Gospel                                                         

   MT 5:13-16   Jesus said to his disciples:”You are the salt of the earth.  But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?  It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Ready?  OK – here goes!

In Jesus’ first parable he compares us to salt.  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?”  This means that although salt has many uses, its primary use is as a seasoning to enhance the flavor of other foods. Jesus is telling us here that we are the seasoning that enhances the rest of the world. People put salt on watermelon and tomatoes, however they very seldom ever say “That watermelon makes that salt taste great.” The job of salt is to make you realize how great the salt is, but how great the salted food is.

Some other uses of salt:

1: Antiseptic to cleanse wounds. We can be the antiseptic for the world and cleanse the wounds of those who are hurting, broken or damaged. The only problem with using salt as an antiseptic is that it can be painful. Hence the phrase “pouring salt in an open wound”. Salt has a bite to it, but sometimes that is what we need to help us heal from the infection of sin.

2: Preservative to keep foods fresh. As Christians, we can be the preservative of our faith. By preserving our faith, we keep it attractive so that others are not put off by it and are drawn to it.

3: Fertilizer to condition soil and help crops grow healthy and strong. Jesus would want us to cultivate or faith as if it were a crop that farmers grow for sustaining life. One of the myths that surround fertilizers is that the salts they contain are “harsh” on the biology of the soil. The reality is that salt is essential to all of life. Either too much or too little can harm.

4: Catalyst: cat·a·lyst (Websters definition)

noun

a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

• a person or thing that precipitates an event.

We should be the catalysts that Jesus wanted us to be. We should precipitate events that direct souls to our Lord.

Can you live without salt? This is the answer from the Johns Hopkins website:

No, life cannot exist without salt. It’s the sodium in salt that causes most of the problems. The human body can’t live without some sodium. It’s needed to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscle fibers (including those in the heart and blood vessels), and maintain a proper fluid balance.

In verse 14-16 Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket.”  This one is very simple – we are to spread the light of His love to the rest of the world. Sin is dark and keeps the world smothered in darkness. Jesus commands us to cover up that dark sin with the light of his love and forgiveness. The world is lost and without direction without the light of Jesus’s love. Imagine this – you are blindfolded and taken to a place you have never been before. When the blindfold is removed, you find yourself in a totally dark room, but you don’t know what else is in the room. There could be furniture, but you don’t know for sure. There could be stairs, but you don’t know for sure. There could be windows, but you don’t know for sure because you can’t see anything. You are going to have a hard time moving around safely and confidently because you can’t see where you are headed, or what is in front of you. You are given instructions to find your way out of the dark room. This would be a daunting task since you have no idea where the door is, where anything is. Imagine the chaos as you bump into furniture and chairs, as you trip over small objects. As you are feeling your way around the dark room, you find what feels like a flashlight and switch it on. The dark room is the world full of sin, and the we as Christians are the flashlight. Once the flashlight is switched on we have a path to follow and we know where all the obstacles are.

“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” In Jesus’ day there was no air conditioning. The only air conditioning they had was the breeze. Anybody who has ever lived in West Virginia knows that when you live in a valley there is no breeze, but when you put your single wide on the top of the hill you always have a nice breeze blowing. They built their cities on top of the hills for this reason, and because cities are on hills are easier to defend than ones built in valleys. Jesus’ point, however, is not a city’s defense, but its visibility because of its elevated position. Most cities in Jesus’ day were constructed largely of white limestone and placed on a hilltop to reflect the bright sun rays, allowing visibility from miles away. At night, the white marble mirrored both the moonlight and burning lamps, acting as a beacon for directing travelers toward the city. Similarly, as disciples our light ought to make it easier for people to find their way to God. We are a city set on a hill that should be elevated and easily visible so that all the world can see the Jesus in us.

“Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” This needs little explanation but I will try to elaborate as much as I can here. You wouldn’t turn on a lamp in a dark room and then cover it with a basket and block out the light. That would be a waste of time, energy, and electricity. In Jesus’ day lamp oil was very expensive and was not to be wasted, much like electricity today. So, what Jesus meant was that we should be beacons of His love in all that we do. Don’t hide the fact that we are Christians, proclaim it in everything we do and everywhere we go. In our daily lives at work, in school, and in our social situations we should be showing our God off to everyone we meet.

