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United with Christ for Mission
Dear Family in Christ,
Last week we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord, when Jesus inaugurated his public ministry. The truth of his identity begins to be revealed: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am pleased” (Lk 3:22) the voice from Heaven said as the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. A beautiful epiphany - a wondrous revelation of the divinity of Christ.
Actually, over three weeks, the Church has presented us with three epiphanies: three moments in which Christ is revealed to us in a new and profound way. These three are often connected and considered together: the visit of the Magi, the baptism of the Lord, and today - the wedding at Cana.
Baptism and Mission
Fellow Members of the Body of Christ,
Do you remember that famous line from The Blues Brothers: “We are on a mission from God!” This sense of mission gave Dan Akyroyd and John Belushi (Jake & Elwood) great confidence that they would succeed in raising the necessary funds to save the Catholic orphanage from closing. Never could a nun be called “the penguin” with such affection!
Jesus our Lord is the original missionary, the original one sent from the Father to accomplish not his own will but the will of the one who sent him. This word “mission” comes from the Latin for “to send.” The Prologue of John’s Gospel depicts how the Son is eternal with God and yet sent from God to pitch his tent among us. John’s account depicts this Christological truth, the clearest statement perhaps being: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me” (Jn 6:38). Other verses and nuances from Johannine literature and elsewhere support the case.
