2009년 1월 11일 주님 세례 축일

[프란치스코]

2009년 1월 11일 주님 세례 축일 

제1독서

이사야서. 42,1-4.6-7
주님께서 이렇게 말씀하신다. 1 “여기에 나의 종이 있다. 그는 내가 붙들어 주는 이, 내가 선택한 이, 내 마음에 드는 이다. 내가 그에게 나의 영을 주었으니, 그는 민족들에게 공정을 펴리라. 2 그는 외치지도 않고 목소리를 높이지도 않으며, 그 소리가 거리에서 들리게 하지도 않으리라. 3 그는 부러진 갈대를 꺾지 않고, 꺼져 가는 심지를 끄지 않으리라. 그는 성실하게 공정을 펴리라. 4 그는 지치지 않고 기가 꺾이는 일 없이, 마침내 세상에 공정을 세우리니, 섬들도 그의 가르침을 고대하리라.
6 주님인 내가 의로움으로 너를 부르고, 네 손을 붙잡아 주었다. 내가 너를 빚어 만들어, 백성을 위한 계약이 되고, 민족들의 빛이 되게 하였으니, 7 보지 못하는 눈을 뜨게 하고, 갇힌 이들을 감옥에서, 어둠 속에 앉아 있는 이들을 감방에서 풀어 주기 위함이다.”

제2독서

사도행전. 10,34-38
그 무렵 34 베드로가 입을 열어 말하였다. “나는 이제 참으로 깨달았습니다. 하느님께서는 사람을 차별하지 않으시고, 35 어떤 민족에서건 당신을 경외하며 의로운 일을 하는 사람은 다 받아 주십니다.
36 하느님께서 예수 그리스도 곧 만민의 주님을 통하여 평화의 복음을 전하시면서 이스라엘 자손들에게 보내신 말씀을 37 여러분은 알고 있습니다. 그리고 요한이 세례를 선포한 이래 갈릴래아에서 시작하여 온 유다 지방에 걸쳐 일어난 일과, 38 하느님께서 나자렛 출신 예수님께 성령과 힘을 부어 주신 일도 알고 있습니다. 이 예수님께서 두루 다니시며 좋은 일을 하시고, 악마에게 짓눌리는 이들을 모두 고쳐 주셨습니다. 하느님께서 그분과 함께 계셨기 때문입니다.”

복음

마르코. 1,7-11
그때에 요한은 7 이렇게 선포하였다. “나보다 더 큰 능력을 지니신 분이 내 뒤에 오신다. 나는 몸을 굽혀 그분의 신발 끈을 풀어 드릴 자격조차 없다. 8 나는 너희에게 물로 세례를 주었지만, 그분께서는 너희에게 성령으로 세례를 주실 것이다.”
9 그 무렵에 예수님께서 갈릴래아 나자렛에서 오시어, 요르단에서 요한에게 세례를 받으셨다. 10 그리고 물에서 올라오신 예수님께서는 곧 하늘이 갈라지며 성령께서 비둘기처럼 당신께 내려오시는 것을 보셨다. 11 이어 하늘에서 소리가 들려왔다. “너는 내가 사랑하는 아들, 내 마음에 드는 아들이다.”

http://www.bible.claret.org

January 11, 2009

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Reading 1
Is 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

Reading 1
Is 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.

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

Responsorial Psalm
Is 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.

Reading II
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

Reading II
1 Jn 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.

Gospel
Mk 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
    In the original language of the Bible, the word baptism means to submerge, to dunk. In the early Church, the rite of baptism was often conferred through the total immersion of the new convert.  This image is powerful and worthy of our reflection.
    Baptism is entrance into the life of Jesus Christ and His Church. This life is not a hobby, nor is it an avocation. The life of following Jesus entails our total commitment to following Him and living according to His will. We do not dabble in discipleship, nor is holiness a hobby. Following Jesus is a full-time endeavor. As Jesus gave His all in bestowing new life upon us, so are we called to give everything we have to give as we follow Him in this new way of life. May our participation in the Sunday Eucharist sustain our commitment to be good and faithful stewards of the magnanimous gift the Lord bestows upon us, the gift of new and everlasting life.

http://www.staygreat.com/

three notes; one sound

Jesus was baptized by John.
As Jesus came up out of the
water, he saw heaven opening
and the Spirit coming down on him
like a dove. And a voice came
from heaven, "You are my own
dear Son. I am pleased with you."
Mark 1:9-11

A church in rural China was filled.
Just as the service was about to
begin, an armed Communist
soldier entered. The congregation
grew alarmed. Seeing this, the
soldier set them at ease by mak-
ing the sign of the cross--a sign of
his belief in the Trinity:

Today's reading contains a drama-
tic reference to the Trinity: Father
(voice), Jesus and Spirit (dove)

How prayerfully and reverently do
I make the sign of the cross?

As there are three musical notes
but only one sound; likewise,
there are three persons but only
one God.
                       st. Ignatius' image of the Trinity

http://www.franciscanretreats.net/

Mark 1: 7-11

In our Gospel selected to be read on this Sunday, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. In other Gospels about the same topic, we see John wondering about this and he says to Jesus: “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” This Gospel points out something about Jesus that Francis of Assisi understood so well: his profound humility.

