Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7, Acts 10:34-38, Luke 3:15-16, 21-22
The feast of the Baptism of the Lord includes beautiful readings about Jesus’ baptism from the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
“After…Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him…And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22
The interesting thing to note is that even before Jesus started his public ministry, in this baptismal event God is already naming him as beloved and that God is well pleased. In other words, it is not Jesus’ actions that warrant God’s love and attention; Jesus is beloved simply because he is God’s son. Flowing from this, Jesus is sent forth on his public ministry of teaching and healing.
At the root of Catholic health care is the person of Jesus, whom Peter describes in the second reading as one who “went about doing good and healing all those oppressed.” Luke connects the baptism of Jesus to the image of the Suffering Servant that the prophet Isaiah proclaims in the first reading,”my chosen one with whom I am pleased.”
Many of us can relate to baptism as a cleansing and repentance, but this week’s readings show that it is also about God’s delight in us as beloved children. This is good news for us who often stake so much of our identity on what we accomplish. God’s love isn’t dependent on what we accomplish; God loves us simply because we are. Part of our task is to help our patients/residents and families to remember that they too are beloved children of God, especially when they are feeling vulnerable, anxious, or in pain.
The other aspect of a baptismal calling is being sent forth for mission and for those who work at St. Mary’s Health System we may relate to this as a call to serve in the ministry of health care, to foster healing and wholeness. In these challenging times, it may be difficult to remember that initial call, or to find the same enthusiasm and energy to “go about doing good and healing those who are oppressed.” There are budget constraints and staffing issues and other pressures that put demands on us, but there are also encounters that rekindle the spark of our calling like the teen who thanks us for “making it the best Christmas ever” or the patient who says “You gave me a better life.”
The feast of the Baptism of the Lord invites us to celebrate our identity as beloved children of God and reminds us that our healing mission is firmly rooted in the Spirit who anointed Jesus and inspired St. Marguerite d’Youville.
Elizabeth Keene, Mission Effectiveness
St. Mary’s Health System
