The next obvious step!

So here we are at the end of Christmastide which we celebrate with the Baptism of our Lord. This seems a giant leap of faith where we have become used to contemplating Jesus as a tiny baby towards the image of a man about to embark on his public ministry. It may be similar to the rapid transition that some of us are making from spending time on holidays to the realities of returning to work. We know something has changed but we struggle to carry it over into our daily lives. There seems to be a separation between that space where we can relax towards a place where the old competitive demands for our time emerge. Don't despair! The message of Jesus' baptism recognises the call for us to be open to God's grace in our daily lives. People had been going to John the Baptist to sense a deeper meaning to their lives through a baptism of repentance. In Jesus' baptism, we see an invitation to encounter God in a way which brings life and hope. It brings a balance which does not just focus on our limitations but also on God's saving plan.

As we enter into a contemplation of who Jesus is for us what draws us to become aware of the His presence in our everyday activities. This growing awareness is that we are called to grow in prayerfulness in our daily lives and be present to the people we encounter. Baptism is never a private sacrament to please the grandparents or to remain connected even tenuously to the rites of the Church. Rather it is an invitation to allow Jesus to be at the centre of our lives and to listen to His voice. This calls us to read the scripture of our lives and the scripture of the Word; to be present to the sacramental moments which draw us into thanksgiving and to be present to Eucharist where we are drawn into a deeper sense of communion. The reflective spirit where we acknowledge both our daily joys and struggles and seeks to notice where God is accompanying us and inviting us to go deeper. To discover the places where we can proclaim the Gospel in our unique environment. Where God invites us to take the next obvious step.