In the mystery of the Incarnation, Jesus, the Son of God and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, takes on the nature and the weaknesses of a human being. In case you haven’t thought that much about it, it is quite a step down from the divinity to humanity. In fact, it is an infinite step down. Paul wrote about this to the Philippians: “Who (Christ) though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

St. Mark’s Gospel for today shows us the humility of Jesus, a virtue that all of us must imitate if we are to be followers of Jesus. Humility, deflating ourselves, letting the air of pride out of our sails, is one of the requirements of discipleship. We read in the Scriptures that the one who is least among us is the one who is the greatest. A real paradox and one that the world finds difficult to accept: Humble yourself, deflate yourself, and then you will be great. Humility is the basis for prayer and for all spirituality. Once, when asked to name the four Cardinal Virtues, St. Bernard responded: Humility, Humility, Humility and Humility. His answer was correct.

Strange as it may seem, then, it is humbling ourselves (not in becoming no. 1) that we find true joy. There is a story told of Francis and his buddy, Brother Leo, walking along a road when Francis asks Leo, “Do you know what is perfect joy?” Leo had probably heard the story before, but Francis tells it again anyway. It is a story of them arriving at a Friary on a chilly, damp winter night. They have been walking most of the day and are wet and muddy and chilled to the bone. All they want is to get someplace warm for a while. They knock on the door of a Friary and ask to come in. The porter does not know them and refuses to let them in. Instead he insults them, beats them with a stick, knocks them down in the snow and slams the door in their faces. It is then that Francis says to Brother Leo, “Brother Leo, this is perfect joy.”

Obviously, we too are to humble ourselves. Let go and let God. Stop being in control of everything. Humility tells us to turn our lives and wills over to God, to surrender to him.

This idea comes from the 3^rd Step of the AA 12 Steps. We must discover that we are not God and that we can’t do everything in our lives alone. One of the best things that ever happened to me was discovering I couldn’t do it alone and didn’t have to try. I discovered I need God to be a part of my life and he is only too willing to be such. The more I rely on God, the more happiness, joy and peace I have in my life. On this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, he humbled himself for us. Let us humble ourselves for him and each other.

Fr. Howard

http://www.evangeli.net/gospel/gospel.html

Today's Gospel (Mk 1:7-11): 

«You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen»

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. That day, the world's waters were purified and were given the power to clean away sin. Although the Baptism administered by John had only the implication of our conversion and acceptance of our sinfulness, Jesus, solidary with all men, decided to go through it too, as the Leader of a renewed Manhood. He «made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him» (2Cor 5:21). Jesus will establish the new Baptism that will make us to become children of God in Him and will reconcile us unto the Father: He will be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

«Today —writes St. Gregory of Nazianzus— Christ is illuminated; let this divine light penetrate inward. Christ is baptized, let us follow him to the water, to be able, later, to ascend with Him». That day, at the river Jordan, the Holy Spirit was seen to come down on the Lord and the Father's voice was heard saying: «You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen» (Mk 1:11). John Paul II comments that «Rising from the waters of the baptismal font, every Christian hears again the voice that was once heard on the banks of the Jordan River: ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’ (Lk 3:22). From this comes the understanding that one has been brought into association with the beloved Son, becoming a child of adoption (cf. Gal 4:4-7) and a brother or sister of Christ»

St. Cyril of Jerusalem asks us to mull over this supernatural feat, when saying: «If you have sincere piety, the Holy Spirit will descend on you also and you will hear the voice of the Father saying to you from above: ‘This was not my son, but now, after Baptism he has been made my son’». As of now, we are all invited to follow the Path of Christ to know his Truth and to live his very Life. We have been chosen, consecrated and sent out to collaborate in the apostolic mission. We are also beloved and favorite sons, and the Father will be well pleased with each one of us.

http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

Mark 1:7-11

PRE-PRAYERING

One familiar greeting which can begin a conversation is, “What’s new?” The year is definitely new and next weekend’s liturgy begins something new. In a sense it is the First Sunday of Ordinary Time, though officially it has a different name. What’s new?

There is much of “the same old same old” within us. The recent celebrations have not rearranged our reaction patterns. Our dog breakfasted on a one-pound box of expensive chocolate candy this morning and my anger feasted on punishing him by hitting him with the chewed-through and empty box. Somethings within us do remain solid. The inner keeps working to the outer. Religious rituals, devotional practices and good resolutions have a more difficult process of moving from the outer and influencing the inner.

We love progress, deepening, becoming more a better self. We live toward our next celebration of an ever-new, but ancient ritual of the solid love of God in the Eucharist. “It is always the same!” We would like something new in the liturgy and perhaps that would make us new, deeper, more virtuous. We take all that is usual, predictable, “old” with us and what might change, what might become new would be our acceptance of God’s embrace of all that which we cannot change just yet. God’s acceptance of us as we receive the Eucharistic Presence can be new if we be honest with “What’s old?” I am still mad at that dog-gone, candy-gone dog!

REFLECTION

In our First Reading for this celebration of the Lord’s baptism we hear a description concerning a special individual. Israel, as a nation, is often referred to as a “servant of the Lord”, but not so here. This poem-prophesy is the first of four Servant songs picturing a person, who even from the womb, has been called for special service in the laborings of God.

This particular song presents us with both the gentleness of the person who will do what the Lord asks, but also the mission of the Lord’s doing. This called-person will be inspirited to bring about a relationship between the Creating-God and the wide-world which waits for recovery of sight and freedom from its imprisonments. This mission shall be done quietly and without a shouting or display of the Servant, but a manner wherein the Caller and Sender will be revealed.
There is much introduction of the characters in the play of Mark’s presenting the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in today’s Gospel. John comes on stage first, He has to introduce himself. The next two Sundays’ Gospels will reveal John more definitely. Today we hear his words and his mission; who he is and who he is not. This announcement of his takes place while he is performing the ritual washing or “baptizing” of the Jewish people in the Jordan.

Within this context appears Jesus, Himself to be baptized by John. This is a purification ritual and, of course, Jesus needs none of that. He is a member of the Jewish tradition and enters the waters as Israel entered into its purification from slavery through their entering the waters of the Exodus. The something new and different occurs when Jesus rises from the river.

As the people of Israel reverenced themselves as the beloved and chosen of God, Jesus hears the divine designation, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.” This is a private revelation which begins a public mission leading through His life, death and resurrection. As with John then, Jesus receives His name and ministry for life. The introduction, for Mark, is now complete.

John and Jesus seemed to know who they were and what they were to do just flowed from their identities. Most of us get our identities from what we do. Many of us eventually find out our real missions by doing what we do for a “living”. My father was a lawyer, that was his name, identity. While doing that for years, what he came to find was that his mission was to assist injured workers in receiving just settlements due them by the laws of the state of Wisconsin where we lived. It was only after many years that he came to accept that his work had become a mission of justice.

When we are baptized we begin the discovery of what God desires us to do so as to reveal the Divine Love and our belovedness. We might have to look backward to find out exactly what our mission was and is now presently. A prayerful, and perhaps amusing, thing to do might be to write down or imagine by what names or titles you “go-by”. The prayer will be to see if there are not various untitled, nameless missions embedded within that title. Jesus was named “The Beloved”, and He accepted all that He would do within that Holy Name. You might be Mother, Aunt, Teacher, Doctor, or “Joe the Plumber.” We could pray with all the kinds of missions on which we are sent, because we have also the title of being Beloved of God through our being baptized.

By our looking backward upon all these missions, we might the more know to whom and just how, we re-up to the ordination celebrated by our baptisms. It seems that the more we accept our real names, our reverenced titles, the more we will enter each life’s moment with a sense of being called out and called into. Our missions are not exactly what we do, but why we do. We are baptized by water of purification and the Spirit Who sends us all to just do something good.

“This is he of whom John said- I have seen and have given witness that this is the Son of God.” Jn. 1, 32

http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/

Mark 1:7-11

"You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased"

Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven, submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust and submission to God?

God the Father proclaimed his entire delight in his Son and spoke audibly for all to hear. The Holy Spirit, too, was present as he anointed Jesus for his ministry which began that day as he rose from the waters of the Jordan river. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all who come to believe in him. At his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.

How can we enter into the mystery of Jesus’ humble self-abasement and baptism? Gregory of Nazianzus, a seventh century church father tells us: “Let us be buried with Christ by baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him." Do you want to see your life transformed by God's grace? And do you want to be an effective instrument of the gospel? Examine Jesus’ humility and ask the Holy Spirit to forge this same attitude in your heart. As you do, heaven will open for you as well and the Father will anoint you with his life-giving Spirit. The Lord is ever ready to renew us in his Holy Spirit and to anoint us for mission. We are called to be “light” and “salt” to those around us. The Lord wants his love and truth to shine through us that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation. Ask the Lord to fill you with his Holy Spirit that you may radiate the joy of the gospel to those around 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 as you found joy in seeking to do the will of  your Father."

Psalm 29:1-10

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy array.
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, upon many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Si'rion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness, the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD makes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forests bare; and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king for ever.

http://www.daily-meditations.org/index2.html

Mark 1:7-11

Today we celebrate the final event of the Christmas season. Jesus is no longer an infant. His private sheltered life is over. Now, in the fullness of youthful manhood, He seeks out his cousin, John the Baptist, who has been preaching a gospel of repentance in preparation for the One who is coming -- the One greater than himself. And the evangelist, Mark, forty years after the Resurrection, makes it very clear that John is not the Messiah, in case there are lingering doubts among the former followers of the Baptist.

Jesus' call to Mission by God the Father has been with Him from before His human birth. It even predates the several covenants God had made with Noah, Abraham, and David. Today's first reading has remarkable ties with the Gospel for today. In that reading, the second prophet of the book of Isaiah speaks God's Word to the people in exile. In a passage resembling a vendor calling out in the marketplace, God commands the people to "come to the water. . . . You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat. . . ." Through the prophet, He urges the people not to spend money on foolish things which do not satisfy, but to stay on track in seeking life through obedience. God is announcing His intention to establish a new covenant much broader than the former ones which will embrace all peoples in a new epiphany. To do this, He will send a messiah.

Today's Gospel declares that the time is now. As Jesus is baptized by John, the heavens open up, the Father's voice thunders down, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased." The purpose of this baptism is certainly not the removal of sin from Jesus, but is rather a commitment ceremony which identifies Jesus as the Messiah. By the action of coming to John, Jesus is openly declaring the start of His mission to remove the ancient curse on Adam and all his descendents. From the heavens above, the voice of God the Father is heard ratifying His identity as God's Son. John, too, is now aware that his cousin is now being officially "sent." John's work is over.

As the Christmas season ends, the public life of Jesus begins. Today is also a time for all of us to remember how we have been sent, through water and the Spirit, to be also a voice of truth and a sign of hope for the people of our day who yearn for new life.

- Msgr. Paul Whitmore

http://goodnews.ie/calendar.php

Mk 1:7-11

Jesus is there anonymously in the crowd, coming forward with the rest to meet the famous John the Baptist. It's impossible for us to see him as an anonymous person; to us he stands out from every crowd and from the whole human race: above them, beyond them; we can't imagine him not yet majestic. But there he is, the village man, Jesus, known only to his family and neighbours. He's not yet famous.

