The Baptism of the Lord
January 10, 2015
4 PM Liturgy
Most of us have probably seen some version of Disney’s “The
Lion King” by now. The animated film premiered in 1994 (21 years
ago), and the Broadway debut was held three years later. The
Broadway show is still playing in New York and recently toured
Boston and cities around the world.
The theme of the whole show is captured in simple but
stunning song. “The Circle of Life!” It is the celebration of the birth
of a lion cub. You may remember that marvelous photo of the new
cub’s father hoisting him into the sky. The song opens in the Zulu
language of South Africa and then continues in English to say:
“From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking step into the sun
There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done.”
Why, you might be asking, is he, on the Feast of the Baptism of
the Lord, the last day of the Christmas season, talking about the
Lion King? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s because St. Matthew and St. Luke
have done much the same thing as Disney with the stories we have
heard now for the past three weeks. They too have celebrated an
ever-broadening circle of life in the birth of another “cub” of sorts,
the baby Jesus from Nazareth.
The infancy narratives of the Evangelists Matthew and Luke
are really mini-gospels in and of themselves. And they tell in
dramatic form, not just in words or deeds, the complete story of the
true circle of life. It concludes today with the Baptism of the young
adult.
Have you noticed in their Christmas stories how the circle of
people stretches from the beginning of the story to today? Just
look at our beautiful crèche.
On Christmas night there were only three figures present:
Mary, Joseph and the newborn baby. But almost immediately other
figures start to fill-out the scene. There are angels in the vicinity.
And they reveal to poor shepherds out in their fields the “good
news.” And now the stable is getting crowded; there are even
animals sprawled all around: sheep and perhaps cows, and who
knows what else. The animal kingdom is well represented here
too!
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Just last Sunday we heard of three more characters joining
the overflowing gang. The Magi arrives with their retinue of godknows-how-many-more pagans and strange misfits accompanying
them. This little baby is a sight to behold for all of them. But it’s
not over yet.
Today we celebrate the baby grown up and launching his
more public life. And there are casts of thousands awaiting him at
the Jordan River. It is mobbed—and with all sorts of strangerthan-life figures. And suddenly a voice shatters the clouds and says
quite clearly, “This is the One!” “You are my beloved.” And there is
a blinding break in the sky; a brilliant sun bathes them all.
Listen to Elton John and Tim Rice in their song about the
circle of life again:
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
Anyone who knows the Jesus’ story knows this is just the
beginning. There will be marvels to be seen, more than ever can be
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seen. And there will again be darkness, darkness that covers the
whole world at the end. And still more to do than can ever be done.
The Christmas story ends directly in our laps. We are all part
of what still needs to be done. And as we will see again next week,
it all needs to get done in what the church calls “Ordinary Time.” It
is ordinary, but not!
So for the last time this year, Merry Christmas! Celebrate
again today the gift that is the great circle of life. Sometimes lovely
stories, like the Christmas story of Matthew and Luke are really
more than just lovely. There really is more to be seen than can ever
be seen, and more to do than can ever be done. Peace!
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