In many churches, especially those that were built early on in the history of the Christian faith, the place of baptism consists in a pool of water. The person who is to be baptised descends into this pool of water for total immersion via three steps and then gets out of the baptismal pool via another three steps. There is a reason for this. In earlier times, the vast majority of the people who became Christians and therefore baptised were adults. As they descended into the baptismal pool via the three steps they were proclaiming that in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit I will die to my old self through total immersion in the baptismal waters. I will then become a new creation and go out of the baptismal water in order to witness to the presence and power of my God in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When we were baptised as babies our parents made this commitment and act of faith on our behalf. As adults we are now called to witness that we belong to God; that as baptised people we decide to listen to and to follow only one shepherd : Jesus Christ.
Being a witness of Jesus Christ demands courage and swimming against the current of the opinions of our friends and the majority of people. Yet is is a challenge that we cannot escape. Where do I stand in my relationship with my God? Am I a witness to what Jesus Christ stands for? Only in this way I am going to make a difference in my life and in the lives of those with whom I come into contact.
It is not so long ago that an Archbishop said, "My job seems to be to go around picking up insults and corpses". He was Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. His life changed when a close friend of his together with a seventy two year old man and a sixteen year old boy were gunned down by government forces in March 1977. He prayed for hours beside the bodies but then he realised that he also needed to be the voice of those who were being treated so cruelly and unjustly.
Every Sunday during his homily, Archbishop Romero started to make public the atrocious crimes that were being committed, mostly by agents of the government against those people who were asking for basic human rights and for justice. The crowds at the Cathedral grew bigger and loudspeakers had to be installed outside the Cathedral because the congregation overflowed into the square. The Archbishop started to receive threats on his life. However, he would not cease to speak. He was encouraged to go into hiding or to leave the country but his response was, "At the first sight of danger the shepherd cannot run and leave the sheep to fend for themselves. I will stay with my people". He also declined a bodyguard. "The poor don't have it, why should I have it?" was his reply.
Archbishop Romero was shot and killed in March 1980 whilst celebrating Mass. He was killed by a single bullet. He died because he welcomed those who were being trampled and regarded as nothing. He died because he truly lived the words that Jesus proclaims in today's gospel. "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me and those who welcome me, welcome the one who sent me." (Mt 10:10)
What about us? As baptised you and I are also called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is terrific that we are gathered here today in great numbers to worship and thank our God. The challenge for us is to continue what we are celebrating now in our every day living. The values presented by some sections of our society are in direct opposition to the values of Jesus. At times we are faced with so much selfishness, egoism, indifference, and much cynicism. It is much easier to go with the flow. We do not want to lose our friends or be considered as "church people" implying that we are soft, living in another era or not up with the times.
We are called to witness to what we stand for as baptised people, as believers of Jesus Christ in pubs, in the street, on trains and buses, at work, at school, in offices, in banks, in our homes. In a word everywhere. It is not good enough to be secret disciples of Christ. We are called to give a public witness wherever the opportunity arises. This calls for courage and for great faith. But who wants to be a member of a cowardly and faithless church? We are asked today and every day to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who is challenging us to walk without fear with Him. We are called to make choices, to take Jesus for real, to take Jesus seriously whatever the consequences might be.
What is in it for me? I can only go back to the words of Jesus as recorded by John 14:12 "I tell you most solemnly whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, he will perform even greater works". This is awesome. We have within us the greatest power that any human person can have, the power of Almighty God. Let us be faithful to our God and we will become instruments of great and powerful signs that are destined to change for the better ourselves and those who are around us.
God bless.
