Deacon Kelly's Homily Cycle C - 1/10/16

A brilliant magician was performing on an ocean liner.  Every time he did a trick, the Captain's parrot would yell, "It's a trick.  He's a phony.

That's not magic." 

 

Then one evening during a storm, the ship sank while the magician was performing.  The parrot and the magician ended up in the same lifeboat.  For several days they just glared at each other, neither saying a word to the other.   Finally the parrot said, "OK, I give up. What did you do with the ship?"  The parrot couldn’t explain that last trick!  It was too much to comprehend, even for a smart parrot. 

Our Gospel tells us of Jesus’ baptism, it is not a trick, not a slight of hand, but it is a reminder to us that Jesus is truly human, and that Jesus shows us humanity at its best - sinless. 

“Wasted time is not a prized commodity in American society.  We are a people ruled by the clock.  Time is money because it is to be filled with purposeful … activity which is productive of things which can be sold.”  (Ordo 2019, p.30)

I wonder how many efficiency experts would highly value “Prayer Time, Worship Time, Sacrament Time and Relationship Time!”  It would probably depend on what they were asked to measure.  If they were asked to measure people in terms of being the best people they could possibly be, then Prayer Time, Worship Time, Sacrament Time and Relationship Time would be highly valued.

In our first reading Isaiah, tells us the Messiah will establish justice on earth and that God has formed us.  St. Luke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles “… that God shows no partiality.”  God loves each one of us! 

St. Luke tells us, in the Gospel, that Jesus was praying and Heaven opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and a voice said, “You are my beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.”

WOW!  God is revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit!  God the Father sends His Word (Jesus) to live among us to teach us while the Holy Spirit comes to guide us.  We choose whether or not to listen, to obey and to follow!  Luke said Jesus went about doing good, we are called to do the same!  Today the Christmas season ends, and I am reminded of one of my favorite Christmas Words, “Emmanuel”, God-with-us; Jesus reminds us that God is with us.

Orchestras traditionally tune their instruments to the oboe.  Jesus is the oboe of our lives.  So we must tune our lives to Jesus and His teachings!

In baptism, God gave us the GRACE to follow Him, and called us his own.  We are called to work for the “Kingdom".  Today's feast challenges us to live our baptismal promises - in every thing we say and do! 

For a few minutes reflect on your time: in prayer, in worship, in sacraments, in relationships and in living your baptismal promises!

May God Be Praised!