There's only one famous man there: John the Baptist. When we imagine a famous person among the crowds there's nearly always something false about it: he or she is looking for something, votes or applause or some other sort of ego-stroking. But John the Baptist isn't looking for anything; he's delivering! He's delivering a verbal lashing of extraordinary severity, calling the crowd "a brood of vipers." Jesus is there, watching, listening, anonymous. He is indistinguishable from the brood of vipers.  He is one of us. This is nothing new for him; this is how he has been all the thirty years of his life.

But this meeting with John the Baptist is a turning point. Something happened. He experienced the Spirit, and it is described in the kind of language that mystics have used throughout the ages to describe their union with God: "You is my son, the beloved."

Have you ever known that in your very bones: that when God speaks to you he breathes, "You are my son, my daughter, the beloved?" If you experience God at all how could it be otherwise? ­God is love. Even the thundering 19th-century preacher, Spurgeon, became quiet in front of today's gospel passage. He wrote: "The wings of the dove are as soft as they are swift. Quietness seems essential to many spiritual operations; the Lord is in the still small voice, and like the dew, His grace is distilled in silence." The unshakeable intimacy with his Father that Jesus demonstrated throughout the rest of his life bears witness to his experience of God's Spirit.

Was he now somehow 'above' the crowd? Would be no longer queue up with them? On the contrary. He was now more than ever one of them. He spent the rest of his life seeking out "the weak, the sick, the wounded, the strayed, the lost" (see Ezekiel 34).  He was for the lost sheep, the outcast, the sinner. This has ever since been the mark of true greatness.  Among us human beings (and not only in the farmyard) there is usually a well-enforced pecking order: people who climb up a step are sure to make it visible in some way and sometimes they will even move into a different circle of friends and abandon the old circle.  But Jesus never abandons the abandoned.  Again the mighty Spurgeon: "Gentleness is a sure result of the Spirit's transforming power: hearts touched by Him are meek and lowly henceforth and forever."

Can language convey this? I know a man who conveys it better than words ever could.  When he is talking with you (or, much more often, listening) and someone interrupts, he totally ignores the interruption.  His attention is unwavering.  Nothing else exists for him at that moment, and you know that he would stop at nothing to help you, and there is not the slightest hint of ego in it - he has no agenda of his own.  This is a rare quality.  People know instinctively that he is a man of God.  In case you've never met one, that's what meeting a saint is like.

If meeting a saint is like that, what must it be like to meet Jesus himself?

http://www.presentationministries.com/

"THE PROMISE OF MY FATHER" (Lk 24:49)

"Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan." ㅤㅃㅙㅊark 1:9

At the Jordan river, God told Joshua: "Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you" (Jos 3:7). Then Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan river into the land of promise (Jos 3:14ff). Once in the promised land, the Israelites "ate their fill; when filled, they became proud of heart and forgot" God (Hos 13:6).

In the same Jordan river, Jesus, the new Joshua, was baptized. When Jesus rose out of the waters of the Jordan, God exalted Him in the sight of all by testifying that Jesus is His beloved Son (Lk 3:21-22; 1 Jn 5:9). Jesus left the Jordan and walked into the same promised land as Joshua had earlier, inviting us to a fresh start and a new baptismal fullness.

In this land of promise, Jesus tells us: "I send down upon you the promise of My Father" (Lk 24:49), life in the Holy Spirit. Jesus baptizes us into God's family that we "might become sharers of the divine nature" (2 Pt 1:4). He lavishes the Spirit on us (Ti 3:6; Jn 3:34) to give us abundant life (Jn 10:10; Is 55:2-3).

On this last day of the Christmas season, promise the Lord that you won't become proud and forget Him as did the Israelites. Keep your promise by letting Jesus "baptize you in the Holy Spirit" (Mk 1:8). Each day, "seek the Lord" and "listen to" Jesus (Is 55:6; Lk 9:35). Live the "radical newness" of your Baptismal life (Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, Pope John Paul II, 10).

Prayer: "God indeed is my Savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord" (Is 12:2).

Promise: "All you who are thirsty, come to the water!" ㅤㅃㅙㅅs 55:1

Praise: Praise Jesus, Whose Spirit is the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). Praise Jesus, the Beloved Son of the Father. Alleluia!

http://virtualretreat.blogspot.com/

From today’s readings:  “Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water....  With joy, you will draw water at the fountain of salvation....  This is the One who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood.....  It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John..”

His and our baptism

Since the life of Jesus is an example for us, our celebration of His baptism today is also intended to inspire us to appreciate anew the grace of our own baptism.  Our own baptism is such a glorious bath of rebirth and renewal that should be celebrated annually (and even commemorated daily, in some form, such as by making the Sign of  the Cross with holy water).

Many people, particularly those baptized as infants, since they lack specific memories of that event, aren’t very inspired to commemorate that day.  However, even though each of us was born as an infant, although we have no recollection of that, we still celebrate our birthday every year.    So, if we appreciate the ongoing effects of our baptism, that day should be noted even more so!

Take the time today to look up the date of your baptism, and write the anniversary on your calendar.  Then, on the feast of your own baptism, turn to God with gratitude for generously adopting you as His own beloved child.  And, so that you can be cleansed of all sin and be once again wholly pleasing to Him, go to confession that day (or week) so that your soul is once more cleansed of all sin.

