1. --
Lanie LeBlanc OP
2. --
Carol & Dennis Keller
3. --
Brian Gleeson CP
4. --
Paul O'Reilly SJ
5. --(Your
reflection can be here!)
*****************************************************
1.
*****************************************************
Baptism of the Lord 2021
On this day in which we recall the Baptism of the Lord,
we need to be reminded of the benefits of our Baptism and
our strong connection to the Trinity. In this day and age,
it is hard just to keep on keeping on for some, even more so
in Christian ways. Remembering our Baptism can empower us!
In our first reading from the Book of Isaiah, God reminds
us, as we thirst for water, an important symbol in Baptism,
and for a better life itself, to "Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life." We are told that our God is
generous in forgiving. We are promised that God's word,
those promises that sustain us, "shall not return to me
void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I
sent it."
The second reading from the Acts of the Apostles confirms
the all inclusive love of God. Peace was proclaimed through
Jesus and the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus to do good and
heal those oppressed by the devil. Don't we need to recall
that we have that same support and power?
Most of us were baptized as infants. We don't usually
remember that day or its significance until, perhaps, we
bring our own children to be baptized or participate in the
Baptism of another person. The Catholic Church has
emphasized different aspects of Baptism throughout the
centuries and, therefore, parishes differ in some respects.
The Gospel today pulls lots of those thoughts and
practices together in describing the Baptism of Jesus. While
no sin has to be taken away because Jesus is free from all
sin, there is certainly an influx of grace. Jesus is a
willing and eager participant as are parents/godparents of
children today. Jesus is about to begin his ministry and
seeks closeness with God as do parents/godparents as the
baptized person begins a new life within the immediate
family and church family. The community is present,
witnessing the event and offering support.
Our Baptism empowers us through the Spirit to live the
Christian life, in good times and in bad, just as Jesus was
able to follow the will of the Father. Our Baptism is our
foundation, the beginning rock of support for all we do.
Where is it that we need to spread this part of the Good
News to others at a time when we are all so in need? Yes, we
are all in need of being refreshed, being cared for, feeling
loved ... and we are, by God, if not by any human.
There are people who have serious physical and financial
needs as well. Our Baptism is a preparation for ministry, to
provide help where it is needed as we become the hands of
God. Where is it that each of us is to serve this new year
and bring God's word and caring to others through our help?
Blessings,
Dr. Lanie
LeBlanc OP
Southern
Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one
******************************************************
2.
******************************************************
The Baptism of the Lord January10, 2021
Isaiah 42:1-4 & 6-7 [ or Isaiah 55:1-11];
Responsorial Psalm 29; Acts of Apostles 10:34-38; Gospel
Acclamation Jn 1:29; Mark 1:7-11
It is an astonishing thing to hear Mark’s gospel account
of the baptism of Jesus by his cousin, John the Baptizer. It
is Jesus comes out of the water and hears a voice that came
from the heavens torn open. The Holy Spirit came down from
the heavens torn open in the form of a dove. And Jesus heard
a voice from the heavens: "You are my beloved Son; with you
I am well pleased."
This sounds awful strange, accustomed as we are to
thinking that Jesus knew who he was – that is the Son of God
and the Son of Man from the beginning of his life, perhaps
even before he came to self-consciousness. What had Jesus
done that he would need to approach his cousin, John, and be
baptized? We cannot think of Jesus as having committed any
sin. After all, he is the Son of God! Then comes the others
who insist that he was human, a Son of Man as well. Was he
not subject to the all the temptations and inclinations of
all humanity? Could he not have sinned? In the fatalism that
so dominates religious thought could not say that he was
tempted like us? Surely as a child he must have lied to his
mother? Surely as an adolescent awakening to his sexuality
he must have entertained prurient thoughts? Surely in his
work as a tradesman he must have cut corners, produced
shabby work in the interests of greater profits? Scriptures
of the Christian era and the early Councils of the Church
and Catholic tradition insists that Jesus is – some say was
– like us in all things but sin. That experience of the
Community of followers in the Way of Jesus understand this
to mean that sin is not an inevitability. We have available
to us the strength of the God man.
Return then to the Baptism of Jesus. What reason would
Jesus have to seek a baptism of repentance? Why did he come
seeking the Baptist’s work?
