BAPTISM OF JESUS

Have you ever regretted not doing putting off something only to learn later that it could have made such a huge difference in your life? I think this happens to most of us sometime.

Isn’t this the case for those who reject baptism or procrastinate. They could of had true freedom, become sons and daughters of God and found eternal happiness.

Now is the time of mercy! So, the good news is that it’s not too late to be baptized and become a member of the body of Christ. The bad news is that our end may come before baptism.

However, for those who do not become baptized because they do not know Christ, there is hope. God wants everyone saved. So, ourChurch trusts in God’s mercy. Quoting Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (847) says:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation.[1]

For us who know the Gospel, Jesus’ baptism followed by God’s declaration testifies to its importance. In today’s Scriptures, prophecy is fulfilled. John is the voice crying out to prepare the way of the LORD. Jesus is the servant God upholds, his chosen one with whom he is pleased, upon whom He has put His Spirit. Through his own baptism Jesus transformed baptism into a sacrament of rebirth for us. Our baptism is much more than repentance followed by symbolic washing because we are baptized by Christ, who, as John says, baptizes with fire and the Spirit. God burns away all our sins and gives of His Spirit in order that we can live out our call and come to everlasting life. With his baptism Christ began his mission, just as we begin ours after our own baptism.

Baptism is a rebirth, a renewal of life for us! Before baptism we were beloved men and women created in the Father’s image and likeness but separated from a familial relationship. Because of our baptism we become a child of God the Father in union with Jesus as our brother and the Holy Spirit as our advocate. We become part of the Body of Christ in union with Christians everywhere. We can cry out like Jesus—Abba Father! Or Daddy! As brothers and sisters of Christ we can go to God as our Father!

Did you know that the call to baptism is a call to holiness, that the desire for baptism is a desire for holiness? Saint John Paul II said:

“To ask catechumens: “Do you wish to receive Baptism?” means at the same time to ask them: “Do you wish to become holy?” He goes on to say that “It means to set before them the radical nature of the Sermon on the Mount: Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. . .. The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this high standard of ordinary Christian living: the whole life of the Christian community and of Christian families must lead in this direction. (NMI, nos. 30-31).”

Did you ever think to link holiness to baptism? I didn’t until I read this. Once I thought about it, it makes sense. After all Christ is holy and we become part of the Body of Christ at Baptism. At Baptism all our sins are wiped away and we are holy. Of course, when we fall into sin we are aided by our baptismal graces and the graces of the sacraments in pursuit of our call to holiness.

The question becomes, now that we are baptized what do we have to do to reach the holiness we are called to? The answer is to develop a relationship with Jesus and follow him, the epitome of holiness. He is the way, the truth and the light.

How do we do this? By getting to know him and imitating him.

Today we have a perfect example of the 1st step in knowing and imitating Jesus. What did Jesus do immediately after his baptism? He prayed. Jesus was a man of prayer. What happened as he prayed? The Father spoke to him. Therefore, the first thing we should do is pray, especially the Mass: we must make prayer a routine part of our life.

Later we find two disciples of John leaving John to become Jesus’ disciples. They ask where he is staying and follow him. They went to sit at his feet and learn from him. We can follow their lead by reading, listening, meditating on the Gospels and putting what we learn into practice.

Next, Andrew will go to get his brother Peter and bring him the Good News. So, in following his example we should bring the Good News to others—the Good News of renewal and rebirth through faith and baptism. The good news of becoming sons and daughters of God. In bringing others to Christ, they exemplified his mandate to

“Go… and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… ().” In Acts there are several examples of Jesus’ disciples following this mandate. Lets bring others to baptism in Christ.

[1] Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed., p. 224). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference.

Today highlights the importance of baptism and prayer for our salvation as we see Jesus beginning his public ministry through both baptism and prayer. John fulfilled called for the people to turn their lives basck to God, repenting of any sins before baptism. John’s baptism symbolized a rebirth to live a holy life. Jesus went into the water and emerged like eeryone else, then he prayed. It was during his prayer that God revealed Himself and Jesus as His Son.

Theophany

Isn’t this the case for those who reject baptism or procrastinate too long. Although it would necessitate carrying their crosses to follow Christ, they would become priests and kings in the Kingdom of God, they would be free, they would be sons and daughters of God and found true happiness in this world and eternal happiness in the next.

Beginning of Jesus’ public ministry

IMPORTANCE

Now is the time of mercy! So, the good news is that its not too late as long as we are alive and desire to be holy, to become a member of the body of Christ. The bad news is that our end may come suddenly, when we least expect it.

DIFFERENCE IN BAPTISMS

Jesus’ own baptism followed by God’s declaration shows its importance. In today’s Scriptures prophesy is fulfilled. John is the voice crying out to prepare the way of the LORD. Jesus is the servant God upholds, his chosen one with whom he is pleased, upon whom He has put His Spirit. Through his baptism Jesus transformed the baptism into a sacrament of rebirth. Our baptism is much more than repentance followed by symbolic washing because we are baptized by Christ, who, as John says, baptizes with fire and the Spirit. God burns away all our sins and gives of His Spirit in order that we can live out our call. Christ began his mission upon his baptism, just as we begin ours.

Baptism is a rebirth, a renewal of life for us! Before baptism we were beloved men and women created in the Father’s image and likeness but separated from a familial relationship. Because of our baptism we become a child of God the Father in union with Jesus as our brother and the Holy Spirit as our advocate. We become part of the Body of Christ in union with Christians everywhere. We can cry out like Jesus—Abba Father! Or Daddy! We can go to God as our father, brothers and sisters of Jesus!

In today’s Scripture prophesy is fulfilled. John is the voice crying out to prepare the way of the LORD. Jesus is the servant God upholds, his chosen one with whom he is pleased, upon whom He has put His Spirit. Through baptism by John Jesus begins his public ministry, as we do today. But, our baptism is much more than repentance followed by symbolic washing because we are baptized by Christ, who, as John says, baptises with fire and the Spirit. God burns away all our sins and gives of His Spirit in order that we can live out our call.

Today’s gospel not only highlights the importance of baptism, but also prayer. The appearance and voice of God occured as Jesus prayed following the baptism. During his prayer that heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."Jesus prayed frequently. It was during prayer that Moses, Elijah and God spoke on the mountain of the Transfiguration. It was during prayer that he chose his apostles. It was during prayer in the garden that He began His Passion. To follow Jesus is to be baptized and pray deliberately and frequently.

Its not enough to go through the cleansing and regeneration, one must commit themselves to God as His child. Before baptism we were beloved creations made in God’s image and likeness, but we are not God’s sons and daughters.

John’s was repentance followed by a baptism by water

Jesus’ baptises with fire and the Spirit

Regeneration

CALLED TO HOLINESS

Did you know that the call to baptism is a call to holiness, that the desire for baptism is a desire for holiness? Saint Pope John Paul II emphasized that the call to the fullness of holiness is an essential part of being a Christian. He says that: “To ask catechumens: “Do you wish to receive Baptism?” means at the same time to ask them: “Do you wish to become holy?” He goes on to say that “It means to set before them the radical nature of the Sermon on the Mount: Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. . .. The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this high standard of ordinary Christian living: the whole life of the Christian community and of Christian families must lead in this direction. (NMI, nos. 30-31).

Become a child of God,

Did you ever think to link holiness to baptism? I didn’t until I read this. Once I thought about it, it makes sense. After all Christ is holy and we become part of the Body of Christ at Baptism. At Baptism all our sins are wiped away and we are holy. Of course, we will sin and aided by our baptismal graces and the graces of the sacraments, we’ll spend our lifetime pursuing holiness.

Become a part of the body of Christ

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

The question becomes, what do we have to do to reach the holiness we are called to? The answer is to develop a personal relationship with Jesus and follow him, the epitome of holiness. He is the way, the truth and the light.

TRANSFORMED THROUGH BAPTISM

How do we do this? Get to know him. Imitate him.

Today we have a perfect example of the 1st step. What did Jesus do immediately after his baptism? He prayed. What happened as he prayed? The Father spoke to him. Therefore, the first thing we should do is make prayer a routine.

The next thing we find is two disciples leaving John to become Jesus’ disciples and go to where he’s staying. They went to sit at his feet and learn from him. We can follow their lead by reading, listening, meditating on the Gospels and putting what we learn into practice.

Next, Andrew will go to get his brother Peter and bring him the Good News. So, in following we should bring the Good News to others—the Good News of renewal through faith and baptism. The good news of becoming sons and daughters of God, and the freedom it brings.

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