Freedom and New Life (Lord’s Baptism C)

Christian Duguay's Golden Globe-nominated film, Human Trafficking, depicts the horrible world of sex slavery where abducted girls are reduced into sex commodities to be sold and resold over and over to insatiable patrons of this sex industry. The film unfolds the story of four girls who have been kidnapped from across the world and consigned into the hellish prison of international sex trade without hope of escape. Only a specialized team of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are determined to bring down the global network that sponsors such heinous crimes.

One of the four victims is Nadia, a 16-year old girl from Kiev.  She winds up in the brothel after signing up, without her father’s knowledge, for what she believed to be an opportunity for modelling.  Desperate to find her, Nadia’s father sets out to save her and risks his own life by joining the syndicate that runs the dangerous world of sex trade. He has no hope of saving her unless he enters the evil world of sex industry where she is held as a slave. In the end, the risk he has taken pays off. Nadia is reunited with his father.

What has this to do with the Feast of the Lord’s Baptism?  Allow me to spell out two things.  But already at the outset, we can maintain that the film’s motif of slavery and liberation lends itself to a deeper appreciation of our Lord’s baptism which has to be understood within the similar biblical motif of slavery of sin and the promise of salvation.

First point, the Saviour’s solidarity with the sinners. Was there a need for Jesus to be baptized by John? John’s baptism was a summons to repentance and conversion.  It was directed then to the sinners.  Jesus was everything like us except sin. Hence, as far as Jesus’ personal spiritual life was concerned, He did not need John’s baptism.

But why did He submit to John as recalled now by our gospel reading (Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)? Some biblical scholars suggest that Jesus’ submission to baptism is his act of fully identifying himself with the sinful people whom He is called to save.  His public calling as a saviour demands that He be in solidarity with those whom John has called to conversion.  Very similar to the decision of Nadia’s father to bravely enter the world of sex trade to save her, for only this, risky as it may be, gives a glimmer of hope for Nadia’s liberation.

The baptism of our Lord then marks Jesus’ resolve to embrace us even more in our sinful condition in order to save us. He enters our world of slavery that He may liberate us. No wonder that He finds time to laugh and dine with the sinners.  This commitment to be in solidarity with the sinful people culminates in his passion and death on the cross. He pays the price of our sins; and in his resurrection, wins for us our freedom, our new life, and our salvation.

This gives profound meaning to our own baptism.  When we are “immersed” into the water of baptism, we experience ritually our burial into Christ’s death, from which we rise up by resurrection with him, as new creatures (CCC 1214). Our baptism incorporates us into the death and resurrection of our Lord, hence, bringing about new life in Christ.

Nadia cannot help but weep for joy as she realizes her freedom, safety, and new life with her loving father who has risked everything for her.  On this feast of the Lord’s baptism, let us relish the freedom and new life that Jesus has won for us over the slavery of sin and death.

Second point, the Saviour’s true identity.  It’s too risky to plunge into the world of sin. One can easily lose oneself.  But Nadia’s father survives in the sneaky world of sex industry because He knows who he is.  During a raid in one of the brothels, he is cornered by a police officer to whom he appeals, “I am Nadia’s father. I must go and find her.” And he runs away to continue his search. 

Jesus needs to know his true identity as He decides, in his baptism, to be fully identified with the sinful people.  The gospel of Luke reports that after Jesus’ baptism and in his prayer, the Father’s assurance comes as a voice from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased” (Lk 3:22). This certainly gives Jesus a shot in the arm in fulfilling his mission. With clarity, He brings with him his true identity as he embarks into the sinful world of the people He is called to save. He is to walk not in the ways of sin but always in the ways that please God, His Father.

In our baptism, we become adopted sons and daughters of God in Christ. And this identity is indelible.  In this sinful world where we move and live, we need to be always reminded about who we really are, lest we easily lose ourselves.  We are the children of God.  Amid the growing Godlessness of our societies and cultures, do we have the conviction to stand as God’s children whose only resolve is to do what pleases the Father?

The world as it is now is beset with terrifying structures of sin.  One of these is the impenetrable structures of human trafficking and sex industry as an example. Lest we succumb to despair, let us allow the Feast of the Lord’s baptism to bring us hope—one that springs from our conviction that we have a God who journeys with us through the road of salvation  and that He calls us his children, hence, empowering us to create structures of grace where freedom and new life is celebrated.

Let Love Alone Speak (5th Sunday Easter C)

I have a missionary friend who is stationed in China. There his identity as a priest is not publicly known. To reveal his identity as a Christian missionary will have serious and dangerous repercussions to his missionary work in a communist country. So he opts to be incognito. Curiously I asked him once about how he does his work of evangelization in a hostile environment when in fact he cannot openly preach the Gospel as I freely do here in the Philippines. I remember him answering, “I proclaim the Gospel by my way of living among the people there. I hope that through my witnessing, they will come to know Christ.”

Ahhh... that’s difficult, huh! It’s a lot easier to deliver eloquent homilies in our large cathedrals here! But my missionary friend is absolutely right. The gospel reading (Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35) today reminds us that essentially we announce to the world our relationship with Christ by the way we live. Or more particularly, by the way we love. Love is our mark as Christ’s disciples. In Jesus’ own words: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (v. 35). Charity then is our identity. Exercising charity in the manner we live is therefore our most essential proclamation of who we are and of our loving relationship with Christ.

I’m reminded of Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, which tackles quite extensively the theology on love and the Church’s responsibility to be a community of love. Paragraph no. 31 expresses beautifully the very point of my missionary friend and of today’s gospel: “Those who practise charity in the Church's name will never seek to impose the Church's faith upon others. They realize that a pure and generous love is the best witness to the God in whom we believe and by whom we are driven to love. A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak. He knows that God is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8) and that God's presence is felt at the very time when the only thing we do is to love.”

Ah... beautiful and inspiring words! Let love alone speak! I’m honestly wondering, should I lose all these words I’m using, would I still be able to evangelize? Would love be visible in my life? When words fail, will my way of living still has the power to tell the world of God’s love?

A very important question for us to answer then is this: “How do we love?”

Oftentimes we love by giving gifts external to us like these four successful brothers who felt they needed to express their love and care for their elderly mother.  They discussed the gifts that they were able to give to her who lived far away in another city:

The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."
The second said, "I had a hundred thousand dollar theater built in the house."
The third said, "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver her an SL600."
The fourth said, "Listen to this. You know how Mama loved reading the Bible and you know she can't read it anymore because she can't see very well. I met this priest who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took twenty priests and 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for twenty years to the church, but it was worth it. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."

The other brothers were impressed. After the holidays Mom sent out her thank you notes.  She wrote: 

"Milton, the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."

"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home, I have my groceries delivered, so I never use the Mercedes. The thought was good. Thanks."

"Michael, you give me an expensive theatre with Dolby sound, it could hold 50 people, but all my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same."

"Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you."

External gifts can be symbolic of our love but essentially love can only be effectively expressed through the gift of self. Our model in loving is Jesus himself. He instructs us to love one another AS HE HAS LOVED US. Jesus has given us not just any other gift but the gift of himself. He offered his life on the cross the day after he instructed his disciples of this commandment to love. This same self-sacrificial love will be the mark of his true disciples.

Today’s gospel then invites us to be faithful to our Christian identity and responsibility, i.e., charity. May the way we live be the way of love. In this world of secularism and materialism, may we continue to be the source of the spirit of love. May our day-to-day loving witness and self-giving proclaim to the world the love of God and attract many who are in search for meaningful lives to join the community of love which the Lord wants us to build. Let love alone speak.