Up until this time, Jesus lived as would every man who is
born, who learns, who practices a career. At this point in
his life, Jesus begins to respond to a mission, to a calling
to make God’s presence visible. He comes as a beginning of
his ministry of leading the chosen nation to a new
relationship with the Father.
In nearly all literature that speaks to the arc of human
living, there comes a point where each person intuitively
but very consciously realizes his/her uniqueness. Pity the
person who wanders though life uncommitted. For some, this
moment results in a marriage of total and lasting
commitment. For others, it is a commitment to service of
others. It should be noted that the commitment required of a
valid marriage should not exclude or take the place of a
commitment of service to others. For the vast majority of
humanity, a commitment of intimacy with another is the
fountain of strength and endurance, and perseverance to
complete their special calling. This baptism of Jesus in
Mark’s gospel marks the beginning of his very public life.
He has spent about thirty years learning, growing in his
understanding of his person – that he is indeed God and Man.
The voice Mark hears whispering from the clouds, the sign of
a dove – a symbol of peace and strength – are the Father’s
endorsement of Jesus’ mission. In the gospels of Matthew,
Luke, and Mark there is a narrative about Jesus being
tempted by the devil. In each of these temptations – Matthew
and Luke are more expansive than Mark’s account – the focus
is on Jesus’ mission. Jesus is faced with the idea of being
a material and political Messiah with its accompanying human
privileges of wealth glory, and power. Jesus’ choices of
dependence on God, personal humility, and obedience in his
heart to God’s will because of his acceptance of God’s love,
compassion, and mercy – this is a choice that comes from
Jesus’ baptism. That baptism is clearly the signal of a
choice of Jesus to begin his focus on his work of bringing
humanity to the Father.
In Mark’s gospel this is the beginning of Jesus’
miracles. Very often preachers, Christians, and educators
look at Jesus’ miracles as a marketing commercial of Jesus’
power and relationship with the Father. This is so wrong.
Jesus’ miracles are more truly an expression of God’s will
for humanity. God’s will is that humanity be healthy, be
freed from the enslavement that is a characteristic of the
way of the world. Why don’t we recognize that the failure to
make access to health care for every person is a contributor
to the horrors of abortion? Why don’t we realize that
failure to provide adequate wages to persons in the
hospitality industries, in support work is in fact a new
slavery that uses economic pressures to enslave persons who
have been denied access to education, to trades, and to
equal protection under the law? Do we not realize that
idolatry of power, of wealth, of false, sycophantic fame is
in fact a dark blindness of spirit? If we listen carefully
to the reading from the 42nd chapter of Isaiah this Sunday,
we will note that Isaiah uses the work "justice" three
times. In addition, the root and basis of "justice" is a
covenant of the people which is a light for the nations.
Justice for us is often a measure of law. That law is
established by God in his covenant with us. In Christian
terms, this is the dual law of love of God and of neighbor.
That law of love is noteworthy because it is based on the
loving kindness of the Father, on the Father’s compassion,
and on the unbounded mercy practiced by the Father in his
relationship with his creation. Tale the to read the
optional selection from Isaiah’s chapter 55. That lengthy
selection indicates the foundational truths of Jesus’
mission.
If we listen to these readings this Sunday as a message
about Jesus and his mission, we will be moved to respect
this God/Man. If we want to make these readings apply to our
own mission in life, we will see Jesus serving as our
role-model. We too are called upon to give sight to the
blind, to heal the broken limbs of the lame, to lift up the
poor to fullness of life.
This Sunday is about us. We have a choice given us again
this Sunday after the Epiphany. Are we willing to accept the
mission of Jesus as our own? Are we willing in our daily
living to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind,
strength to broken limbs, and health to suffering hearts and
minds? We need not wander the hills and byways of Galilee or
Judaea. We have our own pathways, our own byways, our own
streets, our own homes, and communities in which to practice
the way of the Christ. The gospel is about our living and
its way to fullness of life, to healthy living, to
understanding and to union with others. No one must ever be
allowed to divide us from God or from each other. It is for
us to hear as well the voice of God, "You are my beloved
child; with you I am well pleased."
This is the beginning of the Ministry of Jesus, the
Christ, the One Promised. He is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life.
Carol &
Dennis Keller
dkeller002@nc.rr.com
******************************************************
3.
