REFLECTIONS ON THE WORD – 01/09/22 (Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord)

Luke 3:21-22

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with Thee I am well pleased."

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Blessed Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord! In our gospel reading, we see the anticipation of the people for the coming of the Messiah. After other people were baptized, Jesus humbled Himself, and He chose to be baptized by St. John the Baptist. Then, we see the manifestation of the Holy Trinity after He was baptized. The Holy Spirit from above descended to Him, and the Father spoke of His beloved Son. Jesus did not come to baptism to repent because He had no sins. Rather, it was at this moment that He sanctified the water in order for the sacrament of baptism to be the vessel of His grace. 

Our Lord has granted us the gift of children who become part of our families. In this last day of Christmas season, Jesus shows us why the sacrament of baptism is a gift. The people who are baptized become part of the family of God. The sacrament of baptism is the gateway to all other sacraments. Through this, we are born again, and we become true children of God as Catholics. This means we obtain the gift of salvation offered by Christ, and we receive the Holy Spirit. For children who are baptized, they are cleansed from the state of original sin and for adults, they are purified from all sins. 

The baptism of Jesus was just the beginning of His mission, and He called many people to follow Him. Likewise, He wants us to be faithful to Him always by deepening our Catholic faith. In this way, we can live the faith that is professed in our baptism. As we grow and develop, we recognize that there are many influences in the world that desire that we separate from Christ. But, He wants us to be humble and to listen to Him as our Master. The Holy Spirit will always be our guide in our spiritual journey. In this way, we can always please our Father in heaven. As we continue with the ordinary times, our God is telling us that it is never too late to practice and live our Catholic faith. May we always pray for families to be servants of the Gospel as they participate in the sacrament of baptism, so we can have the hope of being able to praise and love the Holy Trinity for all eternity.

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic