In Baptism We Are All Beloved Sons Of God
1. My Beloved Son
2. What About Our Baptism?
Introduction
1. My Beloved Son
Still in the Christmas spirit we celebrate today the Lord’s Baptism. On Christmas he manifested himself as a child, yet he was no other than God’s Son. At the Epiphany he manifested himself to the Gentiles as the Saviour of all people. Today he manifests himself as the Son intensely loved by the Father, with the Spirit resting on him and guiding him. Now he can begin his mission. And we are asked to follow him. In this Eucharist we ask our Lord to make us aware how we too, through baptism, are beloved sons and daughters of the Father, and how the fire of the Spirit should inflame us.
2. What about Our Baptism?
On this feast of Our Lord’s baptism the liturgy reminds us of our own baptism. At his baptism Jesus saw the mission ahead of him and committed himself to it. He received heaven’s confirmation that the Father and the Holy Spirit were with him in his mission of saving people. At our baptism too the Father accepted us as his beloved sons and daughters and gave us the mission of living the life of Christ for all people to see. We ask the Lord here with us to give us the insight and strength to accept our Christian mission in life.
First Reading: Here Is Your God
To his repentant people, God promises a saviour who will be like a loving shepherd. At his baptism Jesus will be revealed as that Saviour and God’s own Son.
1 Reading: 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.
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 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 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.
2 Reading: 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.”
Alleluia: Mark 9:7
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:
This is my beloved Son, listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: You Are My Beloved Son
In his description of Jesus’ baptism Matthew recognizes Jesus as God’s Son. His Father invests Jesus with his mission as Saviour and the Holy Spirit will guide him.
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Commentary:
Jesus’ baptism scene in the Jordan is a Trinitarian epiphany: it is about the beloved Son, immersed in water, with the voice of the Father from heaven and the Holy Spirit appearing as a dove. It is also a sign of Israel, the people of God, who by the action of the Spirit recognizes Christ as the divine Son. There is another protagonist, John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, who reveals the meaning of Christian baptism. It is not merely a ritual purification but a cleansing of fire that generates the new creature, free from sin, called to be a son of God and to share in the divine life.
Blessing
At his baptism
Jesus saw his vocation:
to serve God and people.
At our baptism
we were given our vocation.
It is, in our own small way,
the vocation of Jesus.
Let each of us become
a faithful servant
and son or daughter of the Father,
a humble servant of those around us.
And may almighty God bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in the peace and the love of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.