Doves On Our Shoulders

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  Take down those Christmas decorations.   Now’s the time, especially to remove the dried up, needle-dropping trees.  Our Gospel reads:

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply,
“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.  After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

We were all baptized.   Now as adults can we honestly say we’ve been beloved sons and daughters with whom God has been well pleased?  Have the doves that came upon us left for better feeders and seed. The Word of God is our seed.  The doves hovered to see us spread it, but if we haven’t, they were not pleased and have flown away.

Let’s remember what Isaiah said in our first reading:

Thus says the LORD: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.  I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. (Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7)

Do we still have the LORD’s spirit upon us?  Are we broken reeds, and have the flames of our wicks gone out?   Do we remember that we are to be lights for all nations and to open the eyes of the blind – to bring those in dungeons and living in darkness into the light of our love and compassion?

Our baptisms had great meaning with many responsibilities of Catholics living out our faiths and following Jesus.  Today is the day for us all to feel and hear the doves on our shoulders.

Deacon David Pierce