YOU ARE THERE. YOU ARE OVERWHELMED!

Pastor’s Pen
St. Augustine Catholic Church
Sunday, January 9, 2022
The Baptism of the Lord

FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

I have been struggling with this Pastor’s Pen and pre-homily for Sunday.  I had been handwriting this because even my computer didn’t know what to say.  But, Terry, my wife not knowing that I was somewhat mentally blank, came up with an observation that was an enlightenment for me from the Holy Spirit.

What must it have been like to be there on the banks of the Jordan?  You have just been personally baptized.  The water is still dripping off of you and you hear an angelic sound.  You turn towards John the Baptist who is still in the water and you are overwhelmed with a magnificent light and holy presence.

A man (Jesus) is himself coming up out of the water.  In today’s Gospel, St. Matthew says, “Behold the heavens were open for Him and the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon Him…”  A vey poor analogy would be like being present at Cape Canaveral at the launching of a spacecraft.  You hear an explosion as the rockets ignite, the ground shakes, and a strong light emanates from the base of the rocket and it slowly rises into space and is gone.  That is all that man can produce.  But this rocket, named Jesus, is just part of God’s overwhelming show.  Then God the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  Just imagine those words being projected by James Earl Jones then add all the voices of the universe..  “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.”  The earth is shaking.  The sky is exploding.  Heaven is open.  All of the celestial beings have been invited and are exposed to mankind and then the voice of God comes forth.  You have just witnessed GOD introducing the world to His only begotten son.

YOU ARE THERE. YOU ARE OVERWHELMED!

Deacon Ed