Beloved

"You are my beloved Son."

Mk 1:7-11

It is so easy to take our children, our spouse, our loved ones for granted. We become so used to their presence, to meeting their very real needs, that we cease to see them as real, thinking, acting, constantly-changing individuals. We begin to see them as extensions of ourself rather than as unique individuals who are totally apart from us. Especially when we live together, the challenge to see our loved ones as "other" can be very real.

Yet even God the Father affirmed Jesus in his unique humanity. Though totally one with the Father, Jesus is nonetheless a distinct Person, who lived experiences, felt emotions, and acted in ways particularly his own, while being always united with the Father. His free will, while totally aligned with his divine will, was still completely free. And the Father commends him for his actions: in the event of his baptism, for freely choosing to humble himself and die in the waters of rebirth.

For Jesus, baptism was not a death to sin, as it is for us. But it was a death to anonymity and a birth to the particular mission God intended for his earthly life. From the moment of his baptism on, he walked with singular purpose toward the culmination of his mission: his death on the cross and the new life of his resurrection. As we emerge from the baptismal waters, we also begin our mission. From that moment on, our every step, breath, thought and action ought to point toward the culmination of our mission: our physical death and the new life we will find in heaven.

Let us remember to encourage each other along this journey. Each of our paths back to God is unique, and walking a path which is different from those of the people around us can cause us to lose heart. Our children especially need to hear words of affirmation from us as they embark upon the path that God has set before them. Let us support them in living out the grace of their baptism by daily offering them verbal affirmation: "My child, I love you. I am proud of you." God only knows what strength and courage they will draw from our words!