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Baptism of the Lord, January 13, 2019, by Fr. Kevin Anderson

I’ve seen lots of great movies lately. GREEN BOOK was outstanding. My Mom and I saw MARY POPPINS RETURNS and we both enjoyed. I even went to the latest super hero movie AQUAMAN with my nephew. And I like it a lot.

 

Those superhero movies get me thinking that what makes them so great is that there is always a point where the hero in nearly defeated, then looks into himself/herself, digs deep and muster the ability to win the day.

 

The hero is never perfect, and usually has something that makes them less then super. I call it the Kryptonite effect. [Show a glob of Kryptonite] Kryptonite doesn’t exist. But it is supposed to be an element that weakens Superman, so that he can’t do his super things.

 

Every superhero has some flaw or weakness . . . and that makes us cheer them on as they face their weakness and overcome it.

 

Now the only exception was Jesus. He was sinless and had no flaws. Did he always do the right thing? I believe that, but some things are hard to comprehend like from the gospel 2 weeks ago, when the 12 year-old Jesus stayed in Jerusalem and his parents didn’t know it.

 

Paul said to Titus, in the second reading that we are saved not because of the good things that we have done, but because of Christ’s grace. We are justified by grace and can hope for eternal life.

We are saved not because we are good, but because God is good.

 

Especially as we consider that we all have our own Kryptonite (and actually probably more than one). We all have things that keep us from being our best self and might even lead us to sin. Here’s a question for you to ponder this week . . . What is your Kryptonite? What keeps you, as Paul said to Titus, from what is good?

 

You see your weakness doesn’t define you, just as Kryptonite didn’t define Superman. Your weakness or your sin is your life situation, it is not your life. Your life is bigger than that.

 

Your challenge is to see yourself as God sees you. For I would say that God says of us, because of Jesus baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and with fire (as John talked about in the gospel) with the same words that came down from heaven . . . “You are my beloved son, my beloved daughter. With you, I am well pleased.”

 

And we usually go right to our Kryptonite and say, “Yea, but . . .” It’s not that God says your weakness is wonderful, but we are invited to

-own it, name it.

-work on it, work with it.

-overcome it.

How? To let God be enough for you. Let God’s grace strengthen you own super story. I believe that God believes in us, much more than we believe in ourselves.

 

It is like the famous poem by Marianne Williamson titled Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God.

Your playing small 
Does not serve the world. 
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking 
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 
As children do. 
We were born to make manifest 
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; 
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we're liberated from our own fear, 
Our presence automatically liberates others.

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