08-JAN-The Baptism of the Lord

 

The Baptism of the Lord

Lectionary: 21

Reading I

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7

Thus says the LORD:

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

my chosen one with whom I am pleased,

upon whom I have put my spirit;

he shall bring forth justice to the nations,

not crying out, not shouting,

not making his voice heard in the street.

a bruised reed he shall not break,

and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,

until he establishes justice on the earth;

the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,

I have grasped you by the hand;

I formed you, and set you

as a covenant of the people,

a light for the nations,

to open the eyes of the blind,

to bring out prisoners from confinement,

and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

OR:

Isaiah 55:1-11

Thus says the LORD:

All you who are thirsty,

come to the water!

You who have no money,

come, receive grain and eat;

come, without paying and without cost,

drink wine and milk!

Why spend your money for what is not bread,

your wages for what fails to satisfy?

Heed me, and you shall eat well,

you shall delight in rich fare.

Come to me heedfully,

listen, that you may have life.

I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,

the benefits assured to David.

As I made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander of nations,

so shall you summon a nation you knew not,

and nations that knew you not shall run to you,

because of the LORD, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found,

call him while he is near.

Let the scoundrel forsake his way,

and the wicked man his thoughts;

let him turn to the LORD for mercy;

to our God, who is generous in forgiving.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

As high as the heavens are above the earth 

so high are my ways above your ways

and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens

the rain and snow come down

and do not return there

till they have watered the earth,

making it fertile and fruitful,

giving seed to the one who sows

and bread to the one who eats,

so shall my word be

that goes forth from my mouth;

my word shall not return to me void,

but shall do my will,

achieving the end for which I sent it.

OR:

Acts 10:34-38

Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered

in the house of Cornelius, saying: 

“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.

Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly

is acceptable to him.

You know the word that he sent to the Israelites 

as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, 

what has happened all over Judea, 

beginning in Galilee after the baptism

that John preached, 

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth

with the Holy Spirit and power.

He went about doing good 

and healing all those oppressed by the devil, 

for God was with him.”

OR:

1 John 5:1-9

Beloved:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,

and everyone who loves the Father

loves also the one begotten by him.

In this way we know that we love the children of God

when we love God and obey his commandments.

For the love of God is this,

that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome,

for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.

And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

Who indeed is the victor over the world

but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ,

not by water alone, but by water and blood.

The Spirit is the one who testifies,

and the Spirit is truth.

So there are three that testify,

the Spirit, the water, and the blood,

and the three are of one accord.

If we accept human testimony,

the testimony of God is surely greater.

Now the testimony of God is this,

that he has testified on behalf of his Son.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10

R. (11b)  The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Give to the LORD, you sons of God,

    give to the LORD glory and praise,

Give to the LORD the glory due his name;

    adore the LORD in holy attire.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters,

    the LORD, over vast waters.

The voice of the LORD is mighty;

    the voice of the LORD is majestic. 

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

The God of glory thunders,

    and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

The LORD is enthroned above the flood;

    the LORD is enthroned as king forever.

R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

OR:

Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (3)  You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior;

    I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

    and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

    at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

    among the nations make known his deeds,

      proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;

    let this be known throughout all the earth.

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

    for great in your midst

    is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Alleluia

Cf. John 1:29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

John saw Jesus approaching him, and said:

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: 

“One mightier than I is coming after me.

I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.

I have baptized you with water; 

he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee 

and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open 

and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.

And a voice came from the heavens, 

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

“You are My Beloved Son”

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  Mark 1:9–11 

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord concludes for us the Christmas Season and transitions us into the beginning of Ordinary Time. From a Scriptural point of view, this event in Jesus’ life is also a transitional moment from His hidden life in Nazareth to the beginning of His public ministry. As we commemorate this glorious event, it’s important to ponder a simple question: Why was Jesus baptized? Recall that John’s baptism was one of repentance, an act by which he invited his followers to turn from sin and to turn to God. But Jesus was sinless, so what was the reason for His Baptism?