Homily from Father James Gilhooley
Baptism of Lord

Baptism of the Lord - Cycle B - Mark 1:7-11
An atheist said, "If Christians are the light of the world, somebody has forgotten to turn the switch on."

"Since 1960, there has been a 560% increase in violent crimes, more than a 400% increase in illegitimate births, a quadrupling of divorce rates, tripling of children in single-parent homes." The speaker was William F Buckley, Jr. The world, according to him, does seem to be going to hell in a hand-basket.

But was the world of Jesus really that different when He was baptized by John in the Jordan? Listen to John as he answers that question in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. "Turn away from your sins. You snakes. Don't collect more than is legal. Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely." The world of Jesus' time seems to resemble our own. John the Baptizer could very easily recycle his Jordan sermons to speak to our problems. Listening to him, contemporary preachers might be tempted to whisper, "I could use John's material. He describes our times."

The crucial question is how the Christ responded to the dry rot all about Himself. The answer is to be found in the cleansing waters of the Jordan and in today's feast.

It is important to note that all four Gospel writers refer to the baptism of Jesus. So, in their minds, the baptism is e-mailing an important message. It is our job to discover what that message is.
The baptism was important to Him. He uses this dramatic event to commence His public life and work. If one could say Jesus had an inauguration, this was it.

The silent Jesus waded out to the spot where John stood in the Jordan river. He asked for baptism. John went into immediate shock. He intuitively knew that this baptism was not designed for the Man from Nazareth. He waved Him off. He had no desire to hold a fully grown tiger by the tail. Yet, Jesus insisted and gave him no choice. John knew who it was standing in the cold rushing water before him. The reluctant John baptized Him, but he must have sensed the Saviour had a method in His apparent madness. He did and we find the answer in art, courtesy of Henri Daniel-Rops.

Artists from day one have wrestled with the Master's  baptism. You will find drawings in the catacombs, in early sculptures, in books on liturgy, in mosaics, and in stained glass. Curiously though, the artists have invariably treated the subject in a minimalist style. One finds neither embroidery nor embellishment. What you see is what you get.

Even the untutored eye will find this minimalism in the stained glass window at the Chartres cathedral outside Paris. It is the case even more so in a famous medieval psalter by the Dane, Ingeborg. His work portrays Christian subjects in rich and opulent colors with one exception. Yes, Jesus' baptism! But why?

Jesus is telling us that we must first direct our attention to our own personal lives with little ceremony and less pomp. We must cleanse ourselves with rough brown laundry soap in clean waters as He did. Then and only then can we properly address ourselves to the many human problems referred to by Mr Buckley. Every reformation must first begin in one's own home and with oneself. It must be done as simply and quickly as possible.

It was St Paul who told us that "He was like unto us in all things except sin." And yet that sinless Christ took it upon Himself to enter the waters and wash Himself before He set out to reform anyone else. Can anyone of us do less?

The Teacher is a doer, not a talker. He wants action, not pious platitudes or vague resolutions. The Associated Press breathlessly reported that a British astronomer speculated that the Christmas star was the "coming together of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces in 7 BC." Perhaps and of course perhaps not.

Yet might we not all agree that one can still see traces of that Christmas star in the night sky? But this time it is illuminating not the creche but the confessional in your church.

Why not step in there and first purge yourself of your sins?  Then, like the renewed Christ, tackle the problems in your families, community, and the world.

St Peter of Alcantara puts the case this way. "Truly matters are in a bad state. But if you and I begin to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have been made."
Remember the monk's dictum. To show His love, Jesus died for us. To show our love, we must live for Him.

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Homily from Father Joseph Pellegrino
http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
Baptism of Lord

The Baptism of the Lord: A Call to Change the World

This is the last Sunday of the Christmas Season and the First Sunday of Ordinary time.  The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord concludes Christmas and begins the meditation on the ministry of Jesus.  There are four aspects of this feast: 1) the Lord humbles himself before John the Baptist, 2)the Lord is empowered by the Spirit to begin the mission of the Father,  3) the Lord accepts the mission to suffer and die for us and 4) the Lord expresses his solidarity with those looking to change the world.

The first aspect, the Lord humbling himself before John the Baptist is the traditional emphasis of the feast uniting the feast to Christmas.  The Son of God humbled Himself to such a degree that He was born in a manger.  He humbled Himself accepting the baptism of John even though He was sinless.  Christ refused to consider Himself better than anyone.

The second aspect, the Lord is empowered by the Spirit to begin the mission of the Father, is the aspect of the baptism that is emphasized by the Eastern Church, Catholic and Orthodox.  At His baptism, the Spirit comes upon the Lord to such an extent that He is empowered to begin the mission of the Father. 

The third aspect, the Lord accepts the mission to suffer and die for us, flows from the first reading which is one of the Songs of the Suffering Servant in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied  a Messiah who would not be a military commander but one who would suffer and die for the people.

Today, though, I want to focus on the fourth aspect of the feast, the Lord expresses His solidarity with those looking to change the world.  One of the terrible realities of our world is the fact that wars continue to be fought.  A war says that whoever spills the most blood of the enemy is right. A war says might makes right.  This was nonsensical  when we were 10 years old in the school playground fighting about whether a ball was fair or foul.  It is far worse on the international level. 

