This is My Beloved Son
The Baptism of the Lord
“Heaven was opened and the holy Spirit descended upon him.” Luke 3:21-22
This Sunday we celebrate this wonderful feast of the Baptism of the Lord and with this, we also conclude the Christmas season. The word baptism means to be immersed. Through our baptism we are immersed in Christ and redeemed by his blood. In the old testament, the Jews used to sacrifice lambs for the forgiveness of their sins. We don’t need to sacrifice a lamb anymore. Jesus is the Lamb who has taken away our transgressions and has cleansed us with His blood. Let us live out our baptism, let really be immersed in God’s grace that has given us his own Son that we may have life and have it to the fullest. Let us be immersed in God’s unconditional love.
In this Sunday gospel here this awesome statement of the Father through the Holy Spirit “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Again, what powerful statement this is. As Jesus is being baptized, he is engaged in this endless fire of love with the father and the Holy Spirit. What a great amazing joy is to know that we are loved, even more than we are loved by the Father. Jesus goes on in the gospel of John sharing this fulfilling love of the Father when he says, “as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you, remain in my love”. We too then are coheirs of this love of through our own baptism. We too are the beloved children of God. As we celebrate this wonderful feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let ask for the grace that we might be open, aware and determined to live as true beloved children of God.
Readings of the Week
Monday: Heb 1:1-6; Ps 97:1, 2b, 6, 7c, 9; Mk 1:14-20
Tuesday: Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2ab, 5, 6-9; Mk 1:21-28
Wednesday: Heb 2:14-18; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Mk 1:29-39
Thursday: Heb 3:7-14; Ps 95:6-11; Mk 1:40-45
Friday: Heb 4:1-5, 11; Ps 78:3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2:1-12
Saturday: Heb 4:12-16; Ps 19:8-10, 15; Mk 2:13-17
Sunday: Is 62:1-5; Ps 96:1-3, 7-10; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Jn 2:1-11