Lord: in your mercy please show us how to be better Christians, brighter lights of your love, and cities with open and welcoming gates. Show us how to remove the basket from our lights so that our beams may shine farther and brighter. In Jesus name, Amen.

Reading 1 – Isaiah 8:23—9:3

First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles.  Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness: for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils.  For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

(1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation. 
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?  The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek:  To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Reading 2 – 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.  For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.  I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”  Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
Gospel – Matthew 4:12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.  He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:  Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death a light has arisen.  From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.  He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.  He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.  They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.  He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Have you ever had an identity crisis? Like a full-on, genuine, “Who am I?” and “What is it about me that makes me, me?” I believe that many of us have had this at least once in our lives when we genuinely question who it is that we are and who it is that God has created us to be and what it is that makes us truly unique.

In our second reading today from the first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul is dealing with this very issue with the Church at Corinth. Paul had heard reports from others that the Church at Corinth had been divided, claiming that “I belong to Paul” or “I belong to Cephas” or “I belong to Apollos” according to who came and brought the message of the Gospel to them. This so divided the Church at Corinth that they had an identity crisis, forgetting who it is that we worship and who we celebrate and who we follow in being Christians. They were creating division among themselves based upon trivial differences which made no difference at all to the status of their salvation. They touted the source of their learning of the Gospel, and not the Word Himself, in whom there is all unity and truth.

But it’s a good thing that this doesn’t happen to us in the modern Church, right? WRONG! How often do we hear quarrels and squabbles amongst the Christian people saying “I belong to Pope Francis,” “I belong to Franklin Graham,” or “I belong to (Archbishop of Canterbury) Justin Welby.” We focus on the silly and paltry divisions and do not look at what it is that makes us all one: we are brothers and sisters in Christ, just as Paul tells the Church at Corinth. We are all Christians, in whom we find our identity. For we do not find our identity as Christians in Francis, Franklin, Justin, or even Michael. We find our identity as Christians in Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world and to bring us to the Father.

If you notice, in the Gospel passage, Jesus says to Simon and Andrew, “Come after ME, and I will make you fishers of men.” He does not say “Follow after Pope Francis, and he will make you fishers of men.” He does not say “Follow after Franklin Graham, and he will make you fishers of men.” He does not say “Follow after Justin Welby, and he will make you fishers of men.” NO! He says, simply and clearly, “Come after ME, and I will make you fishers of men.”

In our world, I would recommend that we all take a look at our own identity crisis, for it is in Christ that we find our identity. In our world that turns more uncertain and precarious by the day, let us look to Christ as our identity, as the one who claims us as His own, in whom we live, move, and have our being. It is only then that we will be sure of who we are, and it is only then that we will be able to work together as the Body of Christ to make effective work for the Kingdom of God.

First Reading – Isaiah 49:3, 5-6

The LORD said to me: You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory.  Now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength!  It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob,  and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

(R.) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.
(R.) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.”
(R.) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!”
(R.) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
(R.) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel – John 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,”Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’  I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”  John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.  I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’  Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

The term servant often has a negative “definition”, especially here in the United States because of our unfortunate history.  People often think of a servant being a slave to a master.  But that is not the only “definition” for a servant.  In fact, a servant does not have to be subject to a master, but a servant can be of assistance with positive results.  We find this theme being a servant in the Readings for today.

Despite all of the unfortunate circumstances that the Israelites faced, especially their exile and slavery, Isaiah comes to the people as a servant of the Lord to explain that God does have favor with the people even though they faced so much adversity.  In the response for the Psalm, we read, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”  David recognizes his purpose.  In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul is addressing the people of Corinth, setting up the message which he has to share; as he states his mission is to spread the message of Jesus, called upon by Jesus to do so.  In the Gospel, John the Baptist had been going around speaking of the “coming of the Lord” in his ministry.  And so, along comes Jesus who John the Baptist acknowledges as the one who takes away the sins of the world.  John’s purpose was to prepare the way of the Lord.

This is where things get interesting though; because God takes on human flesh as Jesus, only to end up being crucified.  How does the death of Jesus present positive results, as I mentioned being a servant can be of assistance with positive results?  The answer is this.  Jesus knew his mission was to serve the Father, to spread God’s message; through parables and other methods of teaching.  The night before his death on the cross, he sat in the garden knowing that in order to be a “servant to save humanity from sin” he had to do God’s will.  So ultimately, John the Baptist was sharing with the people present at the baptism of Jesus who this servant was.

