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Feast of the Baptism of the
Lord, Cycle C
Terranuova Hermitage
January 13, 2013
What Shape Is a Name?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P.
Amato
Humpty Dumpty
Most of us are familiar with the classic
storywriter Lewis Carroll. Besides his famous story Alice in Wonderland, Carroll also wrote Alice through the Looking Glass.
In this story, Alice meets Humpty Dumpty.
Humpty Dumpty is sitting on top of a high,
narrow wall. Alice looks up and says, “And exactly like an egg he is!”
Humpty Dumpty responds, “It is very provoking to be called an egg – very provoking!” Alice gently explains, “I said you looked like an egg, and some
eggs are very pretty.”
But Humpty Dumpty is not amused and answers back
curtly, “Tell me your name and your
business.” Alice responds, “My name is Alice, but…”
Humpty Dumpty interrupts, “It’s a stupid name; what does it mean?” Alice asks, “Must a name mean something?”
And Humpty Dumpty retorts, “Of course it must; my name means the shape I am – and a good handsome
shape I am too. With a name like yours,
you might be any shape, almost.”
Baptism: Name and Shape
This dialogue of Alice and Humpty Dumpty helps
us appreciate something of what our baptism means.
We all know that we are baptized, “In the name of … again, in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” As Humpty Dumpty says, this name or each of
these names – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – means something.
And, as Humpty Dumpty says, these names say
something about our shape. We are to
allow our baptism to shape us around God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Our Shape: The Father
First, shaped around God the Father.
The Scripture tells us that God as Father is the
creator of all that is. And so, we are
to see all of creation as sacred, as a gift from our Creator.
One thing this means is that we are to be
sensitive to issues of the environment, and not just brush them off as
inconsequential. On a personal level, we
might make sure that we recycle paper, glass, plastic and whatever else we can.
On a public level, we might favor sensible
policies that reduce carbon emissions or protect our rivers and bays from
harmful runoff. So, being baptized in
the name of God the Father means that we shape our lives around our Creator and
the gift of creation.
Our Shape: The Son
We also allow our baptism to shape us around God
the Son.
From the time of his baptism in today’s gospel,
Jesus begins living with a sense of mission and service. And so, we are to view our lives also as a
mission from God.
We are to do something to benefit the kingdom of
God on earth. On a personal level, we
might be very attentive to our families – your spouse, children, parents,
grandparents, and grandchildren – making their wellbeing a priority.
On a community level, we might volunteer some
time teaching religion or coaching soccer or baking a casserole for Our Daily
Bread. So, being baptized in the name of
God the Son means that we shape our lives around Jesus who lived with a clear
sense of mission.
Our Shape: The Holy Spirit
Finally, we are to allow our baptism to shape us
around God the Holy Spirit.
Today’s Gospel tells us that the heavens open
and the Spirit comes down from above.
And so, God is now in this world, with us and with all humanity.
This means that we are to live with an awareness
of God’s presence. On a personal level,
we are to live prayerfully, not just saying prayers, but living with a sense of
God’s presence and support and guidance.
On a relationship level, this means that we are
respectful of God’s presence in the unborn child or in the adult with whom we
disagree or whom we dislike. So, being
baptized in the name of God the Holy Spirit would have us shape our lives
around God who lives within us and makes all human life sacred.
Conclusion
As Humpty Dumpty says, “My name means the shape I am.”
We are baptized “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Let’s make sure that we allow our baptism
to shape us in those names.