Identity and Mission (Baptism of our Lord B)

(grabbed from http://elcaandy.blogspot.com)

After an exhausting hectic schedule of activities during the Christmas season, a parish priest and his parochial vicar felt they needed a break like going, perhaps, to a place where they can enjoy their peace and quiet. So, they talked about their options. To cut the story short, they ended up in Boracay! Not bad. To maximize their resting experience, they decided to be anonymous. So they sported clothes usually worn by tourists. When they were there lying on the beach with their sunglasses on, a gorgeous lady in a sexy two-piece red bikini was passing by. But they were surprised because the lady hesitated but greeted them: “Hello there, good morning… enjoy the day… FATHERS.” They were taken aback! How did this lady recognize them as priests! They thought of changing their outfits. So they rushed to the nearest store to buy new sets of more daring clothes! The next morning they were again seated on the sand enjoying the lovely view. Again this same sexy lady was passing by. The two priests were confident that they would no longer be recognized. The lady passed by. Greeted them: “Have a nice day… FATHERS!” The parish priest called out: “Hey, miss. Yes, we are priests but how on earth did you recognize us?” The lady smiled. Took off her sunglasses and said, “Oh… Fathers… you didn’t recognize me… I’m Sister Rebecca.”

Where does our identity lie? Is it in the clothes we wear? Or more precisely to the point I would like to make, where does our Christian identity lie? Is it in the Christian name we carry? Is it in the documents we bring along with us? Perhaps the baptismal certificate?  Or in the fact that we are present in the festive church activities like the Misa de Gallo perhaps? Or later, holy week activities?

Several years ago, I participated in the tabulation and analysis of the result of the survey done in Mindanao in preparation for the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC). And one of the significant observations that came out of the survey was the phenomenon which had been brought out by PCP II already in 1991-- the phenomenon of nominal Catholicism. Nominal. Nombre. Name. In other words, Catholics in name only! These are baptized Catholics. They are baptized but, alas, not evangelized. They bear Christian names and documents but they have not allowed the euangelion--- the gospel-- to shape their lives. No wonder, the Philippines enjoys the dignity of being the only Christian country in Asia, while all at the same time topping the ranks of the most corrupt ones!

The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord today allows us to realize that there is more to baptism than just receiving a name and that if we just all understood the meaning of our baptism and we live by it, we would not be confronted with this phenomenon of nominal Catholicism.  Let us then examine the event of the baptism of our Lord and see what it teaches us as regards our own baptism and identity as Christians.

In today’s gospel (Mk. 1:7-11), Jesus was baptized by John and a voice was heard from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (v. 11). This is a confirmation of Jesus’ own discernment about who he is. In Mark's gospel, which does not have Jesus' infancy narrative, it is on Jesus' baptism that Jesus' divine sonship is manifested for the first time. His baptism. therefore, is the moment of revelation about his true identity. On his baptism, Jesus confirms that He is the Son of God.

Connected to this identity is his mission as the Messiah.  On this same event of his baptism, Jesus was anointed by the Spirit who descended upon Him like a dove (v. 10).    He was anointed as the Messiah who would bring the good news of the Kingdom of God. In Luke's gospel, after Jesus' baptism, Jesus would stand in the synagogue and proclaim that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him and anointed him to bring good news to the poor. To give sight to the blind, to set the captives free… (Lk 4: 18).

Jesus baptism reveals to him both his identity and his mission. My dear friends, our baptism is a baptism after that of the Lord’s. Hence, like the baptism of our Lord, our baptism confers us with identity and mission. In baptism, we become sons and daughters of God in Christ. What a great dignity! An identity that will always be there whether we are on vacation or not. Have we lived up to such greatness of dignity? Do I show in my way of living the fact that I am God’s son or daughter?

Connected to this dignified identity is the Christian mission. Our baptism confers us with the threefold mission of Christ--priestly, prophetic, and kingly missions. As priests, we are sent to sanctify our families and communities through our prayer and worship, As prophets, we are sent to proclaim with joy to the whole world the Good News of God’s love and to denounce with courage the destructive influence of evil. As kings, we are sent as humble servants to journey with the poor, to help provide for the deprived, and to work for the empowerment of the oppressed. Have I embraced my mission with joy and dedication?

Today we start the first week in ordinary time. I think this is the real challenge: Our baptism has to be lived out not just in the peak moments of our Church life. We have to be faithful to our identity and mission day after day! And this is because our Christian faith does not take a leave. Christian faith is not contained in papers. Christian faith is a lifestyle. It is a way of life--whether we are at work or we are enjoying our peace and quiet in some exotic place.