Today we receive a profound reminder of the new life Jesus offers each of us through our baptism. Jeremiah and the Psalmist both use the image of a fruitful tree, unhindered by drought, to help us picture the life of a believer. Even through lean times and difficult circumstances, the man or woman who trusts in the LORD has an unshakeable hope. In his beatitudes, Jesus blesses the poor, the hungry, the grieving, and the hated. This is a reminder that the Christian life can be full of hardship. But our reward is in heaven! So we patiently await its arrival and the Savior who brings it.