Baptism calls us to Righteousness

(A reflection originally written for my Church bulletin)

How would you feel if God said to you; “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased” or “This is my beloved daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” You may think that this is impossible for we are not the Son of God. No, we are not the Son of God but each of us have been given a wonderful gift through Jesus Christ.

Jesus establishes this gift with his baptism. Jesus states he must be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness,” which is Jesus’ desire to fulfill the earthly purpose his Father has given him. Our righteousness can only start with the washing away of original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve that we are all born with. Without this cleansing we are barred from all the other graces God wishes to give us.

Recall the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John “Unless one is born of water and Spirit, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God". Later Jesus further confirms the importance of baptism when He tells the Apostles; “Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The words of Jesus should be enough for us to realize the importance of baptism.  The Church recognizes this importance and teaches us that through baptism all our sins are forgiven; original and personal sins. The Catechism also tells us baptism is the gateway to the Spirit, the door to the other sacraments and is the foundation upon which the entire Christian life is built.

We become God’s adopted children through baptism. This is the gift Jesus has given us and by it we are brought into God’s family. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults states that Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people. Hence we are called and indeed are the children of God.

Live your baptism to its fullest. We are the adopted sons and daughters of God. Make God well pleased.

Proclaiming Our Faith (Synopsis Of July 24, 2016 Homily)

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  His response was to teach them the prayer we all know and say; The Our Father. Each of us are also called to be teachers.  We are to be more than just passive believers, we are to be active proclaimers of our faith.  This calling comes from the grace we receive at our baptism.

Through our Baptism we have become a people of God and as such we are united to Christ in a death like his.  Through baptism we pass from the death of Sin and are raised into a new life, enriched by the baptismal grace received from God.  By this grace from God we are appointed to the same apostolate or mission of the Catholic Church which is to proclaim and establish the Kingdom of God.

Our baptism, our rising to new life, calls us to a vocation.  Lumen Gentium states that the vocation of the laity is “to make the church present and fruitful in those places and circumstances where it is only through them that it can become the salt of the earth.”

Have you considered how to carry out your baptismal vocation?  There are many ways to make the Church present and fruitful to others.  You can testify to your faith by truthfully living out your faith. You can be fruitful to others by your daily actions towards them.  Just as Jesus taught his disciple to pray, you can catechize or teach your faith to others.

Ask God to help you discern if you are living out your baptismal vocation.  The Gospel of Luke reminds us that “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds.”  Be persistent in your prayers.  Seek out your vocation for proclaiming God’s Kingdom to others.

To paraphrase one of the blessings used in the Rite of Baptism: May you be the best of teachers, bearing witness to faith by what you say and do.

We are reborn to Everlasting Life

Last weekend I had the opportunity to baptism my niece’s second child. This was indeed special because I had baptized their first child almost two years earlier.
(Go here for previous post on Baptism)

Part of my short homily during the baptism recalled the Gospel reading from that Sunday's Mass. The reading was about Jesus visiting the city of Nain. As Jesus drew near to the gates of the City, a funeral procession came out carrying the only son of a widowed mother. Jesus tells the mother not to weep and orders the man to rise. The man sits up and begins to speak. Though not mentioned in the Gospel, this man is given the opportunity to begin his life again. 

Baptism is our way to begin life again. It gives us the opportunity to die to old ways and to rise with Jesus to a new life. When we are baptized all our sins are forgiven, washed away by the waters of Baptism. We receive the saving grace that flows out of the sacrament of baptism. The grace Jesus won for us by his obedience to his Father's will.

 
Both baptism and the Sunday Gospel reading shows us how God offers us a new opportunity. Baptism is our chance for a new beginning but now as a child of God. In the Catholic sacrament of Baptism a child or adult is given a white garment to wear. They receive the garment after the pouring of the water under the Trinitarian formula. This white unblemished garment is a symbol of how we have been washed clean and are now pure and without sin.

The Sacrament of Baptism concludes with a blessing which includes the words: By God’s gift, through water and the Holy Spirit, we are reborn to everlasting life. Through Baptism we have been reborn. We are to keep that symbolic white garment unstained by sin. It is our symbol of hope for an everlasting life in heaven. Teach your children to do the same.

Witness to the Risen Lord (Homily Excerpts-3rd Sunday Easter Season)

Most of you know I retired a little over one year ago from the Caddo Parish Clerk's Office.  For the first year or two as a deputy clerk, I would go to court.  I heard both domestic and civil cases.  I do not remember most of the cases I heard but one thing that will always stand out will be the witnesses.  I recall one case that dealt with a car wreck.  The case went to trial by judge to determine fault.  The witnesses were sequestered, which means they were not allowed to hear any testimony nor were they allowed to talk to the other witnesses.  When called to testify,  a deputy sheriff would bring that witness into the courtroom to give their testimony.