I want this world view to be changed.  You want this to be changed.  This also is not new.  We are no different than the people of Jesus' time.  Those who stood before John the Baptist were sick of a world full of cruelty, persecution, and war.  They wanted a change and they wanted to do something about this immediately.  And do you know what they did?  They repented their own sins.  They recognized that the world is not going to change unless they change.  Jesus saw this and joined them.  The Man of Peace accepted the baptism of John because He also wanted the world changed. Then Jesus began His public life saying that the Kingdom of God, the New Order, is upon us.

For the New Order to take place we have to conquer our enemies with love.  We had to stop striking back.  The law of talons, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" can not exist in the New Order.  "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  "If someone wants to take your cloak, let him have it."  It takes two for hatred to grow.

How can we be shocked at the presence of war when we all have refused to accept the dictates of the Sermon on the Mount?  There are people who continually attack me and who continually attack you. How do I respond?  How do you respond?  Do we say a few choice words back to the person?  Do we tell someone else what a terrible person her or she is?  Do we do something to hurt the other person?  If that is our normal mode of operation, then we know why the world is always ready for war.

Jesus stood before John the Baptist seeking a change in the world.  He saw those who had been baptized before Him as people realizing that the change had to begin with themselves. He joined them.  He was baptized.

We can all be outraged by wars or other moral evils.  But we must also recognize with an intense guilt that we participate in evil every time we answer hatred with hatred instead of with love.  We who call ourselves Christians must be Christians.  Jesus accepted John’s baptism to begin the work of the Kingdom. Today we ask for the strength to join Him in seeking a new way, a new mode of action, one that promotes love, even when under attack. We ask for the courage to join Him in the Jordan River, before John the Baptist, and seek the way that promotes love, the way that furthers the Kingdom of God.

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Homily from Father Phil Bloom
http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/
* available in Spanish - see Spanish homilies
Baptism of Lord

The Power of Baptism
(January 11, 2009)

Bottom line: When a Christian embraces his baptism, he has an inexhaustible source of power.

Last weekend we commemorated the four Seattle Fire Fighters who gave their lives in the Pang Warehouse fire. It seemed like an odd coincidence that all four were Catholics - especially since we make up only about 15% of the local population. Mary Beth Celio (Director of Research for the Archdiocese), however, had a different perspective. As a professional researcher, she said that she was not surprised. She noted that we Catholics tend to be over-represented in areas of service: hospitals, education, police, fire departments and so on. The emphasis we place on service obviously has an impact on our young people

There is also something deeper here, something we focus on this Sunday: the mysterious effect of baptism. The four fire fighter - Walter, Greg, James and Randy - had all received the sacrament. We see the power of baptism in our Scripture readings. The Old Testament lesson pre-figures the sacrament: Isaiah compares God's word to rain that comes down from heaven and does not return void. Baptism waters the dry earth of the human soul. St. John, in his letter, tells us that the person "begotten by God conquers the world." He does not mean that we will be Alexander the Great, but that we have the power to stand up to seductions of our culture. And Jesus himself accepted baptism - not because he needed any strength from the water, but because he wanted to give the water power.

The great saints recognized the power of baptism. St. Louis, King of France, seeing one of his subjects baptized, said, "a few moments ago you were only my son, but now you are a child of God." St. Francis Solano - a famous preacher, healer and miracle worker - knew that his power came ultimately from his baptism. After a missionary journey to the America's, he returned to his home town in Spain. He entered the church and knelt in front of the baptismal fount. In a loud voice, he said the Profession of Faith that his parents and godparents had made on his behalf.

And I am sure many of you remember the beautiful moment in 1979 when Pope John Paul returned to Wadowice, his birthplace. People in the parish had placed flowers around the fount where he was baptized in 1920. The Holy Father knelt down and reverently kissed the baptismal fount.

The sacrament of baptism has great power. This does not mean that a baptized person will automatically become a saint. Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin both received the sacrament. The person who turns from his baptism has a greater potential for evil. A comparison: Lilies are beautiful, but if they spoil, they give off a terrible odor. Something similar happens if a person turns against their baptism. For that reason, when parents present their child for the sacrament, we ask if they intend to raise that child in the practice of the faith.

It is beautiful when a Christian embraces their baptism. The sacrament then has inexhaustible power. To express this in a more poetic way, I would like to conclude with something that a girl in this country embroidered on a sampler. She was a German girl whose family had immigrated to Pennsylvania at the end of the eighteenth century. She sewed the words on the sampler. A sampler is a piece of cloth embroidered with a design or motto. In another homily, I quoted the words she embroidered, but they bear repeating today:

I have been baptized.
Even if I die, how can the cold grave do me harm?
I know my homeland and my inheritance, which I have with God in heaven.
After I die, there is prepared for me the joy of heaven and the robes of glory.
I have been baptized.
I stand in covenant through my baptism with my God.
So say I always with glad lips
In crosses, tribulations, troubles and needs:
I have been baptized.
I rejoice in that.
The joy remains forever.

By our baptism you and I also have a homeland, an inheritance, a covenant with God. No matter what trial or distress we face, that joy remains. When a Christian embraces his baptism, he has an inexhaustible source of power.

I have been baptized.
I rejoice in that.
The joy remains forever.

**********

General Intercessions for Baptism of Lord (from Priests for Life)

Spanish Version

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Homily from Father Andrew M. Greeley
http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
Baptism of Lord

January 11th, 2009 A.D.
Baptism of our Lord

Background:
Scripture: Mark 1:7-11

We have hear about John the Baptist three times in the last month and will hear about him again next Sunday. There is just so much one can say about the conflict between the followers of Jesus in the years immediately after his return to the Father and the followers of John the Baptist. Perhaps the wise liturgists might revise the readings so that we didn't have to face the Baptist, great man that he admittedly was, quite so often. But liturgists never worry about such things. For us this Sunday, it is probably best to emphasize against the Monophysites among us the humanity of Jesus and the fact that he came only gradually to understand his religious mission, through study and work and following earlier leaders like the Baptist. Given the temper of the times, however, you might be delated to Rome for insisting that Jesus was truly human and grew in wisdom age and grace.
 
