VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD: Hungry for the Light and for the Truth

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Dear Children,
Dear Parents, God-parents, and Grandparents of Our Newly Baptized Christian,

Today is a wonderful day because today we welcome among us a new member of our Church and a new member of our community especially on this day of the Presentation of Our Lord, when a small baby Jesus - God and man - is at the center of this feast. According to the tradition of Jewish law, forty days after birth every male baby needed to be presented in the Jerusalem Temple and a sacrifice needed to be given - two pigeons - for every first-born male belonged to and was consecrated to God. Iconography of the feast depicts in a simple way this one meeting, yet the richness hides beyond. In the elderly Simeon, the old man is meeting the new man Adam, and the Old Testament meets the New Testament. This newly born God-man is bringing hope, new life, new vision, new challenges, and a new invitation to participate in the divine life.

And we know when this culmination of new life was fulfilled - when God gave His life on the Cross. For no one has greater love for his neighbor than the one who gives his life. When Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross a soldier pierced His heart and from the side, according to the Gospels, poured out water and blood. St. John Chrysostom describes this sign as an image of the nativity of God’s spouse, the Church, because from these mysteries - the mystery of Baptism and the mystery of the Holy Eucharist - is formed the Church. We are here because of Jesus Christ Who is giving His life for His spouse. St. John Chrysostom continues: "As from the side of Adam was created Eve, so from the side of the new Adam is the Church created. This new Adam, Jesus Christ, is giving His life for His spouse, the Church."

Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist are forming the Church and we experienced this today. I want you to realize that this baptismal vocation has been given to every single one of you. You also were one time in the past brought to the Church as an infant and introduced to God. The priest prayed the prayer of exorcism and all these wonderful prayers found in the rite of Baptism. This wonderful theology of immersion describes the death of the old man with all the consequences of original sin, and afterwards a new life arises from the Baptismal water as from the womb of a woman. As Jesus rose on the third day, this child is given grace to be reborn in Him.

This is our mission - to be a new man, to be a child of God, everywhere we are. You seminarians are preparing for the holy mystery of priesthood, and you will one day be witnesses of these mysteries. You will be sent by the Church to proclaim this wonderful news. Yes, many times you will be oppressed and put to the side, you will be marginalized. And this is also a sign of this feast of the Presentation. Simeon and the Virgin Mary have in their hands the baby Jesus. Another interpretation of the Fathers of the Church is that Simeon and the Theotokos represent the Church, the Church that is bringing Jesus to this world, to the gentiles, to the nations, to this world that is hungry for God, hungry for the Light and for the Truth. And the devil never stops proclaiming his lies and he lies always to these people. Jesus is the Truth and we know how difficult it is sometimes to accept the truth about ourselves. It is difficult to see who we are and what we are, and to say in humility: “I am a sinner.”

In the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, we see how hideous the Pharisee’s boasting is in the church. Jesus shows us an example of the tax-collector who only said: “O Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is the approach that we need to take. Brothers and sisters, this will be a moment of real purification for the Catholic Church in the US, the moment we regain humility before God. Everybody. We all need to stay humble; we need to be humble towards each other. We should not hesitate to apologize to another if we make mistakes. This is what we need to do as the Church in the US. For this reason we are here to pray.

It’s not about us. It is not by itself a human capacity to be humble and to ask forgiveness, to be merciful. We need to ask God for His divine mercy. For this reason we are celebrating this feast. We need to bring baby Jesus to the world. This world is waiting.

But we are struggling because we don’t have enough ministers of God right now. Jesus said that the harvest is great, and I, as a bishop, have nobody to send. So we also pray for vocations, and also for this newly baptized boy. Maybe he is one of the men prepared to serve in the vineyard of God in the future. And maybe he is the future bishop of this Church, who knows? You are laughing. I also was a small baby who never dreamt of being a bishop, let alone a bishop in the USA. I was nothing extra, but rather simple. But God has His own plans, to choose who He wants to choose. And when an invitation comes, we need to say yes.

So dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a day of joy for this parish of Holy Resurrection for this Baptism brings a new hope to this parish - believe me. And one after another, we can walk in the hope of life in Jesus Christ.

✠ Most Rev. Milan Lach, SJ
Bishop of the Eparchy of Parma