What made this case so interesting was not the trial but the witnesses.  They each saw different things.  Do not miss understand.  They all saw the wreck.  They were all witnesses to the wreck.  They also saw with their heart though.  One witness saw a mother worried about her child in the back seat.  Another witness saw the driver looking at the damage to the vehicles while another witness noticed how the people gathered around the wreck.  The final witness mentioned how some people offered to help.  The one fact not disputed was that the wreck happened.  Each witness saw the wreck and testified to it but they also mentioned what was important in their hearts and thus what they thought would be important to us.

Today’s Gospel reading is similar to the experience of those witnesses of the wreck.  First recall last Sunday’s Gospel from the Gospel of John.  The Apostles have locked themselves, out of fear, in the upper room.  Jesus appears to the Apostles and shows them the nail mark on his hands and feet.  He greets them with “Peace be with you” and he disciples rejoiced.

Today, in the Gospel of Luck, we hear of the same event but from another point of view, through the eyes of a different witness.  The Apostles have locked themselves in the upper room.  Two disciples in the room are telling of their encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus.  Jesus appears and greats them with “Peace be with you.”  In today’s Gospel Jesus not only shows the disciples his hands and feet but tells the disciples that “Ghost do not have flesh and bones.”  Jesus then asks for something to eat.  It is implied that if Jesus were a ghost he would have no need to eat.

Cultivating our Vineyard through Baptism

A few days ago I had the honor of baptizing my niece’s daughter.  This event was extra special to me because I had assisted at their Nuptial Mass.  It was a blessing for me to see this young couple’s growth in faith and love as shown through the baptism of their daughter.  I was reminded that our Catholic faith is a living and active faith that is calling us to respond to God’s love.

My niece and her husband have responded to God’s love by being active members in their Catholic faith and by following the teaching of the Church.  They have started their daughter on a journey that should cumulative with an eternity with God our father.  I find comfort in the thought that I could one day rejoin my departed family members praising God in heaven with all of his angels and saints.

The Gospel readings over the last few Sundays were about working in vineyards. God is telling us we have our own vineyards to work in.  My niece and her husband have found their vineyard. It is the raising of their daughter in the Catholic faith.  They will continue to cultivate the graces their daughter received at baptism. They will weed out any evil that tries to ensnare her.  They will give her the tools necessary to work in her own vineyard as she grows.

This would be a great time to recall your own baptismal promises.  Use the graces received through this sacrament to be fruitful.  Cultivate the vineyard God has entrusted to you.

Thoughts on Catechetical Sunday

This is from the Column I wrote for our Church Bulletin dated September 21, 2015.  It includes some words from a talk I gave at a retreat for our catechist.  Some of these thoughts were also included in my post of August 10, 2014.

Today the Church is celebrating Catechetical Sunday. This is when we recognize those whom the community has designated to serve as catechists. The word catechist comes from the Greek word “echo”. Catechists are people who echo the Word of God. Catechists teach those who seek to learn more about the Catholic faith. This includes our children in CCD classes (Parish School of Religion) and those in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity for all, not just catechist, to reflect on the role that every person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is a time for all to rededicate themselves to this mission of being a witness to the Gospels as a Catholic community of faith.

The Vatican II document Lumen Gentium states that in the Church not everyone walks along the same path, yet all are called to holiness. By Baptism we are all incorporated into Christ and become the people of God. We each play a unique part in continuing the mission of Jesus in the church and in the world. Lumen Gentium also talks about the vocation of the laity. Vocation is defined as God’s invitation to love and serve him and his church in a particular state or way of life. The laity’s vocation flows from the grace of Baptism. It is the special vocation of all to seek the kingdom of God. We show this by the witness of our life as we illuminate Christ to others. The National Directory for Catechist further emphasizes the vocational call by stating that the ministry of a catechist is a vocation, an interior call, the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Have you considered that through Baptism you are given a vocation? Have you thought about how God has given you an invitation to love and serve him through the passing on of the faith to others? This vocation, this invitation by God to serve him, guides your heart, mind and soul. It is the reason why catechist set aside time for prayer and preparation to teach both our children and adults who desire to learn more about the Catholic faith.

Strengthen your Baptismal vocation at every opportunity. Include in your spiritual life personal prayer time, a love of the Trinity, faithful practice of our Catholic beliefs, be convinced of the truth of our Catholic faith, have a devotion to Holy Mary and actively participate in our parish community, especially Sunday Eucharist. The strength of your spiritual life is an important component to your vocation. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be guided and strengthen in your vocation.