JANUARY 13, 2019

Two Important Elements of Jesus’ Baptism

Jesus is in the midst of the people. This is not just background scenery, but is an essential component of the event. Before immersing himself in the water, Jesus ‘immerses’ himself in the crowd; he joins it, fully taking on the human condition, sharing everything, except sin. In his divine holiness, full of grace and mercy, the Son of God became flesh precisely to take upon himself and take away the sin of the world: taking on our miseries, our human condition. Thus today’s event is also an epiphany, because by going to have himself baptized by John, in the midst of the repentant people, Jesus manifests the logic and meaning of his mission.

By joining the people who ask John for the Baptism of conversion, Jesus shares with them the deep desire for inner renewal. And the Holy Spirit, who descends upon him “in bodily form, as a dove” (v. 22), is a sign that with Jesus a new world is being initiated, a ‘new creation’ in which all those who welcome Jesus into their life participate. The words of the Father are also addressed to each of us, that we may be reborn with Christ in Baptism: “Thou art my beloved son; with thee I am well pleased” (v. 22). This Fatherly love, which all of us received on the day of our Baptism, is a flame that was lit in our heart, and needs to be kindled by means of prayer and charity.

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SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

JANUARY 10, 2016

The Holy Spirit Opens Our Hearts to the Truth

The Holy Spirit, received for the first time on the day of our Baptism, opens our heart to the Truth, to all Truth. The Spirit impels our life on the challenging but joyful path of charity and solidarity toward our brothers and sisters. The Spirit gives us the tenderness of divine forgiveness and permeates us with the invincible power of the Father’s mercy. Let us not forget that the Holy Spirit is a living and vivifying presence in those who welcome him, he prays in us and fills us with spiritual joy.

Today, the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, let us ponder the day of our Baptism. All of us were baptized, let us give thanks for this gift. I ask you a question: which of you knows the date of your Baptism? Surely not everyone. Therefore, I encourage you to find out the date, by asking, for example, your parents, your grandparents, your godparents, or going to the parish. It is very important to know it, because it is a date to be celebrated: it is the date of our rebirth as Children of God. For this reason, homework for this week: go and find out the date of your Baptism. Celebrating that day means and reaffirms our adherence to Jesus, with the commitment to live as Christians, members of the Church and of a new humanity, in which all are brothers and sisters.

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SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Baptism of the Lord, Year C

JANUARY 13, 2013

Divine Lowering

Why did [Jesus] perform that gesture of penitence and conversion, beside all those people who in this way were trying to prepare for the coming of the Messiah? That gesture — which marks the start of Christ’s public life — comes in continuity with the Incarnation, the descent of God from the highest heaven into the abyss of hell. The meaning of this movement of divine lowering is expressed in a single word: love, the very name of God. The Apostle John writes: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him”, and he sent him “to be the expiation for our sins” (1 Jn 4:9-10). That is why the first public act of Jesus was to receive baptism from John, who, seeing him approaching, said: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29).

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SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

JANUARY 11, 2009

How Great is the Gift of Baptism!

This morning, in keeping with tradition, I have administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 13 newborn babies in the Sistine Chapel. The celebrant usually questions the parents and godparents: “What do you ask of God’s Church for your children?”. At their response, “Baptism”, he replies, “And what does Baptism grant us?”. “Eternal life,” they answer. And this is the marvellous reality: a human person, through Baptism, is integrated into Jesus’ unique and singular relationship with the Father so that the words resonating from heaven upon the Only-Begotten Son may become true for every man and every woman who is reborn by water and by the Holy Spirit: you are my son, my beloved.

How great is the gift of Baptism! If we were to take this fully into account our lives would become a continual “thank you”. What a joy for Christian parents, who have seen a new creature come into being from their love, to carry the baby to the baptismal font and see him or her reborn from the womb of the Church, for a life without end! It is a gift, a joy, but also a responsibility! Parents, in fact, together with godparents, must educate their children in accordance with the Gospel…

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SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

JANUARY 8, 2006

Rediscover the Beauty of Baptism

The baptism of children expresses and accomplishes the mystery of new birth to divine life in Christ:  parents who are believers bring their children to the baptismal font that represents the “womb” of the Church, from whose blessed waters God’s children are brought forth.

The gift received by newborn infants needs to be accepted by them freely and responsibly once they have reached adulthood: the process of growing up will then bring them to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, which precisely strengthens the baptized and confers upon each one the “seal” of the Holy Spirit.

Dear brothers and sisters, may today’s solemnity be a favourable opportunity for all Christians to rediscover with joy the beauty of their own Baptism, which is an ever-timely reality if it is lived with faith:  it ceaselessly renews within us the image of the new person, in holiness of thought and action.
Baptism, moreover, unites Christians of every denomination. As baptized persons, we are all children of God in Christ Jesus, our Teacher and our Lord.

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SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Baptism of the Lord, Year C

JANUARY 11, 2004

The Messianic “Style” of Jesus

Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Gospels say that Jesus went to John the Baptist by the Jordan River, desiring to receive from him the baptism of repentance. But immediately afterwards, while Jesus was praying, “the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from Heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Lk 3: 21). It is the first public manifestation of Jesus’ messianic identity after the adoration of the Magi. This is why the liturgy brings the Baptism of the Lord closer to the Epiphany with a leap in time of about 30 years: today we see the Child whom the Magi adored as a messianic King consecrated by the Father in the Holy Spirit.

 The messianic “style” of Jesus is already clearly outlined in his baptism in the Jordan: He comes as the “Lamb of God” to take upon himself and take away the sins of the world (cf. Jn 1: 29, 36). As such, John the Baptist points him out to the disciples (cf. Jn 1: 36). We too, after celebrating at Christmas the great event of the Incarnation, are asked to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, the human face of God and the divine face of man.

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SOURCE: The Holy See Archive at the Vatican Website © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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