Baptism of the Lord
Installation of Father Andy Aaron
Resurrection – St. Paul, Ellicott City
January 12, 2025
A Caring Priest, A Loving Pastor
It is a pleasure to return to Resurrection – St. Paul. On my last visit, I had the privilege of blessing this beautiful worship space. This time it’s with great joy that I install Fr. Aaron as your pastor. Fr. Aaron has been with you for more than six months, and in that time, you have come to know him as a caring priest and loving pastor. Today’s installation celebrates the beginnings of his ministry among you. And while this rite focuses on his ministry of leadership and service, it is also a celebration of the gifts and ministries of the whole parish, gifts and ministries given by the Spirit for the sake of mission.
The Baptism of the Lord
All this we do on the beautiful Feast of the Lord’s Baptism. As today’s Gospel was proclaimed, we entered into this mysterious event. John is proclaiming a baptism of repentance when Jesus appears on the horizon. Appointed by God to be his forerunner, John senses that he is the One. When Jesus asks to be baptized, John is amazed but he complies. As Jesus comes up out of the water a voice is heard: “This is my beloved, my Son in whom I am well pleased!” Just as the star revealed Christ as the light of the nations, so now the voice of God the Father reveals Jesus as his Son and Savior of the world.
This is the mystery which the Church sets before our eyes of faith today. What does it say to us on this day of Fr. Aaron’s installation? What light does it shed on his ministry and that of his co-workers? How does this mystery illuminate the mission of your parish and the role each of you plays in its fulfillment? Let me suggest two points drawn from our Feast and its Scripture readings.
The Primacy of Baptism
First is the prime importance of Baptism. In this beautiful feast we in fact celebrate the inauguration of our Baptism. Jesus goes down into the water, not for his sake–he was sinless–but for ours. In so doing, Christ makes the waters holy, not just the waters of the Jordan, but all water becomes a symbol and instrument of that washing that takes away sin and imparts divine life by inserting us into his Death and Resurrection. As Jesus emerges from the water, the Spirit overshadows him like a dove, filling his humanity with the gifts, blessings, and powers needed for his mission. Indeed, the Baptism of the Lord marks the beginning of Jesus’ mission – It is like the installation of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, El Buen Pastor!
What do we draw from this? Baptism is the origin of our new life of faith, hope, and love. Freed of sin and filled with divine life Jesus won for us in the Spirit, we too are recognized by the Father as his beloved sons and daughters. Thus begins the journey of a lifetime, a journey we take together, in which we grow into the fullness of the faith, embrace the hope that is ours in Christ, and embrace a life of charity. On our life’s journey we also discern the gifts we have received from the Spirit. As we come of age, chronologically and spiritually, we are to seek and find our vocation in life, our work, but also those special gifts the Spirit may be giving us in service of God’s People.
Among the responsibilities of a pastor and those who work with him is the discerning of the authentic gifts the Spirit pours forth on his parish family. This entails, on everyone’s part, open, honest, prayer, fidelity to the teaching of the Church, rootedness in the sacraments, most especially the Eucharist, ‘the source and summit of the Church’s life.’ To discern well, a pastor must know the people of his parish well, provide them with opportunities to grow in missionary discipleship, engage in open and honest dialog, and encourage them to embrace their gifts. The pastor is then to harvest and harness those gives for the sake of the mission entrusted to him and to his parish, a mission of faith, worship, and service. A favorite word of Pope Francis is “harmonizing” ministries – for the gifts the Spirit gives differ yet they are given for the common good.
“Cry Out Full Throated”
Here is a second point: The discerning, the harvesting, and the harmonizing are for the sake of mission. Isaiah proclaims: “Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of glad tidings, cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of Good News . . . Here is your God! He comes with power . . . .” The Spirit’s gifts are given, harvested, and harmonized so that with one united voice the pastorate may catch hold of the joy and urgency of its mission to cry out full throated the good news of our redemption in Christ Jesus. The Spirit is given to ensure that the Good News reaches every parishioner but also inactive parishioners, those who are seeking a spiritual home, to those who have been alienated and marginalized, and those in need of personal, loving, pastoral care.
It is the pastor who sets the tone, marshals resources, who provides the biblical and sacramental basis for mission, who leads by example – recognizing at the same time that even the Lord Jesus could not fulfill his mission by himself. Thus, it is a united pastorate, Resurrection–St. Paul, that must cry out full-throated, with joy and urgency, with undaunted hope, even in the face of setbacks. It is a united pastorate that is to proclaim far and wide the Good News, instructing in the faith, fostering family life, educating and inspiring the young. It is a united pastorate that manifests God’s mercies poured out upon us in the Sacraments, and giving us reason to hope and rejoice, even in our darkest days.
Conclusion
Your pastorate is named Resurrection – St. Paul. Together – pastor and parishioners – may you bear witness to the new and risen life that is ours by baptism in water and the Spirit, and like St. Paul may you be intrepid missionaries here in Howard County for the glory of God and the sanctification of his people! May God bless you, Fr. Aaron, together with your pastorate family, and keep you always in his love!