Posts
9.1.2010
Gospel Reading: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
"While Jesus after His own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened."
God does not need baptism; we need baptism. The feast we celebrate manifests the humanity of Christ. He is so human that He needed this baptism.
What is baptism? There is nothing mysterious; there is nothing magical. You see, what happened when Jesus was baptized: the heaven was opened, the Holy Spirit manifested Itself, and God the Father spoke.
The meaning of the baptism of our Lord is centred around the words that came from the mouth of Father God. It is interesting that the other evangelists put different words into the mouth of God: John and Mathew, "This is my beloved Son"; but not in Luke. Luke is one of the evangelists who emphasizes the humanity of Christ, or the sanctity of humanity. Now, in Luke, what the Father said is crucial. The Father didn't say, this is my Son. He didn't say, listen to Him.
In Luke, the Father spoke to the Son, to Jesus Himself. It looks like Jesus was not quite sure of His purpose in life. At baptism He discovered His only purpose. At baptism our Lord is being affirmed by the Father. That is why the Father spoke to Him. And this revelation is only for Christ, not for others. Because the Father tells Jesus, "You are my Son, the Beloved; My favour rests on You".
This baptism is for Jesus - for Jesus to experience God affirming Him as the Beloved, as the Son, as the one on whom the favour of God rests. In other words, before Jesus sets out on His mission, He needs the Father to affirm Him, to reassure Him.
And this is what happens to us at our baptism. This is so important for us, and we need to experience this reality that we are God's children every day of our lives. You know, that's why it is so difficult to tell, especially traditional Catholics including cradle Catholics, that it is not going to church that makes us Catholics.
I know I said many times before - going to church does not make you and I a Catholic as much as us entering a garage. The garage won't turn us into a car. Isn't it true? I sent my car for servicing many times. I came out, and I didn't appear like a car.
What makes us Catholics is what God is doing for us. And what God is doing for us is making us into His own beloved ones - His own beloved children, beloved sons, beloved daughters.
On this feast of The Baptism of our Lord, may you like Christ hear God telling you personally, you are my son, you are my daughter, the beloved; my favour rests on you.
This is what makes us Christians. And because we are Christians, that is why we come to church. I send a car to a garage because it is a car. I come to church because I am a Christian. It is not true to say that I come to church, therefore, now I am a Catholic. I am a Catholic because my God loves me. He calls me beloved, and He assures me that all His favours rest on me. Because this is what God has done, or is doing for me, I am a Catholic. And because God is doing all these things, that is why I'm here.
I can preach until all the cows come home and we will remain sleeping Catholics - until something happens; until we ourselves experience God relating with us, assuring us, affirming us as the beloved. You are my beloved daughter; you are my beloved son; all my favour rests on you.
This is the truth that its meaning is not just meant to be known. It is meant for all of us to experience. And it is important that we experience this, especially right now.
You look at our country. What is sad is not just three churches being burnt or being attacked, or the hostility, but the trust among us has just vanished. As Catholics, can we take pride in that we won when the high court passed the decision that it is not against the Constitution for us to use the word "Allah" in our Catholic Herald? Sure we won, but what is use of this winning when so many would feel that they lost. There is no victory, isn't it, when there is so much unhappiness?
Yes, we can give all the reasons there is for this tension, for this conflict. And we have all the reasons to blame it on extremism, on militancy. But let us get real. Faith is obedient, and obedience is more than just knowledge. It has to do with our emotion. Now those people who go around throwing fire-bombs - I don't think they are happy. I don't think they are even free.
You know, when we talk of criminal law - let's say I'm a lover. I see my girlfriend going with this man, and I kill that man. This is a crime of passion. Why do they call it a crime of passion? It means at that moment I'm not free.
What I want to say is that, as Catholics, even when we insist on our rights, let us remember that even though laws and rights are inalienable, there are other things we need to look at. Sure, we can go around insisting on our rights, but isn't it true that in the words of the Master to us, we let others grow and we decrease. Isn't it true that, like St Francis, we need to seek more to understand rather than insisting that we must be understood at all costs? Isn't it true that, because we are God's children, we are prepared even to loose our rights rather than insisting on our rights at the expense of so much hatred and violence?
The baptism of our Lord speaks to us in volumes of our true calling. As God, Jesus needs not go through that baptism, but He willingly embraces baptism. I think if we were to allow Christ to touch us with His whole life, there is one clear signal at His birth, at His baptism, at His crucifixion, at His resurrection and ascension; there is one clear message in the whole life of Christ.
We live in a very unfair world. We want to change many things, isn't it? I went through this patch where I had problem with God, and since I can't have my way, I changed my God. Can you imagine I changing God? We can change God. We can change the Constitution. We can change the Prime Minister. We can change everything. But, let us get one thing straight - everything remains the same.
The birth, the baptism, the death and the resurrection of our Lord have this vital message of life for us, especially in our country: For things to change, it's not the constitution, it's not the police, it's not the court, it's not the PM, it's me! God needs not change; Jesus needs not change. He needs not be baptized but He willingly received baptism.
What is He trying to tell us? God being baptized, God being born, God dying... can God die? If God can die, He is not God. But He willingly died. Why? The message is this: for things to change I must change first. As Christians, we know God, but what is the use of knowing God when we become the source of so much hatred and violence.
Sure you can say we have the right. You know, we look at Islam today... If there is any religion that can have an insight or to understand Islam, it is Christianity. Because what Islam is going through today, the Catholic church went through eight hundred years ago. We see all the things, especially the extremism - militant extremism - killing; taking of life in the name of God and religion. We Catholics are the first. You pick any history book - let it be Inquisition; let it be Crusade - we have been through that path of hell. If there is anyone on earth that can understand them, it's us. Because we have been through that dungeon; we have been through that hell. But what is the use of being through that dungeon when we are so proud.
The message of The Baptism of our Lord is this: because God loves us, because we are His children, we are different; and we can make all the difference there is in this world. It is up to us: we can go to the court; we can insist on our rights - at all cost, at all expense. But does that enrich life? Isn't it true that our world will be better if we just take the steps of Christ?
For things to change, I must change first. In this Holy Mass, we entrust to God our nation - a nation that is wounded; a nation that is hurt, that is hurting, that is in misery and suffering. And we ask God to allow us to be the instruments of healing for the nation. We can, because we are God's beloved children; we have the favour of God.
To this God who loves us, we praise and thank Him.
Rev Fr Stephen Lim
Holy Trinity Church, Kuching
