19 January 20142nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Breathtaking tapestries representing the communion of saints adorn the walls of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles. Numbering 135 in all, these magnificent oversized figures face forward in a reverent silent gaze upon the altar.
The tapestry that depicts Christ’s baptism is deeply moving and engaging. Located in the lower level baptistry, this rendering is forty-seven feet high and seven feet wide. It is overwhelming in size, but even more overwhelming in its impact on the observer. One is drawn deeply into the figure of Jesus kneeling in humble submission to the will of the Father. A simple dove hovers above the hidden face of our Savior. Words escape the beholder of this artistic rendering. For one is standing in the presence of divine mystery.
Today’s Gospel from the Evangelist John offers us not the detail of the
Baptism of the Lord that we heard last Sunday, but the theological truth
it reveals. John the Baptist has seen and testified that Jesus is the
Son of God.John the Baptist stood in the presence of divine mystery as he beheld the Lamb of God.
Today we invite you simply to gaze into the sublime mystery revealed in today's gospel. Let us allow our hearts to be immersed in the divine truths as we listen to the gospel: God's Incarnate Word humbly begins his mission to bring salvation to the world. And the world is forever changed.
The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at
her parish,Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS
graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award,
The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.