Story:
Once upon a time, Molly Whuppi and the girl's basketball team at Mother Mary High School had a home game against Christ the King High School. CK was always a push over for MM because their players were not very good, didn't have good coaches, and didn't take the game seriously. They were in short dweebs. So Molly and her team thought they'd breeze through the game and win by twenty five points, they didn't practice much and they were busy celebrating Christmas. At least. Alas for them, they started slowly and MM played better than they had ever played before. Ever. Finally in the fourth quarter MM made its move, though they were down twenty points. They narrowed the gap to five points, but in the last two minutes of the game, they were just too tired. Their legs ached like they had become jelly and they could hardly raise their arms to shoot. CK won by two points, after Molly herself and missed two free throws, which she had not done all season. The boys in the school all laughed at them. "Well," said Molly, "all right we were guilty of presumption. We're only human. Some days even Michael Jordan gets tired."

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Homily from Saint Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe,Pa
http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/homilies/index.lasso
Baptism of Lord

Jan, 11, 2009
Mark 1:7-11
Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.
Baptism of the Lord

Gospel Summary

John the Baptist offered his disciples a baptismal ritual which was essentially preparatory. It was a visible, public way of declaring one's readiness for the coming of the Messiah. It said in effect that from now on no human preconditions would be laid down. This represented a significant decision because we humans are always tempted to tell God how to do things.

When the Messiah does come, he will bring with him his own powerful baptismal rite. It too will include a water ritual but it will be far superior to the baptism of John because it will confer the Holy Spirit. This is the same Spirit that was sent from heaven at Jesus' baptism and which signaled the dawn of a new age.

This Spirit is said to have appeared as a dove over Jesus because it is God's powerful agent of creation. This is the same Spirit that hovered over the deep to call being out of nothingness and that appeared to Noah as a dove thus signaling the advent of a new world after the deluge. This Spirit brings to all who are baptized in the name of Jesus a share in the same kind of power that enabled him to announce the new world of God's kingdom and to illustrate its nature by a ministry of healing in Galilee. It is this creative Spirit also that empowers the baptized to follow Jesus in loving service, self-sacrifice and final victory.

Life Implications
It is very difficult for us to appreciate adequately the baptism that most of us received long ago as infants. In fact, I think most of our mothers prayed that we would sleep through our baptism, something that is more likely now that we no longer need to put salt in their mouths! This is a sad situation, however, unless we take serious measures to guarantee that we discover just how important and how powerful this sacrament should be in our lives.

The most important part of the baptismal rite is the faith commitment that we bring to it. Our sponsors may have made this promise for us many years ago but we must now claim that commitment in our own names. And that means nothing less than a deeply personal decision to follow Christ by living in a truly unselfish manner. It also means to renounce the alluring but false suggestion of Satan that self-indulgence leads to happiness.

Living unselfishly is very difficult and we could never manage it by our own limited resources. However, the powerful, creative Spirit, who comes to us in baptism, is ready and willing to enable us to be truly sensitive to the needs of others and truly generous in our response to those needs. Not only does this enable us to be experienced as a gift in the lives of others but it also brings us a deep sense of happiness and satisfaction…and ultimately victory with our risen Lord.

Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.

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Homily from Father Cusick
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
Baptism of Lord

Feast of THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
Isaiah 42:1-4.6-7; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-38; Mark 1:7-11

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

MERRY CHRISTMASTIDE. Throughout the ages, Christians have celebrated Christmas as a season, with the twelve days between Christmas and the Epiphany as one long Christmas "day." The Christmas season ends today with our celebration of the Lord's baptism.

Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. (Lk 3:23; Acts 1:22). The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son.'(Mt 3:13-17) This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God. (CCC 535)
 
Recounted in our liturgy today through the proclamation of the gospel of St. Mark, chapter 1, verses 1-11, the baptism of the Lord is "on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.' "(CCC 536)

What is revealed as only a sign of the Lord's coming death in John's 'baptism of repentance' is not merely a sign for the new Christian who rises from the waters of the sacramental font. For each of the baptized, the immersion in, or pouring of, water and the invocation of the Trinity is a real sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Through Baptism the Christian is sacramentally assimilated to Jesus, who in his own baptism anticipates his death and resurrection. The Christian must enter into this mystery of humble self-abasement and repentance, go down into the water with Jesus in order to rise with him, be reborn of water and the Spirit so as to become the Father's beloved son in the Son and 'walk in newness of life' (Rom 6:4)(CCC 537)
 
Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan. (Lk 3:23; Acts 1:22). The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, "This is my beloved Son.'(Mt 3:13-17) This is the manifestation ("Epiphany") of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God. (CCC 535)
 
St. Gregory of Nazianzus spoke well of this mystery when he preached: "Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him." (CCC 537)
St. Hilary of Poitiers expressed, more poetically, our adoption as true sons and daughters of God in baptism:

Everything that happened to Christ lets us know that, after the bath of water, the Holy Spirit swoops down upon us from high heaven and that, adopted by the Father's voice, we become sons of God. (CCC 537)
 
The greatest of gifts is ours in baptism: God's very own life and love. A life to overcome the death which is our inheritance from Adam's sin, a love to overpower and win us away from love of self to love of God for his own sake and our neighbors for his glory.