******************************************************
JESUS’ BAPTISM AND OURS
What does your being a baptized person mean to you?
There’s this young man called Steve, who couldn't believe
what he had just done. In the middle of the priest's homily,
he suddenly left his wife and children in their place and
walked out. He was feeling angry, so angry that he couldn't
sit still a minute longer. But he had no idea what his anger
was about. Rather than embarrass his family further, he
walked home from Mass on his own.
That afternoon he talked the matter over with his wife
Sue, but neither of them could work out why he felt so
angry. So, he made an appointment with his priest for the
following Tuesday night. Fr Paul suggested: 'Tell me
everything you remember about Sunday morning, starting with
everyone you spoke to when you arrived at church, and
everything you can remember about the Mass.' Steve outlined
all the people he had spoken to and what was said, as best
as he could remember. But nothing stood out from the
conversations which shed light on the source of his anger.
He then made an accurate summary of the flow of the Mass up
till the gospel. He couldn't remember which gospel had been
read and what it was about. 'It's interesting,' Fr Paul
said, 'how you remember well the first two readings, but
haven't got a clue about the gospel. So, let me remind you.'
The priest pulled a missal down from the shelf and read the
gospel. As Steve heard the familiar words about John the
Baptist and the baptism of Jesus, he became aware that he
did remember hearing them on Sunday, but it was not till Fr
Paul came to the last words of the text that he knew what
his anger was about:
‘And a voice spoke from heaven, "You are my Son, the one
whom I love; I am very pleased with you".'
'That's what I always wanted to hear from my father,'
Steve said bitterly, 'and now it's too late, because he's
dead.' Tears came to his eyes as he let himself feel for the
first time the depth of the hurt that he was carrying far
too long.
'Perhaps there is something you can do about it,' Fr Paul
replied. 'Let's pretend that your dad is sitting right here
in this chair.' He pulled an empty chair over and placed it
in front of Steve. 'Tell him how you feel. Don't leave
anything out.'
Steve stumbled over his words at first, but after a few
moments he spoke passionately, pouring out everything he
wanted to say to his father. When he was finished, Fr Paul
looked at him and said, 'What would your father say to all
that?' Steve thought for a minute and then replied: 'I think
he would say what he used to say when I was upset and afraid
as a child. He would pick me up, give me a big bear hug, and
say: "Steve, I love you. There's nothing to worry about.
That's my boy".' When Steve left Fr Paul's office, he felt
that a heavy load had dropped from his shoulders. For the
first time since his father died, he was feeling at peace.
There are times in our lives when we need our parents, or
some significant other, to re-assure and encourage us,
someone to tell us who we are, why we matter, and what high
hopes they have for us.
The time had come in the life of Jesus when he too needed
re-assurance and encouragement to find a new direction in
his life. Mark, in our gospel story, tells us in powerful
poetic words and images how this need was met. It happened
at his baptism by John in the River Jordan. From the open
heavens the Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove. A
voice from heaven spoke: 'You are my Son the Beloved; my
favour rests on you.'
It’s after this experience of hearing God speaking to him
on the banks of the Jordan River, that Jesus understood that
the time had come for him to begin his work on earth, both
as Son of God and as God's suffering servant. The words of
the prophet Isaiah, heard in the First Reading, come to
Jesus. 'See. I have made you as a witness to the peoples, a
leader…’ It is as though Jesus has just heard God the Father
saying to him: 'I have chosen you for this mission: Go to my
people. Tell them that I love them. Show them that I love
them. Gather them together and bring them back to me.' Now
that he knew what was expected of him there would be no
holding back. As we read in a famous verse in the Acts of
the Apostles: '... because God was with him Jesus went about
doing good and healing all who had fallen into the power of
the devil [evil]’ (Acts 10:38).’
We too, all of us, are dearly and deeply loved by God. He
is our Father too. We are his sons and daughters. We have
been made so by our baptism. We are also brothers and
sisters of Jesus. At our baptism we were joined to his
person. And we have been sent out on the very same mission
as Jesus – to show and tell people everywhere just how much
God loves them.
As we celebrate his baptism and ours in this Eucharist
today, then, can we re-open our hearts to his call? Can we
hear him saying to us right here right now what Jesus heard
from God: 'I have chosen you for this mission: Go to my
people, tell them that I love them, show them that I love
them, gather them together and bring them back to me?'
