We call this period of the liturgical year Ordinary Time. But this time after Christmas is not ordinary at all. It is now that we learn about the first days of Jesus’ public life. In today’s Gospel, John testifies that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus when John baptized him, meaning that the Holy Spirit joined in Christ’s entire mission. The Holy Spirit descended upon us in our own baptism as well. May we be conscious of that divine presence as we join in Christ’s mission during our own ordinary time.
Both Isaiah and John the Baptist were blessed with the eyes of faith, the wisdom to understand what they were seeing, and the will to proclaim it. Despite years in exile in Babylon, Isaiah saw the day when God’s salvation would come to the whole world. John saw something like a dove descend upon Jesus and realized that this was the Holy Spirit. Baptized with the same Holy Spirit, we too are able to see with the eyes of faith, to recognize the Lord in the Word of God, just proclaimed, in the Eucharist we are about to share, and in each other and in our world. Do we recognize the Lord as Isaiah and John did?
The saying, “If you see something, say something,” tells us to report something out of place or suspicious. John the Baptist followed this directive in a different way, however, when he saw Jesus coming toward him. He said something all right, but he said it to publicly testify that this was the Son of God, who came to take away our sins. With our eyes of faith we have seen the Lord as well, in the Eucharist, in this community gathered together in his name, and in the stranger in need. We are also called to testify to the presence of Christ where we see Him. May we do this testifying throughout this new year.
Love, Peace, Joy,
Fr. Bob
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