Children of God

January 19, 2014

2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 49: 3, 5-6

1 Corinthians 1: 1-3

John 1: 29-34

Now that all the partying is over, but while the aroma of the pine trees lingers in the air, let us leisurely ponder the awesome mystery we have been celebrating. Perhaps as we were cleaning up after the holiday, we decided to keep a particular greeting card because it touched us in a special way. We might even start humming a Christmas carol as we go through our daily routine. There is something totally mind boggling and captivating about the birth of the Eternal Word in mortal flesh. Through the eyes of the Babe of Bethlehem we have been allowed to peer into the eyes of God, eyes that have looked upon us in love since the beginning of time. The image of the infant in the manger reminds us that God desires to be sought and loved by us. The image of the Christmas star reminds us that He not only puts a spiritual longing into our hearts but also guides us along the path that leads to the Word of Truth Who gives eternal life.

In a world deafened by chatter and blinded by glitter and glitz, the Beloved Son speaks to the depths of the human heart and enlightens the eyes of faith so that all people might come to know their true identity as the Children of God, who were made in His image and likeness. Through Christ, God the Creator of the Universe shows His compassion and love for all the members of the human race. We just heard these words from the prophet Isaiah: “The Lord formed me as His servant from the womb” (Is. 49:5). God cares for the child in the womb and calls him or her by name. By His design, we have become the Children of God. Moved by compassion and unbounded love, He wants to free us from slavery to sin, heal our sickness and bring us to our heavenly homeland.

The first reading of today’s Mass was taken from the second “Servant Song” attributed to the prophet Isaiah. We are all familiar with it. We quickly nod our heads when we hear the words, “light of the nations” and then immediately apply them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today, I would like to suggest that we fight the urge to christen the text. For a moment, let us consider the passage in its literary setting. The unnamed servant knows himself to be called from the moment of his conception. Even before anyone even knew he existed, he was commissioned to bring exiled Israel home. Through the restoration of Jerusalem, all the people in the world would come to know the wondrous power of God. Now, let us apply this reading to ourselves. God has known us from all eternity and called each of us by name. He wants to remake us in the image of His only-begotten Son, cleansing us from sin and freeing us from guilt. Abiding in the light of divine grace, we are to live in the freedom of the Children of God. Our vocation is to lead people, who are trapped in physical, spiritual or psychological prisons, to freedom.

Any time we talk about redemption, it is important that we emphasize the fact that God is the One Who takes the initiative. We have the ability to respond in love to God because God has first loved us. Our response to this love manifests the presence of Christ in the world. The Christmas celebration reminds us that God offers us His love; that He calls us by name and because He respects our dignity and personal freedom, He awaits our response. Moved by the promptings of love, we are drawn into the communion of Love which is the Blessed Trinity. In order for us to enter into this loving relationship, it is important that we embrace and make our own the sacred Word that God addresses to us. It is in that embrace that we are reconciled to the Father and conformed to the Person of the Son. Being conformed to Christ, we are able to live in the image and likeness of God. This newness of life enables us to live in communion with God and with all the members of the human family. Perhaps this is why we enjoy the Christmas season so much – for 12 days out of the year we experience people acting out of their best selves. In Christ, we are called to be ambassadors of liberating joy and ministers of joyful liberation.

Redemption was not a whim on God’s part. It was not a game change brought about by some forbidden fruit. God preordained the incarnation before the world began. Christ came into the world full of grace, wisdom and the Holy Spirit, anointed with the oil of gladness to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom and the nearness of God to His people.  If we listen to the comments of our Holy Father, we would realize that he is calling, encouraging and challenging us to show this love and respect every day of our loves and in every situation we find ourselves. Borrowing from Pope Francis’ Epiphany reflection: “We are to become bearers of new hope, that nothing and nobody may extinguish; the hope of taking the road to salvation, that we are able to forgive and love even those who offend us or harm us.” Through baptism, we have been grafted to Christ and made members of the community of faith. We have been called to proclaim loudly and clearly that Jesus is the Lamb of God Whose death and resurrection is the source of new life for all peoples. Jesus, the Lamb Who was slain and rose from the dead is the cause of our childlike joy.

To round out the notion of childlike joy, I will quote a paragraph written by G. K. Chesterton in his book All Things Considered. “It is not only possible to say a great deal in praise of play; it is really possible to say the highest things in praise of it. It might reasonably be maintained that the true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground. To be at last in such secure innocence that one can juggle with the universe and the stars, to be so good that one can treat everything as a joke — that may be, perhaps, the real end and final holiday of human souls.”

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO