Permit To Heaven

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Shortly after his election as the pope in 1958, Pope John XXIII spoke of the shock he felt at being elected to the papacy. But within few hours of becoming Pope, he told his advisors that in a matter of days, he would like to visit the large prison, Regina Caeli, on the outskirts of Rome. On getting to the prison, the Roman Pontiff told his prison audience: “I have come to you as Joseph your brother. I want my heart to be close to yours; I want to see the world through your eyes.” Today those words of the Servant of the Lord are found inscribed on a plague in the prison chapel. It wasn’t just what the Pope said that endeared him to the prison inmates and to the rest of world; it was the very fact that he was there, that he had come among them as one of them. His presence and his words touched the hearts of many in his congregation. There were tears in the eyes of some of the prison officers, as well as in those of the prisoners.

Today, we celebrate the baptism of the Lord. We celebrate God’s own Son’s further identification with us. We celebrate his association with us, sinners. At his baptism, the creator submits himself to the hands of a creature to be baptized. He plunges himself into the waters of Jordan, shoulder to shoulder with sinners, and with that shows himself as our redeeming Lord and compassionate Savior.

At first glance, today’s feast seems an odd one because baptism is necessary for the remission of sin, i.e. Original Sin and personal sin. But Jesus did not inherit Original Sin, and he lived his entire life without sinning. So, he had no need of baptism as we do. Yet, he humbly submitted himself to the baptism of his cousin John the Baptist. By so doing, he set an example for the rest of us. If he, who was without sin could submit himself to baptism, then we, as sinners, should have no reservations of submitting ourselves over and over to this blessed sacrament. After all, his submission was an act to identify himself with us.  

I want us to understand that baptism is not all about forgiveness of sins. Baptism marks a dividing line between the old life and the new life, between waiting for the Messiah and finding him, between living with guilt and living in freedom, between living in a community of law and living in a community of love and grace. By baptism we enter into a relationship of love with Jesus Christ. Baptism initiates us into a life-giving relationship with God. Through it we become adopted sons and daughters of God, members of Christ’s body, and temples of the Holy Spirit. By baptism, we become the people of God; our gathering becomes a gathering of God’s people. We become the family of God, and enjoy fellowship with him. Baptism makes us a new creation. It imprints an indelible spiritual mark of ownership. We no longer belong to ourselves, but to God.

At the Lord’s baptism, he was not alone; the Father and the Holy Spirit were present. The Father’s voice was heard from heaven testifying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit was also present “descending like a dove and coming upon him.”  They testified of the specialness of Jesus. They were present to tell the world, “I have given you everything; I have given you my all.”

Dearest beloved, at our baptism, we too were not alone. Apart from the priest and God’s people who were present, the Triune God Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, were also present. The day of our baptism was the day of our divine recognition. The Father’s voice also sounded from heaven, “This is my beloved son; this is my beloved daughter with whom I am well pleased.” Hence baptism is our official recognition as children of God. On that day, we were set aside for God and for God’s matters. God declared how special we are. He claimed ownership of us. We became God’s servants, God’s children, God’s friends, and God’s special treasures. We became God’s jewels of inestimable value. On that day, the Holy Spirit dwelled upon us. We became God’s voice speaking and bringing justice to the nations. We became God’s representatives, so, whoever encounters us, ought to encounter, not us, but God living in us.

Baptism is our permit to heaven. It’s our visa to the Kingdom of unlimited and boundless peace and joy. Our birth makes us citizens of the earth, but it is our baptism that makes us citizens of THE PLACE. The place is God’s own eternal city. Over there, there is an uninterrupted peace, joy, and good life. Down here, our peace is often interrupted. Down here, our joy is sometimes obstructed and impeded. Down here, good life can suddenly turn to bad life and bad luck. Down here, there is good luck, but there is also bad luck. But over there, joy is constant. Peace is steady. Good life does not run out. It is joy, perfect joy; peace, perfect peace, love, perfect love.  It is good luck all the way. Nothing bad alters our life. It is spiritual fun eternally. 

Do you consider yourself a citizen of the Kingdom? Have you joined the bus for the upright? Do you consider yourself a messenger of God? Do you think your words and actions glorify the Lord? If not, what and who are you waiting for before you change your life? If you are already baptized, do you renew your commitment to the Lord daily? If you are not baptized, what and who are you waiting for?