Anointing figures prominently in the readings this week. Isaiah speaks of God’s “chosen one.” In Acts, Peter reminds his audience “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power.”

Mortality being what it is, we are limited by definition. Most of the time we forget this as we bluster off into the thick of our lives, managing Herculean feats like raising children, committing our fidelity for life, accepting the suffering and death of those we love, and living with the ongoing surrender of youthful strength and beauty in exchange for the encroaching pain and disability of old age.

Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!”

Being one of the older grandchildren in my family, I attended the Baptisms of nearly 20 of my younger cousins and siblings, and I have so many memories of all of them.

One of my favorite television programs when I was growing up was a quiz show called To Tell the Truth. On this show three contestants, all claiming to be the same person, were quizzed by panelists about their identity. The two phonies could lie to the panelists, but the real person had to tell the truth.

After her election, the attorney general of the Midwestern state informed her office staff that she would answer phones for an hour or two every couple of weeks so that she could understand what citizens were asking for and getting.

I am blessed with eight great-nieces and great-nephews. They are a joy to be around. I watch their parents, my nieces and nephew, remembering when they were the age of their children, and I marvel at how quickly time has gone by.

At the Baptism of the Lord, God recognized Jesus as his Son and so began Christ's saving mission to the world. Let us pray to God for the help we need to feel the Lord's presence more in our lives and so to follow him more closely.

Discernment is a grace. Even though it includes reason and prudence, it goes beyond them.