Sister Kate’s “Gospel Question of the Week” (Matthew 3: 13-17) …Weekend of 1/11-12/2014 … The Baptism of the Lord… In this weekend’s passage from the Holy Gospel we hear about the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. The Baptism of the Lord is certainly a great event in itself, but this passage and event also mark the occasion of the first public revelation of all Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father. Wow! That is a lot to be revealed in just four short verses of the Holy Gospel! We find the Baptism of Jesus described by all four of the Gospel writers. His Baptism marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry (hmmmmm, just a few short weeks after we celebrated the birth of Jesus!). What does all this mean? Several things! By being baptized, Jesus identified with US. Although He was sinless, Jesus received the baptism of repentance to identify himself with His people. The Baptism of Jesus was a “moment of conviction” about His identity and mission (that he is the Son of God and his mission was to preach the good news of God’s love and salvation and to atone for our sins by becoming the “suffering servant.” We might also look upon the Baptism of Jesus as a “moment of equipment”. The Holy Spirit equipped Jesus by descending on Him in the form of a dove, giving him the power of preaching and healing. Lastly, the Baptism of Jesus was a “moment of decision”…a decision to begin His public ministry at the most opportune time after receiving the approval of his Heavenly Father as His beloved Son. The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity. It reminds us of who we are and whose we are. By baptism we become sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of His Church, and also heirs of heaven. Jesus’ baptism reminds us also of our mission: to experience the presence of God within us…to acknowledge our own dignity as God’s children…and to appreciate the divine presence in others by honoring them, loving them and serving them in humility. By our Baptism, we are called to thank God for the graces we have received, to renew our baptismal promises and to preach Christ’s ‘Good News’ by our transparent Christian lives of love, mercy, service and forgiveness. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? We can only do this with the help and grace of God. Pray for it! When leprosy broke out among the people of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the 19th century, the government authorities responded by establishing a leper colony on the remote island of Molokai. The victims were snatched by force from their families and sent to this island to perish. However, moved by their terrible plight, a young Belgian priest, Damien De Veuster, asked permission from his superiors to minister to them. Straightaway he realized that there was only one effective way to do this, and that was to go and live among them. Having got permission, he went to Molokai. At first, he tried to minister to the lepers while maintaining a certain distance. But he soon realized that he had to live among them in order to gain their trust. As a result he contracted leprosy himself. The reaction of the lepers was immediate and wholehearted. They embraced him and took him to their hearts. He was now one of them. There was no need, no point any more, in keeping his distance. The lepers had someone who could talk with authority about leprosy, about brokenness, about rejection and public shame. Today’s Holy Gospel tells us how, by receiving the baptism of repentance, Jesus became identified with the sinners whom he had come to save. GOSPEL QUESTION FOR THE WEEK: Do you know your Baptismal date? Look it up and start celebrating it!