The Day You Find Out Why!

Mark Twain says, “The two most important days in your life are the day your are born and the day you find out why.”   The day we are born is a great day indeed; it was a wonderful moment for our parents as they celebrated new life.  It was a great day for our extended family and friends as they also rejoiced with our parents.  It may have been a painful moment or moments for our mothers, as they had to endure delivering us and maybe even a somewhat painful day for us who are born as we take our first breaths and our lungs take in air for the first time, hence the cry of a baby.  I am sure as we reflected on the Nativity, though beautiful and extraordinary, it was not free from turmoil, pain, and even high anxiety as Mary and Joseph desperately searched for a place for the child to be born.  As for the Holy Family, Jesus’ birth was an important day.  But the more important day was in the future, the day when He realized or at least made public the reason for his birth, as confirmed by His Father, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

                                                      

Our celebration today is the day Jesus found out why he was born.  I realize in his divinity he always knew, but if we are to believe that Jesus was like us in all things except sin, then he had to learn how to walk, how to talk, he had to learn how to deal with and fight off temptations as Scripture tells us.  So in some way, too long to explain here how Divinity and humanity work in Jesus, I think it is sufficient to say that Jesus did have those moments of awareness, realizing the reason for his birth, we can see that already when he was in the temple at twelve years old and having theological discussions with the elders of Israel.

Today the Christmas season comes to and end, liturgically speaking but Christmas and this day, the Baptism of the Lord are connected, just as Mark Twain realized that the day of one’s birth and the realization of why are also two days that are connected in every human person.  Once Jesus realized it (the why) he went into his public ministry and began teaching that true religion is based on relationship, forgiveness, and compassion and when pressed for rules he would only commit to two rules, bless his heart for that.  In his own ministry he brought people Truth, that truth was the love of God and neighbor, but also in that Truth challenging us to know not just about the day we were born, but more importantly why we were born.  This truth or moment of awareness is pivotal in our lives, without it we do not have direction nor do we have meaning.   Jesus entered the water and was baptized upon coming out of the water the heavens opened up and God’s voice affirmed His Son’s birth, we too are invited to the water, in our baptism and at every mass we celebrate we partake of the life giving waters so that we may know for what it is we are created.  Since you have come to these life giving waters I will leave you with one question for you to consider and ask yourselves.  Do you know why you were born?  I pray that you know and know it well.  God bless you, FJ