Isaiah 55:1-11
Mark 1:7-11
One of the customs that we have in both of our parishes is the “tree of life” present in the sanctuary during the Christmas Season. One of the symbols is that of the dove- each dove has the name of each person baptized in our parish the past year (next year, we’ll included 2020 +21).
We know baptism is essential to who we are as Christians – it is our initiation into the life of the faith community in relationship with Jesus Christ.
Isaiah was very open to the call of God in his life – silence was important for that as well as a listening ear.
Richard Rohr writes…
Silence especially loving silence stays with mystery, hold tension, absorbs contradictions and smiles at paradoxes, leaving them unsolved and happily so.
The Baptism of Jesus in Mark is very foundational for Mark’s gospel as there are no infancy accounts. It is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry as well as a real identification with humanity, reflecting the sacrament of baptism which would be central to the Christian faith. For Jesus, the unity of the Trinity here is significant as He moves into the future.
This is a time for us to be grateful for our baptism which allows us to see the “extraordinary” in the ordinary. These are not ordinary times for sure! This is a time when we can become more aware of ourselves as the beloved of God in whom God takes delight. Imagine: God is taking delight in your existence as your read this! As we begin this year of 2021, let us trust that since we are in God’s hands, we will be safe and secure.