: 14) The great mystery of the Incarnation scandalizes and astonishes us. Many people who struggle to cope with the mystery turn to various forms of Deism or Pantheism. Others, influenced by Arius, believe Jesus to be a human who is ultimately divinized. Secularists and materialists invent their own fairy tales about Santa. The same gospel also sums up the Passion: "He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him" (Jn 1: 11-12) and the Resurrection-Pentecost: "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of the blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." (Jn 1: 12-13) No wonder the so-called Last Gospel was prayed after every Mass prior to Vatican II! Let us maintain our focus during this liturgical season on the mysteries of faith all of which are actualized for us in the Holy Eucharist. Without the Incarnation there is no Eucharist. Without the Incarnation there is no Church. The banality of atheistic and secularist ideologies given us an opportunity to put in relief the joy of the Gospel and the richness of the treasures given us in Christ Jesus.

4th Sunday of Advent

 The moment of encounter between Our Lady and Elizabeth is a beautiful expression of the joy of the Gospel that should suffuse our souls at this time of year. Both women praise God for the wonder of new life and the action of grace that has answered their prayers in ways they could not have imagined. Living as we do post-Resurrection, we have a sure and certain hope that God's answer, in Christ Jesus, is always "yes": "For in him (Jesus) every one of God's promises is a 'Yes'. For this reason it is through him that we say 'Amen' to the glory the glory of God." (2 Cor 1: 20). In our greetings and meetings this Christmas let us be mindful of the blessings we have received throughout the year so that our observance of these great liturgical feasts does not restrict itself inside the walls of the church but overflows into our summer holidays to renew our families and communities in faith and love. Then we can say, along with our lady: "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour." (Lk 1: 46-47)

3rd Sunday of Advent

 If the theme of last Sunday was hope, we can speak of this Sunday being that of joy. I think it is possible to understand joy as the fulfillment of hope. The First Reading speaks of how the exiles will feel when God rescues them: "Rejoice and exult with all your heat, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more." (Zeph 3: 14-15) When John the Baptist appears among the people and speaks of the fiery judgement to come the people are anxious and fearful. They ask: "What should we do?" (Lk 3: 10) I think they were filled with joy when what was being asked of them was not extreme. John teaches them to live upright and moral lives so as to be at peace with one another and prepared for when the Messiah is revealed. For us the Messiah has indeed been revealed and not in a fiery judgement rather in the outpouring of God's mercy. The fruit of the resurrection for Christians is that even in our times of suffering and trial we already experience joy in Christ's victory over sin and death. St Paul, afflicted by beatings, persecution and imprisonment can write: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice." (Phil 4: 4) I encourage all parishioners, as missionary disciples, to locate joy through faith in Christ Jesus this Christmas. Know that in his Incarnation Jesus has fully entered our reality and redeemed it from its slavery to sin. This is the true and enduring source of Christian joy.