Many high school seniors are anxious about being accepted by the college of their choice at this time of the year. I remember getting letters from parents. One wrote:
“Dear Fr. Kevin, I am delighted that my son will be entering your college. I ask that you personally intercede in the selection of his roommate, to be sure he doesn’t smoke, drink or use inappropriate language. This is my son’s first time away from home, except for his four years in the Marines.” Now that’s a “helicopter parent.” Seriously, we wish all our high school seniors well in the pursuit of their dreams.
The word of God takes us back to the eighth century before Jesus. Isaiah has a tremendous experience of God in the Jerusalem temple. The temple shook with the thunderous acclamation of angelic creatures, and Isaiah was awestruck. An angel even cleansed him with God’s mercy.
Then God commissioned Isaiah, filled with God’s grace, to become a prophet, to speak on God’s behalf. Although the Hebrews had not kept their promises to God, God always kept his, summed up in that simple yet profound statement, “You are my people, and I am your God.” Isaiah challenges us to remember that God has called us to be faithful to our baptismal promises as sons/daughters of God.
St. Paul in his letter emphasized his one passion: to preach Jesus once crucified and now risen and alive among us. Paul was called to be an apostle on the road to Damascus in Syria, and that awesome experience of the living Christ turned Paul’s life upside down.
God’s grace, Paul proclaimed, made him what he is. And God’s grace, which we should pray for every day, can make us passionate about proclaiming God’s good news: Jesus is alive. And because he lives, we live eternally.
In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus went into the deep waters of the Sea of Galilee with Peter and the other fishermen. Peter, while skeptical about fishing again after catching nothing all night, recognized something special in Jesus. So, Peter cast the nets again and made a sensational catch.
Suddenly Peter experienced the awesome presence of God in Jesus. He cried out, “Lord.” And then Jesus, the master, calmed them, “Do not be afraid,” and called Peter and the others to discipleship. How did they respond? They left everything they had and followed Jesus.
These biblical personalities accomplished much because they loved much; they were on fire with an intense love of God and a compassionate love of their fellow human beings. Theirs was a purpose-driven life. They with God’s grace fired people up to choose their better selves, to give their time and talent to further God’s kingdom of truth and justice and freedom and peace, standing up for what's right.
Jesus has called us to discipleship through the life-giving waters of baptism. Baptism is God’s gift to you and me. And our basic response to God’s gift is gratitude that we are alive, that we are who we are.
Baptism transforms us at the very core of our being. It plunges us into the mystery of Jesus Christ. Paul captured this magnificently when he wrote to the Christian community in Galatia: “Christ lives in me.”
Yes, God has made us “new creatures.” The living Christ is our exemplar. In fact, the universe reflects the glory of God in myriad forms. Saint Therese of Lisieux noted:“Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift.“
Baptized and confirmed in the Spirit, we celebrate the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at the table of the Lord. This celebration sends us out to live a Godlike life, to live in a manner worthy of our calling, to treat all God’s creatures with respect—especially human beings, for humans are made in the image of God.
Now, what precisely does “sent out to others” mean? Each one of us has gifts or talents that can empower and build up other people.
Football’s Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts, or music celebrities, are not the only ones with gifts or talents. You and I have special gifts, by virtue of our baptism. And within our life, there are many splendid callings.
I love the image of “a thousand points of light.” God can shine through us with transcendent brilliance. Those who ask for the grace to draw closer to God glow with that radiance. They become one of those points of light.
Teacher or student, businessman or businesswoman, married or single, whoever you are, you have a specific vocation or calling to fire up people with God’s grace so that they will choose their better selves, give their time and talents to others, and stand up for what is right, by being who they are.
God has given us gifts. Let us rejoice as the Virgin Mary rejoiced: let it be as God says. And then we will truly, with God’s grace, realize our authentic potential as sons and daughters of God our Father.
May we each realize that the purpose of our baptismal calling is to matter, to make a difference by giving our best in love and service!