"Brian
Gleeson CP" <bgleesoncp@gmail.com>
******************************************************
4.
******************************************************
Year B: The Baptism of the Lord (The Lollipop Man)
"I have baptized you with water, but He will
baptise you with the Holy Spirit."
- What exactly does it mean to be "baptized in the
Holy Spirit"?
- How exactly does it feel like to be the publically
proclaimed Child of God in whom He is well pleased?
- Well, normally I don’t have any good answers to
those questions, but today I think I might be a bit
closer than usual.
If, like me, you have the exquisite joy of cycling to
work every weekday morning in the permanent cold December
drizzle of suburban south London, you can at least know that
along the route there will be one moment of glorious relief.
As you go up the Loughborough Road, cold, miserable and
drenched by every passing car, you will come across a
pedestrian crossing attendant, or as the children call them
‘lollipop man’ after the large round sign that they carry on
a long pole. If you are not familiar with the role of
lollipop men and women, let me tell you that these are not
commonly significant people in British life; their salary
and social status tend to reflect this. But this lollipop
man has made it his business to be a force for good in the
world insofar as within him lies. Every person who passes
him on the road receives a smile, a wave and a greeting.
Every single one! And on a busy main arterial road during
rush hour, that’s a lot of smiling, waving and greeting. But
he never fails. And if you are one of the minority who
choose to respond in kind, he will smile more broadly, wave
more vigorously and cheer you on your way. The last time
that happened to me, I was in the last mile of the London
marathon and wasn’t in the right frame of mind to appreciate
it.
There are of course many cynical explanations: GP’s
notoriously do cynicism for a living, though we prefer to
call it "clinical acumen". So as you proceed up the Akerman
Road, you will wonder if he feels that, in a time of job
insecurity, popularity might pay. You will also wonder just
how different waving to traffic really is from shouting at
traffic. You will also consider whether if you were doing
that job on a cold winter’s morning, you too would take
every opportunity of moving around just to keep warm. But,
by the time you reach the Oval, you will have examined all
of these hypotheses and more and found that none explain all
of the known facts. And you will find yourself forced to
conclude that he is simply a man who wishes every person
that he encounters, however briefly and however distantly,
to share a moment of his joy in life.
So, as you then proceed up the Harleyford Road, you will
discover yourself waiting patiently at red lights, smiling
at your fellow cyclists, unaccountably omitting to swear at
the bus drivers who obstruct your way with apparent malice
aforethought. And as you wait at the Vauxhall Cross
roundabout, you will come to wonder what the world would
feel like if there were more people like that. And then,
just as you cross the midpoint of Vauxhall Bridge, you will
discover within yourself the desire to go thou and do
likewise - to rejoice in the blessings of the universe and
the presence of God within it. And to share that joy with
everyone you meet.
Let us stand and profess our faith in God’s joy in each
and every one us – Children of God.
Paul
O'Reilly, SJ <fatbaldnproud@opalityone.net>
******************************************************
5.
******************************************************
Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections,
and insights on the next Sundays readings can influence the
preaching you hear. Send them to
preacherexchange@att.net. Deadline is
Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and Email Address.
-- Fr. John Boll
-- ABOUT DONATIONS --
If
you would like to support this ministry, please send tax
deductible contributions to Jude Siciliano, O.P.,
Make checks payable to: Dominican Friars.
St. Albert Priory, 3150 Vince Hagan Drive, Irving, Texas
75062-4736
Or, go to our webpage to make an online donation:
https://preacherexchange.com/donations.htm
-- REGULAR INFORMATION ---
To
UN-subscribe or Subscribe, email "Fr. John J. Boll, O.P." <preacherexchange@att.net>
-- WEB PAGE ACCESS --
--
Go to
http://www.preacherexchange.com Where you will
find "Preachers' Exchange," which includes "First
Impressions" and "Homilías
Dominicales," as well as articles, book reviews and quotes
pertinent to preaching.
--
Also "Daily Reflections" and "Daily Bread." and many other
resources.
A service of The Order of Preachers, The Dominicans.
Province of St. Martin De Porres
(Southern Dominican Province USA)
P.O. Box 8129, New Orleans, LA 70182
(504) 837-2129 Fax (504) 837-6604
http://www.opsouth.org
