As we celebrate today the Baptism of Jesus, our mandate as baptized Christians is clear. “Beloved: The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ…”
“To reject godless ways and worldly desires…” What is the way of God? It is a way of selfless love and compassionate concern for all of God’s people. It is to foster a spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace. It is to have a profound concern for the poor and the powerless. It is to honor, respect and protect the dignity of all persons. What are the ways of this world (‘worldly desires’)? It is to give priority to our desires rather than the needs of others. It is to emphasize the accumulation of material goods and wealth without regard for how we acquire those goods or that wealth. It is to foster a spirit of violence, vengeance and retribution. As baptized Christians, we are called to live our lives in conformity with the ways of God and to diminish, with the grace of God, the influence of the ways of this world on our lives.
When you review your life in 2015, what was the direction of our life? Can you honestly say that overall you were living more in conformity with the ways of God than the ways of this world? Can you honestly say that you were genuinely compassionate toward all persons, that you showed a real concern for the poor and the powerless of this world? Can you honestly say that you forgave others and did not cling to hurts, resentments or grievances against another person? Did you not surrender to feelings of hatred or prejudice against other persons because of their race or their religion? Can you honestly say that you did not surrender to a preoccupation with money and material goods? In what areas of your life do you need the grace of God to do better in 2016?
In 2016, we should all strive to live more faithfully to our baptism in Jesus Christ.
Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.