†Saint Quote
"We have received baptism, entrance into the Church, and the honor of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do us if we are Christians in name only and not in fact?"
–St. Andrew Kim Taegon †Today's Meditation
Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. The whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them. On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people's unique, priestly vocation: … The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood." "The holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office," above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it "unfailingly adheres to this faith . . . once for all delivered to the saints," and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ's witness in the midst of this world. Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and Resurrection. Christ, King and Lord of the universe, made himself the servant of all, for he came "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." For the Christian, "to reign is to serve him," particularly when serving "the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder." The People of God fulfills its royal dignity by a life in keeping with its vocation to serve with Christ.
—The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 783-786 Catechism of the Catholic Church
An Excerpt From
Catechism of the Catholic Church Daily Verse
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." –Matthew 3:13-17 |  click to read more | | Baptism of the Lord The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord is closely connected with the Solemnity of the Epiphany; both are biblical manifestations of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. On the occasion of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan river at the hands of St. John the Baptist, the voice of God was audibly heard to declare to the gathered crowd, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." At his baptism Jesus sanctified the earth's waters, giving water the power to beget sons of God through the Sacrament of Baptism. Through the cleansing waters of baptism Jesus heals our sinful nature and clothes us with his own Divine life, bringing us into the Kingdom of God. It is by imitating Our Lord in his Baptism that a person becomes a Christian, the first sacrament of initiation into the Church. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season on the new liturgical calendar. | The Baptism of the Lord Reading I Is 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. OR: 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." 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 Lord will bless his people with peace.
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 Lord will bless his people with peace.
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. The Lord will bless his people with peace. Alleluia Cf. Mk 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 Mt 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." | DAILY MEDITATION: MATTHEW 3:13-17
John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you." (Matthew 3:14) Why would the perfect Son of God have to be baptized? Like John before us, we hesitate as Jesus approaches the waters of the Jordan. After all, Jesus was without sin, so he didn't need to repent. The answer is that he did it for us. By receiving John's baptism of repentance, Jesus was identifying with us in a complete and intimate way. On that day, he embraced God's perfect plan "to fulfill all righteousness" by taking upon himself all of our sins (Matthew 3:15). It's as if his first steps out of the Jordan River were steps on the way of the cross—all for us! As amazing as this is, there is more. Matthew tells us that at Jesus' baptism, "the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove" (Matthew 3:16). Now, with the descent of the Holy Spirit at his baptism, a whole new era was being ushered in. Jesus would fight and defeat the temptations of the evil one in the desert and then launch his mission in the power of the Spirit. He would proclaim the kingdom of God, and signs and wonders would follow. From that moment on, nothing was ever the same. But it gets even better than this! Through our baptism, a whole era has been ushered in for us as well. Not only have our sins been forgiven, but through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have been empowered to accomplish the unique mission that God has given to each one of us. This is the same Spirit who works deeply in our hearts to transform us so that we become more and more like our Lord. On this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, remember how Jesus took on your sinfulness so that you could live. Remember how his baptism launched a mission that culminated in the gift of his Holy Spirit. And take some time to savor the divine life that is now yours through Christ. The kingdom of God is within you, and you will never be the same! "Lord Jesus, the heavens are open. Pour out your Spirit on me today." Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;"_ This happens in baptism.
You are made born into the body of Christ. | We pray today;
_"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. "_ | In the Gospel today we heard:
" In the Gospel today we heard:
" And a voice came from the heavens, saying,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."_ From Bishop Barron today: Friends, Matthew's account of Jesus' baptism points to the significance of this foundational sacrament. Listen to the great theologian Gregory of Nazianzen: "Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . . It is called 'gift' because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; 'grace' since it is given even to the guilty." Jesus said, "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you." Baptism is the sacramental ratification of that choice. And this is why we speak of Baptism as justifying us and washing away our sin. We are—all of us—born into a deeply dysfunctional world, a world conditioned by millenia of selfishness, cruelty, injustice, stupidity, and fear. This has created a poisonous atmosphere that conditions all of our thoughts and moves and actions. Do you see why the stress on grace is so important? Baptism is the moment when the Holy Spirit draws us out of this fallen world and into a new world, the very life of the Trinity. That's why Baptism involves being born again, lifted up, enlightened, transformed, saved—and why the Church speaks of the baptized as a "new creature." | .......................†........................
Lord I want to be new always with You
.................................................. adrian |  click to hear | Random Bible Verse 1 | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
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