Another of the baptismal gifts we receive is the ability, in Christ, to praise and worship the Father in the Holy Spirit, and to be found pleasing to God as we do so. The baptismal font was often placed in the courtyard or near the entrance of early churches, and the practice continues so in many places today. We "entered" the Body of Christ at the moment of our baptism. We became worshipping members of the Son, pleasing and beloved by the Father, through our baptism. This is why holy water fonts are placed near the entrance of our churches.

As you dip your fingers into the font and make the sign of the cross each time you enter the house of worship of the Lord, remember it is by the power of your baptism that you render fitting and pleasing worship to God in your spiritual sacrifice of holiness of life and, most fully, the Eucharistic sacrifice. It is by your bath in the waters flowing from the side of Christ the priest in his perfect offering that you have been incorporated into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic body of Christ in the world, his bride the Church.

I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we "meet Christ in the liturgy", Father Cusick (Publish with permission.)

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Homily from Father Alex McAllister SDS
http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
Baptism of Lord

Baptism of the Lord, Year B

Today with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord we come to the end of the Christmas season. We end Christmas as we began Advent with the figure of John the Baptist.

At the beginning of Advent he was presented as the figure foretold in Isaiah come to “prepare the way for the Lord.” Today we see the fulfilment of his mission in the Baptism of Jesus and the inauguration of Christ’s public ministry.

The sacred liturgy cannot follow the various events in the life of Christ in chronological order since we celebrate them all within the space of a single year. What the Church does is place these events in relationship with each other so that the various mysteries that we celebrate compliment each other.

That’s why we have the accounts of the ministry of John the Baptist in Advent, then we celebrate Christmas, Epiphany and now the Baptism of Jesus. They are not in chronological order but in a sequence which illustrates their meaning and significance. What we are doing is not considering them chronologically but theologically.

Christ’s Birth was celebrated two weeks ago and in between we have had two feasts which were directly complimentary to it: the Feast of Mary the Mother of God in which we clarified our understanding that this child was our Saviour, Son of God and Son of Mary; then in the Feast of the Epiphany we saw how he was not destined merely for the people of Israel but for the people of the entire world.

In today’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord we see our Saviour begin his ministry with the blessing and affirmation of God himself: “You are my beloved Son, my favour rests on you.”

And at this apposite moment we are introduced to the Sacrament of Baptism, the door to the Church and the gateway to salvation.

Christ doesn’t need to be Baptised, but by undergoing Baptism at the hands of John he transforms it into the great sacrament of salvation. Just like everything else he touches it is transformed. He makes it not just a Baptism of repentance for sins but a Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the entrance to the Life of the Spirit.

Jesus receives Baptism from John as a sign that he is sorry for the sins of all mankind and an expression‎ of his decision that he would save us through his death on the Cross. This is a bold statement made right at the very beginning of his ministry and it indicates clearly the direction in which he is going.

Of course, this was not evident to any one present except John the Baptist; it is something that only becomes clear in retrospect. But it is clear that John the Baptist gets the message because as is recorded in the Gospel of John the following day he points out Jesus to his disciples and says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

He knows who Jesus is and he knows what Jesus is to achieve; he might not be fully aware of the details or how it is going to be worked out, but he knows God has a plan for the salvation of the world and Jesus is going to be the one who is to fulfil the promises God has made down through the ages.

We have, each of us, been Baptised; our task now is to live out the implications of our Baptism. Being Baptised means being a Child of God, being Baptised means living a new kind of life, being Baptised means that we are now Witnesses to Christ.

Because most of us were Baptised as children we have completely forgotten the experience of Baptism. However, we might have been present recently at the Baptism of a child and we were reminded us how the priest poured water on our heads in the name of the Trinity and how we were anointed with holy oil and consecrated to Christ’s service.

We know that Baptism is the sacrament of our initiation into the Church and that through it we became members of Christ’s body. It is a simple ritual but it has extraordinary implications.

I mentioned that this feast falls at the very end of the Christmas season. But it is also regarded as the first Sunday of Ordinary Time. It acts like a sort of bridge between Christmas and Ordinary Time.

As we have noted, and it is especially evident in the Gospel of Mark, the Baptism of Christ marks the beginning of what we call his public ministry. In Ordinary Time we go systematically through the Gospel and consider the important events of this ministry. We look at the various miracles in turn and we examine Christ’s teaching, especially as found in the Sermon on the Mount.

We should take all this seriously; if we are to be his witnesses to the world of today then we need to know all about Christ—what he did and what he taught. That means we need to study his life and there is no better way of doing this than by following the Gospel readings as presented to us by the Church through the Liturgical Year.

As we celebrate this feast today we are invited to remember and take ownership of our own Baptism. We will renew our faith using the question and answer format as was done at the time of our Baptism and I will sprinkle you with Holy Water in blessing as a further reminder of Baptism.

As we do these things let us give thanks to God for the gift of faith and for all that we have received as members of his Church. Let us ask him to come into our lives afresh and fill us with his Holy Spirit. And let us resolve to live our lives in this New Year as his faithful disciples.

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Homily from Father Clyde A. Bonar, Ph.D.
Father Bonar will not be posting homilies for Cycle B to allow himself time for other projects. His collection of homilies (including homilies for Cycle B) is available at www.clydebonar.com.
Baptism of Lord