Deacon Mike Meyer / Sunday, January 11, 2026 / Categories: Blog, Homilies What’s Your Superpower? Homily for the Baptism of the Lord, Year A If you could have any superpower at all, what would it be? Superhuman strength? Invisibility? Understanding who Fr. Chester’s talking about when he says, “You know, that guy. He sits over there? I think I’d choose flight because I really enjoy soaring above the hills, valleys, and streams of Hunterdon County in one of my favorite recurring dreams. If, like me, you’ve ever wished you had a superpower, and even if you haven’t, I’ve got good news for you. Everyone who’s been baptized has been endowed with a superpower that tops them all. Our readings tell us what it is. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord. Curiously, though, all three readings highlight the Holy Spirit’s role in this pivotal moment of Jesus’ life. Isaiah’s messianic prophecy foreshadows how God will set his Spirit upon his chosen one. That prophecy’s fulfilled in our Gospel, when Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending upon him after his baptism in the Jordan. St. Peter recalls this scene in our passage from Acts, adding that along with the Holy Spirit, God anointed Jesus at his baptism with power. As the triune God, of course, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are inseparable, which is evident throughout Jesus’ life. “The Spirit . . . overshadowed Mary at his conception, . . . descended upon Jesus in the Jordan, . . . drove him into the wilderness, . . . [and] disclosed to him his mission.”[1] The Holy Spirit, then, was central to Jesus’ mission and ministry; it shaped his life’s work, and it shapes ours, too. How’s that? Well, when we’re baptized, we get a job, three jobs, actually: priest, prophet, and king. We act as priests through worship and sacrificial efforts to bring God to his people. We act as prophets through our witness to the truth in word and deed. And we act as kings when we serve others and lead them to God’s Kingdom. That’s a tall order, for sure, but God never gives us a responsibility without also giving us all the tools we need to fulfill it. To tackle these big jobs, God armed us at our baptism with nothing less than a superpower. That superpower is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us share Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal mission in three ways. First, the Spirit liberates us, freeing us from the terror of a god-less existence to pursue holiness. Second, “The Spirit awakens [our] natural human talents—gifts for teaching, preaching, artistry, music, healing, advocacy, . . . and so forth—and [it]elevates them to a new level of orientation toward God in the love and service of others.”[2] Finally, the Spirit inspires us to get off our duffs and do something. The Holy Spirit speaks to us at every moment of our lives in the depths of our souls, in our consciences. It inspires us to do good, offering us a silver platter of good choices at every turn. It discourages us from doing evil, begging us to stop in our tracks when our intentions go astray. It admonishes us when we make bad choices; the Holy Spirit’s the one behind that twinge of guilt we feel when we do. And it encourages us to seek God’s forgiveness, prompting us to avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we could never be all that God asks us to be in baptism. With the Holy Spirit, we can renew the face of the earth. That’s why the Holy Spirit is our superpower. Of course, gifts, talents, and superpowers don’t do us any good if we don’t use them. While God’s Spirit is always at hand, ready to help in every situation, God never forces God’s self on us. So, it’s up to us to turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance and listen to what the Spirit has to say. In my personal experience and observation, the Spirit is the most neglected person of the Holy Trinity; few of us avail ourselves of the G.O.A.T. of superpowers, especially when we need it the most. To invoke this superpower, to be the priests, prophets, and kings our baptism calls us to be, we have to intentionally pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s movements in our lives. We need to set aside a little quiet time so we can listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say to us. When we do, we’ll heed God’s still small voice that’s telling us to go to church when we’d rather relax at home in our jammies. We’ll join God’s Advocate in speaking out against racism, injustice, and war when we’d prefer instead to sit safely on the sidelines. We’ll follow the divine Counselor’s good advice as we lead our children and grandchildren to a closer relationship with God through our good example, even when we’re tired of being the good example. That’s my 2026 New Year’s Resolution—to listen intently to what the Spirit’s telling me, and to act on it. I hope you’ll join me in taking advantage of our most incredible superpower. Invisibility, time travel, getting a cookie downstairs after Mass before Deacon Dennis eats them all, these would all be pretty amazing, but highly unlikely, superpowers to have. No worries, though we already have the only superpower we need. So next time someone asks what superpower you wish you had, proudly tell them that you’ve already got one that tops them all—the Holy Spirit. Readings: Isaiah 42:1-4; 6-7; Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 [1] Gloria L. Schaab, Liberating Pneumatologies (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2021), 83. [2] Elizabeth Teresa Groppe, “The Contribution of Yves Congar’s Theology of the Holy Spirit,” Theological Studies 62 (2001): 463. Heavenly Peace Print 162 Please login or register to post comments.