We get our identity from our faith in Jesus Christ
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Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor
“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” — Epictetus.
This feast brings the Christmas season to an end and we go back to Ordinary Time.
What a perfect ending it is, because in the Baptism of the Lord we come to a climax and the fuller meaning of the Incarnation is proclaimed.
Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. His identity is spoken with clarity. As he comes out of the waters of baptism the heavens are opened, a dove descends him, and a voice comes from the heavens, saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
This begins Jesus’ public ministry. From this moment forward he will: preach the good news; heal the sick; forgive the sinner; give comfort to the poor and rejected; seek justice and peace.
The mission of Jesus and his identity are one; you cannot separate who he is from what he does.
For us, this is both the good news and the bad news of today.
Good news it is because the mission of Jesus is the redeeming love that has the power to transform and bring life. It really is salvation. If everyone lived it, this would be a utopia, it would be a world of grace, it would be heaven all the way to heaven.
But since greed, hatred, unwillingness to forgive and so many other forms of darkness try to snuff out the light, we find ourselves experiencing the bad news, which is the cross lived daily in our lives.
Here, on the cross, is where we face the darkness and bring the light in word and action. And this is where profound commitment and suffering come together.
Here it is, that we, too, discover our identity and mission are one. We get our identity from our faith in Jesus Christ and our mission, too, which is his mission.
The best news of all is that we can hear the words of our God spoken from the heavens as we ascend from the waters of baptism. His voice is clearly saying of each one of us: “This is my beloved son and daughter, with whom I am well pleased.”
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
