With the feast of the Baptism of Jesus, we conclude the Christmas season and return to what is called “Ordinary” time. It is not called “Ordinary” because it is plain vanilla time, but because the Sundays are “ordered” or numbered. Next Sunday will be the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary time. During this time we tell the story of Jesus’ ministry among us, beginning with his own baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. We also have 3 cycles of Sunday readings; this is Year “A” and we will be reading primarily from the Gospel according to Matthew, which gives us a chance to appreciate his unique perspective.
At his Baptism, the Spirit descended upon Jesus, and a Voice from the heavens declared “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This feast gives us an opportunity to recommit ourselves to our own Baptism, and to listen to the Voice that reminds us, that we, too, are beloved adopted sons and daughters. This knowledge can be life changing. Most of the time, I think, we picture God as being displeased with us, judging us, counting only our sins and faults. Can it be true, as Psalm 149 reminds us, that God actually “delights” in his people, in you and me?
Fr. Jeff