GROW: We hear in today’s Gospel that at the moment of Jesus’ baptism, “a voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” We can hear these words as a simple proclamation of who Jesus is – the beloved Son of God – but also as a proclamation of who we are called to be: the beloved adopted sons and daughters of God. I sometimes forget that I am also called beloved.

GROW: Have you ever had a moment where you’ve been so joyful that your heart “throbbed and overflowed”? (Is. 60:5) Perhaps this prompt might call to mind moments we have been chosen or noticed, especially when we otherwise felt sidelined or forgotten. (Imagine expecting to be picked last for the team, only to be someone’s first choice!) Today’s first reading speaks of a moment like that. While the nations of the earth are shrouded in darkness, God shines his light and glory on Jerusalem, and all the nations come streaming to her bearing precious tributes.

In his Angelus address on the Feast of the Holy Family in 2001, St. John Paul II shared this with those gathered: “If we aspire to a deeper understanding of Jesus' life and mission, we must draw close to the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth to observe and listen.” Following in the footsteps of the Holy Family in today’s Scripture, we find ourselves in quiet Bethlehem, just after the departure of the Magi. The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, this time with a warning:

Throughout my life, I have had a litany of requests for God. I have asked for mundane and ultimately inconsequential favors and also for guidance in much more important matters. But I have often hesitated to ask for the deepest desires of my heart. Those requests feel too big, too impossible, and possibly too selfish – as though asking these things would take away from God’s ability to provide for others. But in thinking this way, I am putting limits on a limitless God. In today’s first reading, the Lord speaks to Ahaz and tells him to ask for a sign – “let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!”

One morning, I woke up feeling exhausted after a fitful night of sleep. I was achy and generally under the weather. Despite this, I made a to-do list because the day’s work still needed to be accomplished. I was determined to not let this sickness interrupt my productivity, even though I knew I needed to rest. It occurred to me, then, that rest – and dependence on others and God – is sacred also. In today’s psalm, we hear of the many ways the Lord provides: The Lord gives, the Lord raises, the Lord loves, the Lord protects, the Lord saves.

Today’s Gospel is a challenging one, inviting us to consider how much spiritual fruit we are bearing in our lives. St. John the Baptist tells us, “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance,” reminding us that the depth of our conversion will be measured by our fruit. Speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, John says it is not enough to say that “‘We have Abraham as our father.’” If he were speaking today, John might put it this way: it’s not enough to say “I’m Catholic!” or “I belong to X Parish.”