First of all, we see in the quoted passage above that Jesus’ true identity was made manifest through His humble act of baptism. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” spoke the voice of the Father in Heaven. Furthermore, we are told that the Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Thus, Jesus’ baptism is in part a public declaration of Who He is. He is the Son of God, a divine Person Who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This public testimony is an “epiphany,” a manifestation of His true identity for all to see as He prepares to begin His public ministry.

Second, by His baptism, Jesus’ incredible humility is made manifest. He is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, but He allows Himself to become identified with sinners. By sharing in an act that was focused upon repentance, Jesus speaks volumes through His action of baptism. He came to unite Himself with us sinners, to enter our sin and to enter into our death. By entering the water, He symbolically enters into death itself, which is the result of our sin, and rises triumphantly, allowing us to also rise with Him to new life. For this reason, Jesus’ baptism was a way of Him “baptizing” the waters, so to speak, so that water itself, from that moment onward, would be endowed with His divine presence and could be communicated to all who are baptized after Him. Therefore, sinful humanity is now able to meet divinity through baptism.

Lastly, when we share in this new baptism, through water that has now been sanctified by our divine Lord, we see in Jesus’ baptism a revelation of who we become in Him. Just as the Father spoke and declared Him as His Son, and just as the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, so also in our baptism we become the adopted children of the Father and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus’ baptism gives clarity as to whom we become in Christian baptism.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body

“JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW”

“A voice came from the heavens: ‘You are My beloved Son. On You My favor rests.’ ” —Mark 1:11

On this last day of the glorious Christmas season, the Lord wants us to do as He did: go about “doing good works and healing all who were in the grip of the devil” (Acts 10:38). The Lord calls us to establish “justice on the earth” (Is 42:4), “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness” (Is 42:7). The Lord has great plans for us in this new year.

However, we do not love and value ourselves as much as the Lord does. Many people even hate themselves. They don’t believe they can do anything great for the Lord. They think they are nobodies. Therefore, the Lord has to change their self-image before sending them forth to do His work.

Before we begin our ministry in the Lord, we need to experience what Jesus experienced before He started His public ministry. We must know emphatically that we are sons and daughters of the Father, Who loves us and delights in us (Lk 3:22). We need the Spirit to descend on us and cry out “Abba” (“Father”) (Rm 8:15; Gal 4:6). We must be certain we are chosen, loved, favored, and anointed. Then we will go into this new year in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, come and cry out in my heart, “Abba.”

Promise:  “Everyone begotten of God conquers the world, and the power that has conquered the world is this faith of ours.” —1 Jn 5:4

Praise:  Praise Jesus, beloved Son of God! (Lk 3:22) Glory to God in the highest!

Reflection 3

Shared from God's Word

The Baptism of the Lord is a great Feast as it reveals all the three persons in the Holy Trinity. It is the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the whole world by God the Father. It is narrated by all the four evangelists and marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus’ baptism by John was the manifestation of Jesus’ acceptance and beginning of his mission as God’s suffering servant. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will out of love for humanity for the remission of our sins. The opening of the heavens with the Holy Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus and the affirming voice of the Father are God’s revelation to humankind of the mystery that He is Triune. For Jesus it was a moment of decision to enter into his public ministry, a point of identification with the people and a moment of approval from God. The BAPTISM of Jesus reminds us of our true identity and mission too. By Baptism we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, the members of the Church and our mission to live as children of God in thought, word and action.

Prayers

Lord, I thank You for Your humble act of baptism by which You opened the Heavens to all who are sinners. May I open my heart to the unfathomable grace of my own baptism each and every day and more fully live with You as a child of the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and inflame my heart with the joy of the Gospel. May I find joy in seeking to please you just as you found joy in seeking to please your Father.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 8: Pondering the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Diary of Saint Faustina calls us to a new form of devotion in various ways.  The third way is through the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  The chaplet is a treasured gift. It’s a gift that we should seek to pray each and every day.

Discover this wonderful chaplet of grace and Mercy and pray it often. Repeat its prayer over and over and allow yourself to receive all the grace God wishes to bestow upon you through this gift.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole world. Jesus, I trust in You.