John testified further, saying,
"I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
If you missed the celebration of the Lord's Baptism on Monday, we approach the mystery again today as we hear the testimony of Saint John the Baptist, "I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
A prophet has two missions: he must show us our guilt and he must reveal God's mercy to his sinful people. The two ministries complement each other since we cannot know God's mercy without knowing our guilt:
If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 John 1:8-9)
We are assured: By definition, sin is forgivable; God's grace would be pointless if it were not so.
When Jesus appeared in the Jordan River to be baptized, and when John baptized him, the two prophets accomplished their mission. Jesus, innocent of all sin, revealed our guilt as he took it upon himself. He revealed God's mercy as he and the crowd heard the Father's declamation, "You are my beloved son. On you, my favor rests!"
Catholics fulfill this twofold mission as we confess our sins and accept God's mercy. Before we take a public stand against abortion, euthanasia, or gay marriage, we acknowledge our guilt and confess our sins.
Any prophet who would save lives and make a better world begins with the practice of penance. Should they fail to do that their hypocrisy will blot out everything they say. How often have we seen the work of very public evangelists sabotaged by the revelations of their adultery or greed? Such incidents arouse the just anger of a secular society that already hates sinners and loves sin.
On this second Sunday of Ordinary time -- which follows the first week of Ordinary Time -- we are putting out to the deep once again. Anyone who supposes the Christian life begins by pointing to the sins of others is only playing on the shore; they're not even wading in the shallows. Or perhaps we should say, they're mired in muck.
For every promise of mercy in scripture there is a warning. Do not presume on God's mercy. And for every threat, there is a promise of blessing to those who acknowledge their sins and turn back to the Lord.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.