How do we apply all of this to our lives?  Each of us has been called by God to do something.  We are a servant with a mission and purpose.  It may take longer for some of us to know what that mission and purpose is than it takes others, but we have to accept the call once we understand what we have been called to do.  W all have various gifts and talents given to us, BUT we have to use them!  If we do not accept the call, then we are not going to reach those who need to hear the message of the Gospel.  We are servants of the Lord!

Father, may we come to recognize our gifts and talents in order to fulfill our mission and purpose you have asked of us, just as people before us have fulfilled their mission. This we ask through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

On this day, the church commemorates the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord, Jesus. This concludes the Christmas season. This was the day in which Jesus descended into the River Jordan and was baptized with water by John.

Water was extremely important to the Hebrews.  There are places all throughout Jerusalem, some still being excavated to this day that are the Hebrew ritual baths, called Mikvahs. It was believed these were in use by John the Baptizer’s followers. By the use of water, John was paving the way for what was yet to come. Jesus. Just imagine the glory and power of that day Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. And what followed after with the appearance of the Trinity.  This was the only occurrence in the New Testament that all three persons of the Trinity were thus manifested: The voice of God the Father, the Holy Spirit as a Dove, and Jesus the Son.  For anyone who might have been blessed to experience this, probably left everyone in awe of what was transpiring. It also served as a commencement of Jesus’ earthly ministry, which was taking shape.

It is interesting to note here, that this is the first instance of Jesus’ relationship with water.  Water was, indeed, a pivotal element of Jesus ministry. St. John 4:13-14 he writes, “Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” It was also said that blood and water came out of Jesus’ side when he was pierced while hanging from the cross.

During the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we encounter the truth of Jesus’ incarnation and His manifestation as the anointed One, Christ. There is much strength and power expressed when St. John proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who takes away the sin of the world.”

In our scripture readings today, in Genesis 1: 1-5, we are reading the Creation story, the story of the very beginning. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form, a void which darkness covered the face of the deep, while the wind (breath of God) swept over the face of the waters. God, in his magnificence proclaimed, “Let there be light;” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called the Night, and thus was evening and then morning, the very first day.”

Then follows Psalm 29, “Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” There is so very much that the Lord can do, power and majesty are his forevermore.

In Acts 19: 1-7, we learn that Apollos was in the Corinth; and that St. Paul had passed through the inner areas to Ephesus, where he located some disciples. Paul asks the disciples, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Paul asks, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul says, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” After hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit came upon them after Paul had laid his hands on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied, altogether there were about twelve of them.”

And in Mark 1: 4-11 John the baptizer was in the wilderness, announcing a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Citizens from the whole Judean countryside and the residents of Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, and confessing their sins. John wore camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and honey. He declared, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he perceived the heavens were torn apart and the Spirit descending as a dove on him. And then a great voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The water is purity at its core meaning. And thus, when we are baptized; we are purifying ourselves to belong to God.  We are, in a symbolic sense, becoming more Christ-like. What happened at our baptism is figurative of what happened at Jesus’ baptism. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down upon him; and at our baptism the Trinity took up residence in our soul. At Jesus’ baptism, the Father spoke, and proclaimed, “This is my son, of who I am well pleased,” and at our baptism we become the adopted sons and daughters of God.  The heavens were opened at Jesus’ baptism, at ours, Heaven became available to us.

What do you think of when you think of baptism? Perhaps some of you may even remember your baptism. Some of us were sprinkled as babies, or if we came to the Lord later in life, were baptized as adults. There are several methods of baptism, some people are baptized by a vessel that pours out water over their heads in a baptismal font, and others may be immersed or “dunked” bodily. It’s more than just a sprinkling of water. Regardless of the method, something very profound happens. Heaven becomes available to you. If you were baptized as an infant, you may go through confirmation at a later time to help the cement the foundation that was laid for you, if you were baptized later in life, perhaps your life has found a new meaning, as you declare Jesus as your Lord and you His follower.

Perhaps some of you reading this have never been baptized. Or maybe you are considering baptizing your children. Please take into thoughtful meditation the significance of the Lord’s baptism during your own or your children’s. As much as it involves getting wet, the inner self must be prepared for the transformation as well.  May the peace of our Lord and Savior be with you all of your days. Amen.