Sunday after Theophany, Tone 7; Our Holy Father Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa (after 394); the Venerable Dometian, Bishop of Miletene (582-602); Our Venerable Father Marcian, Presbyter and Econome of the Great Church (450-57)
Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 4:12-17
Read Ephesians 4:7-13
Christ is baptised!
When you were young did you ever receive “hand-me-downs” from your older brothers or sisters? Maybe in making clothing decisions for your children now you are holding off purchasing something, as there’s an oversized outfit available that “they’ll grow into?” Adults are usually hoping the opposite, that their clothes will stop fitting because they’ve become too big, not too small!
There is one article of clothing that we will never seem to fit into, however – our Kryzmo, the white garment that we were given at our baptism. After we took the plunge, we wore the clothes of the New World here in this world as we sang “All you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Alleluia!” We were a new creation and therefore needed new clothes to match.
In our reading today, St. Paul reminds us we have been given grace in accordance with the measure of Christ. In other words, we are “growing into” becoming more and more like Christ through our baptisms. Our Kryzmo might fit physically (or not if we were baptised as infants!) but spiritually, we always have room to grow into the measure of Christ.
As we continue to reflect on the baptism of Our Lord this Theophany season, let us rejoice in the greatest gift we have ever, or will ever, receive: our baptism. Let us also pray for the Lord’s guidance is growing to fill His measure for us and trust in His grace in accomplishing this growth!