Readings: Is 42,1-4.6-7 / Psalm 28 / Acts 10.34-38 / Mt 3:13-17
ANY JUSTICE
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus closes the Christmas season, saving it from any possible misunderstanding and reduction. Christmas is only part of the celebration of the tenderness of God which is manifested in the flesh of a small child. Christmas is also a manifestation of "righteousness" (Matt. 3:15) who wants to subvert the course of our mundane and often mediocre human pathways. Only two gospels - Matthew and Luke - The so-called recount childhood of the Master. For two others the Good News of Christ begins with a dive in the waters of the Jordan. A baptism of solidarity with the man who is to come to terms with the bitter threshold of sin, who knows the day of his mate, invincible, weakness.
Wonder
John the Baptist was an extraordinary man, a prophet consistent, a true messenger of God among his people. A person aware of his mission and his preaching. The life and preaching of John reveals a quality high human, a wonderful tension to justice, a magnetic inner freedom. The Gospel accounts, we can imagine him as an able to talk with crowds and with truth, to break the heart with a sincere and touching preaching. John moved from the free patterns and conventions that often cast on our communications, making them too politically correct , empty, of prophecy, poor in truth. Yet, this high profile and rock seems to waver a moment when "Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by him" (3:13). John unexpectedly experiences a moment of hesitation and tries to prevent Jesus to submit to him: "It's me that I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?" (3:14). It is not difficult to see why. John - in full harmony with many other prophets - was expecting a mighty God and justice, before whom the man had to do preliminary fine. Certainly not a God-looking "meek and humble of heart" (11:29), in solidarity with sinners enough to get in line with them. John had not yet realized that God had decided to meet "all righteousness" (3:15).
Justice full
is certainly right that those who wrong you pay, that is to be punished who has behaved badly. Is it correct to think that whoever has stolen return the stolen goods, that those who have damaged shelters. But there is also a justice further. The heart of the Lord knows and pursues. For God is just that if one has lost their life may find that if a sin can be forgiven, if one is guilty is not condemned, but saved. This too was written in the scrolls of the Prophets and in the heart of the Master Jesus, "Have I any pleasure in the death of the villain - says the Lord - or rather that he should turn from his way and live?" (Ezekiel 18:23). John realizes - Perhaps for the first time - that God has already decided to implement "all righteousness" in the history of mankind through His Son Jesus and "let him" (Mt 3:15). Jesus is immersed in water, he sees the Spirit of God descending and lighting on Him, and behold, "a voice from heaven," confirms the enormity of the event: "This is my Son, my beloved: I have in him am well pleased "(3:17). The voice that thundered on the banks of the Jordan is to us - certainly not to the Lord - to understand how great is God's initiative toward us. The Baptism of the man Jesus is nothing more than confirmation of the birth of child Jesus, lining up with us and our need for salvation, we announce that God is willing to play with us. Shows us that God, in his search for communion with man, is willing to kneel down and to reach the spot where the winding paths of life and our sins are leading us.
younger brother
God reveals himself brother to all of us would say, St. Francis, who chose this name for his brothers. Smaller than all expectations, more meek and humble of all fear that we can have him. And we we are called to discern in this the most clear lowering of love, beauty for which to strive with our steps. Baptism brings to completion the Christmas season because it makes us understand how the incarnation of God expresses solidarity with our beautiful and disconcerting humanity. Jesus falls in the most depressed of Palestine (the region of the Jordan and the Dead Sea is below sea level!) To assume our role, to fill the place which belongs to us. This way of asking for God to do "all righteousness" with us. Without losing dignity, God reveals himself willing to mat with us, to show his compassion towards those parts of us where we are able not to be in solidarity with ourselves. In today's feast, we have the opportunity to understand what gift God has done with the birth of His Son. That, in this year which opens up before us, we can justify stop in front of the mirror of our ego or to meet the expectations of others, and begin to recognize and loved justified, in front of a father who wanted to play full with us, giving us what was most precious. One day, in fact, God came to dwell among us. For over thirty years has been our neighbor, building benches, tables and stools. Then one day he got up and got in line with us, "and healing" (Acts 10:38) our humanity. Thus the Lord Jesus continues to do today: dwelt among us, with infinite discretion puts his infinite life next to ours. Then, suddenly, it opens our eyes "blind" (Is 42.7) that do not yet see his infinite love and asks us to follow him. To announce to the world that "God does not show favoritism" (Acts 10:34), that he is "the Lord of all" (10:36). Especially "those who live - again - in darkness" (Is 42.7) of sin and loneliness.
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