Baptism of Our Lord - January 10, 2021

 

Homily for Baptism of Our Lord

January 10, 2021

Immerse Yourself In Him

 

            The word “baptize” in Greek means “to immerse”. And this is fitting, because Jesus’ baptism wasn’t a few drops of water sprinkled on the head – John would have done a full-immersion dunking. The early Church practiced this kind of full-immersion baptism all the way up to the seventeenth century, and it is still an option today to be baptized by a full-dunk into the water.

            And what a sign that is! Baptism isn’t just immersion into water – it is immersion into God.

            Have you ever had that experience of being so immersed in something that you lose track of time? Maybe it’s a good book, or playing a sport. Maybe it’s talking with friends late into the night and we look up and suddenly realize it’s four a.m. We immerse ourselves in all sorts of things – but do we immerse ourselves in God? St. John Vianney once said, “I want to lose myself and never find myself again, except in God!”

What does that look like? Here are five practical ways to immerse yourself in God.

First, give God your first thoughts in the morning through a morning offering. As someone wise said, “There are two types of people in this world: those who say, ‘Good morning, Lord!’ and those who say ‘Good Lord. Morning.’” We want to be the former and greet the Lord upon arising, offering Him your joys, sorrows, work, leisure, thoughts, words, and actions for the day. Make a morning offering, and you will begin to be immersed in Him.

Second, before you begin any activity, consecrate it to the Lord. Whether it be a test in school or a project at work, cooking dinner or cleaning the house, we say, “For You, Jesus. Let me do this well in a way that pleases You.” God is present in the homework, the project, the dinner-making, and the house-cleaning. All we need to do is realize His presence and seek to do it to the best of our ability, for love of Him – which starts with a quick prayer offering it all to Him.

Third, frequently say “aspirations”. Aspirations are short one-sentence prayers – things like, “Thank You, Jesus” or “Lord, have mercy on me!” or “Father, I trust in You.” Two seconds, really – but we have invited God into the midst of our lives.

Fourth, surround yourself with holy things. Do you have a locker at school? Put up a picture of the Sacred Heart or hang a Rosary in the inside. Do you have a desk at work? Have a small statue of Our Lady upon it. Stock your home with books about the Saints or about the Faith. When people walk into our house, we want them to feel as if they are walking into a church – after all, the family is called the “Domestic Church” for a reason! Amidst the nauseating secularism and consumerism in the world, we should feel like we have stepped into sacred space when we enter our office or our home.

Finally, practice the Daily Examine. This is a powerful prayer, taught to us by St. Ignatius of Loyola. It involves reflecting on our day, seeing where God has been moving. Has God showered us with blessings? Has He given us a small share in His Cross? How did we respond to the graces and the challenges we received? Every day we should consider these things, and ask God for more graces to respond better the following day.

When you were baptized, you were immersed into God. But now you must choose to be immersed in Him. These are five easy ways to immerse yourself in God: the morning offering, practicing the presence of God by consecrating all of our works to Him, praying quick aspiration prayers, surrounding ourselves with holy things, and practicing the Daily Examen.

Now, some may say, “This sounds too radical! I’m not a monk, I’m a regular person living in the world!” But St. John Vianney also said, “[God] must be all around us as the air we breathe.” For many Catholics, we put our relationship with the Lord into a box. An hour on Sunday, and maybe for a couple minutes before we go to bed – and that’s our “God-time”. Imagine the difference if we were immersed in God every day! How quickly we would become saints!